Intercultural Communication

Service Learning Paper

Submitted by:
Pedro Rico
December 4, 2011

Submitted to:
Tamra K. Phillips, M.S.
COMM 2150-002
Department of Communication
Salt Lake Community College

Service Organization
For my service learning project, I volunteered at the Road Home in Salt Lake City.
The contact information is listed below:
Chelsey Styles
Volunteer Coordinator
The Road Home
210 S. Rio Grande Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: 801-819-7298
Email: cstyles@theroadhome.org
Project
The mission of The Road Home is to help people step out of homelessness and
back into the community through emergency services, personalized case management
and collaboration with additional resources. (The Road Home Volunteer Handbook) By
providing these outlets for families and individuals, they allow the residents the
autonomy and motivation to get back on their feet. For my project, I wanted to gather
residents testimonies of what lead them to where they are now, this proved to be
difficult since most of the time I was tasked to do security check so most of
conversations with the residents were done sporadic throughout my shift or not at all.
The Road Home, has three sections: Mens, Womens, and Families; most of my time
was spent upstairs with the men, doing security check and providing blankets. On my
spare time I was able to have more of a substantive interview with three men. The first
resident I spoke to was Deanne which was more of an informal interview, he gave me a
bit of his life history which was immensely helpful for me to compile better questions for
when I chose to interview more residents. Deanne, is a black male probably in his late
30s to early 40s, from what I observed he seemed perfectly fine, he was telling me that
he has a job, but no home, so he stays at The Road Home, in order for him to shower

and be ready for work. I asked Deanne if he has any family in Utah, he said, no that he
comes from out of state, and that his connection with his mother has been a bit rocky.
He confided in me that she was a drug user, and that he hasnt tried to keep much in
touch with her. He also was telling me that he really wants to go back to college, but he
feels like it would be difficult considering his current condition. Deanne seems like a
bright man, but he also seems to be under a lot of stress and worry that he is inadequate
for school, but he strives to be informed.
I truly felt for Deanne, and I wish I could provide him the means to get on with his life
but at last I cant, but what I can do is to find a solution for those to step out of
homelessness. I kept coming back, enjoying the residents, many whom have mental and
behavioral problems which can or cannot be apparent so it is best to be as respectful as
possible especially when choosing your words, tone, or how you interact with them.

Cultural Groups
The culture at The Road Home, is diverse, I would have to say that most of the
residents were young. Many of whom seem to have come from poor and or middle class
lifestyles. When I was working at the family desk, many of the families were young
adults. Some even grew up in the shelter as kids and continue to live there as adults with
children of their own. The Family Desk probably provided more of a tangible grasp of
the systematic cycle of homelessness; many of these young adults have children and the
chances of their kids falling into the same cycle seems higher. I interviewed a worker at
the family desk who spoke about one resident, let us call her Jane. Jane apparently grew
up at The Road Home, and for the time she has worked their (which is about twenty
years) she has seen Jane grow up, and return with her own child. A lot of the people at

The Road Home suffer from mental problems which has made it difficult for them to
cope or integrate properly back to society, many of them have also abused substances
which has lead them to so much misery due to a society's need to punish drug users, and
the lack of medical help there is for those who want it.
One day, when my time was up at The Road Home, I decided to walk the streets of Salt
Lake, passing the Rio Grande, to Pioneer Park, crossing the 4th street clinic, and
stopping at the Rescue Mission, where I interviewed two men who were stepping out of
the building after lunch was served.
The first person I spoke with is a white male, age 21, named Steven who has been
homeless for 2 years and is originally from Sandy Utah. I asked him if he was in contact
with his family, and if he continued to have a relationship with them. Steven explained
to me that he doesnt keep in contact with them, because they were arrested for physical
and mental abuse, and then was placed into the system, where he was placed under
supervision of foster parents, who were only able to take care of him until he reached
legal age. Steven said, they were really nice and they really cared about me, he felt as if
they were the closest thing to parents that hes had. However, the foster parents couldnt
adopt Steven, they were part of the system of helping kids, and once Steven was of age
they had to take in another kid. Steven had no financial help, regardless he was
determined to pursue his education, currently he is enrolled with UVU online, where he
is taking on 12 credit hours. Steven is pursuing a degree in graphic and design, Im not
the creative type but Im in love with everything on the technical end.
I asked Steven if hes currently employed, and if not, whats holding him back. it isnt
easy for me to carry on a job, due to my disability, apparently Steven has autism, which
creates a problem for him in social settings, which probably explains why he has decided

to pursue a degree in technical design. While trying to accomplish his degree, he has
looking into the S.S.I. which is also known as Supplement Security Income, for those
who have disabilities. He said that most days it can be hard for him, which is why he
relies a lot on Mike (who is also homeless) for emotional support and motivation, he met
Mike during Drum Circle and since then the two have been inseparable. I was curious to
hear about his experience at The Road Home, and his response surprised me, he said
that, juvenile prison was better than The Road Home. I asked him to elaborate on that
comment and it turns out that the residents continue to use drugs inside such as meth,
heroin, spice etc... he did say that the resources were helpful and that he enjoys therapy,
but he mostly goes to the Youth Research Center, for food, shelter and housing. In
addition to that hes also looking into the VOA program that provides affordable housing
for those who are considered chronically homeless. For anyone who is lucky enough to
get into the affordable housing program, will be paying a whopping 5-30 dollars a
month on rent. Even though Steven is homeless he seems to be pushing himself
forward, and it would seem to that there is plenty of programs available for him because
of his age, and disability, however his friend Mike is a different case.
Mike comes from Florida, he is 29 years of age, he has no contact with any family,
his mother died in 2010 when he was 23. Mike didnt care for school, he dropped out at
the age of 16 not knowing how to write, he still has an aversion to institutions of
learning, that have left a bad impression on him. When he turned 17 he fell in love with a
girl and ran off with her. The girl ended up having a child with him, and then soon after
left him. Mike fell into a gang, he felt as if they give him the support that his mother
couldnt provide him for example basic resources such as water. His Mother was
addicted to crack (cocaine), and soon was diagnosed with cancer, he returned home to

help her out. Inevitably she passed on, all that was left was his Grandma who loved him
so. Mike was traumatized by his mother's death, and asked his Grandma (the only
family left) to make a promise to him, that she wouldnt leave him. Sadly, his
Grandmother died shortly after that promise.
Now Mike, a grown man, left all alone, moved to Utah to meet a girl, which didnt work
out for him, the girl provided him information of the homeless shelters in Salt Lake and
since then he has always been on the streets. Mike is looking into disability for his PTSD,
bipolar disorder, and depression. Even though Mike has all these mental issues, he still
finds time to be creative, he currently has his own laptop, in which he is creating a
video-game, he loves books that inspire him.
At the end of each interview I asked the two men, how they think society views them,
and they both said, Society views me as a druggy, parasitic, and worthless. Harsh isnt
it? To feel, that society doesnt see you as someone, who cant amount to anything, but
then I followed up with another question and asked them how they viewed themselves, a
glow started to radiate from them, and a soft smile then appeared when they proceeded
to tell me that, I see myself as a humanitarian, compassionate, a dreamer, and worth
being happy.
Challenges
I would say the biggest challenge at The Road Home is that sometimes youll be
faced with individuals who are quick to temper which can escalate or put you in an
awkward position. I had one man come to me at the family desk and yell at me and call
me a nerd nothing of what he said bothered me. Sometimes the homeless population
might overreact because they feel as if they are being patronized or the bureaucracy of
The Road Home can be seen as trivial which can agitate some of the residents. I believe

most of my challenges came from the red tape at The Road Home and the homeless
who see at as an attack on their right. My suggestion for anyone who is looking to
volunteer at The Road Home, is that you better have tough skin, and be laid back when
it comes to interacting with homeless who come in and out.
Theory
Proxemics. What is it? And does it matter? Well proxemics matters quite a bit,
especially when preparing to interact with anyone that differs from your own personal
culture. Now to the what is it? part, well proxemics is considered the the silent
language. Edward T. Hall, was the first to introduce us to the idea of proxemics, as a
the study of how people use personal space to communicate. Hall, then goes on to say
that there are four distinct perimeters known as Distance Zones e.g. Intimate,
personal, social, and public. (p. 47)
Here is the breakdown of each zone, their distances and the definition of each:
1. Intimate Distance- the closest bubble of space surrounding a person. Entry into this
space is acceptable only for closest friends and intimate partners. Which is about 0-18
away.
2. Personal Distance- the other person is at arms length. Only ritualized touch is typical.
Usually reserved for friends and family. Which is about 18 --4 away.
3. Social Distance- The space in which people feel comfortable conducting routine social
interactions with acquaintances as well as strangers. Which is about 4--10 away.
4. Public Distance- The area of space beyond which people will perceive interactions as
impersonal and relatively anonymous. Its the distance of the lecture hall, mass
meetings, and public speeches. Which is about 10 and beyond.

Within these zones people interact and know which distance to use depending on the
situation. That each cultural group has its own set of rules for personal space and that
respecting these cultural differences is critical to smooth communication.
Proxemics isnt just a tool to gauge ones personal space, in addition proxemics can also
be used to determine how one utilizes the space within their environment. In our text
they mentioned three different ways we use space:
1. Fixed Feature Space- is characterized by set boundaries (divisions within an office
building).
2. Semi-fixed Space- is defined by fixed boundaries such as furniture.
3. Informal Space- is characterized by a personal zone or bubble that varies for
individuals and circumstances.
The use of each of these spatial relationships can facilitate or impede effective
communication across cultures; the area that humans control and use most often is
their informal space. (p. 282)
So now that you know what proxemics is all about it, why does it matter? Well for
starters it is a way for us to interact with cultures with a better understanding, and with
this new profound understanding of cultural proxemics the chances of you offending or
being offended decrease immensely. So yes, this all seems like common knowledge by
now, we all understand personal space but do we really understand it on a larger scale
outside of our own bubbles? I would say no, because it is one thing to say you
understand personal space but its another to understand cultural spaces. For example,
many low/high context cultures have contrasting responses to proxemics, for instances
here in America we tend to be low context which fuels the idea of the self and the respect
for personal space and having limits, however, those who belong to high context cultures
believe that the self isnt as important as the whole. For example, many people who

come from Latin communities tend to see space as no big deal, and that anyone can walk
freely walk through those spaces, we would call this a low context culture.
Understanding proxemics helps you understand what you might be getting yourself into,
so next time when someone reaches out for your shoulder or if they stay 10 away from
you, youll suddenly have that ah-ha moment, and it then it will all make sense.
Analysis
So what does proxemics have to do with the homeless population? Well
everything, it seemed odd to me while I was part of the homeless community, because
they display a different understanding of proxemics than the rest of western culture, for
homeless people they have become more of a low context culture relying a lot on group
efforts to get help such as information, food, items, and so forth. So is there a personal
space in the homeless population? Well virtually there is none, to be reclusive means
you put your life at risk, I believe this behavior is a result of their current condition and
environment, theyve resorted to the natural instinct of banding together for survival
and access to resources.
Based on my experience, none of whom that walked into The Road Home for resources
or shelter, cared very little whether they were entering into your personal space. So if
youre someone who cares a lot about personal space youll have to get over it when
working at the road home, because even if you work behind a desk the homeless tend to
see no obstacle or barrier when it comes to interacting with you. From what I
understand in my time working at The Road Home, the homeless population tends to
linger in the personal and social space, I believe it is a way that theyve learned to
communicate, almost secretive, the act of invading your space is a way to pass
information in which no one else could hear you. When I went out to walk around the

shelter, Ive had a few people walk up to me asking whether I was interested in
something or if I was looking for a specific individual; perhaps the act of invading
personal space, is the way one keeps the conversation to a minimum with A and B,
rather than having C, eavesdrop. Maybe information or the context of that conversation
is vital out in the streets, which has promoted the lack of respecting personal space
within the homeless community.
Keeping eye contact with the homeless seemed very important, from what I can gather
from my experience. Keeping eye contact with those who were coming into The Road
Home gave them a sense of belonging, rather than just another homeless coming in,
they seem to value interaction a lot more than typical westerners, however, things can
escalate if they viscerally feel that you see and treat them less, they have no problems
with making clear of their indignation towards you or anyone who treats them
otherwise.
I know how it sounds, natural instinct it gives off a tone that they are primitive or
makes me sound like Im better than them, which Im not. This natural instinct to reach
out is innate, and that behavior is in all of us, but since we have been consumed with
money that provides us material, aid, the belief of self-reliance, over valuing
individualism and personal space, has resulted in the loss of being altruistic, and the
natural sense of working together.
Im not sure if the homeless population even know what transition theyve gone under,
due to the lack of no home that has promoted a low context culture. By keeping the
theory of proxemics in mind, when helping any culture (e.g. the homeless population)
allows us the understanding and patience to interact with them, because not everyone
will value our proximity the same.

Reflection
When I first heard that we had to do a service learning project I was excited. Why
do you ask? Well, because I already knew, that I wanted to work with homelessness, Ive
never given myself a chance to truly socialize with the homeless population, and the
reason why that community caught my attention is that I did understand the experience
of struggling, and going hungry, the stress of not having money for rent, which created
the feeling of apathy and the need to give up. I knew deep down that I could very well be
homeless, whether I chose to or not. Going into it, was purely political and it still is for
me, I wanted to learn more about them, learn why they ended up where they are now, to
further help me in my career path to minimize the variables of homelessness. As I slowly
became a member of this community I could see a cultural difference compared to the
rest of Americans, sure the diversity varies within the homeless population but when
you become a destitute it is like an equalizer, I once heard during an interview on the
radio where a social scientist (who, at this time I cant remember his name) said that
during times of catastrophe e.g. 9/11 created an equalizer in which no one thought of
race or belonged to a social class. Which then reminded me of the homeless population,
many of them dont interpret the world like most westerners do, which has resulted in a
culture of their own. I feel astonish to see certain social values expressed through this
community, such as the need to be more of a collectivist, and how it seems to deter from
individualism. However, there is plenty of problems that need to be addressed such as
how we are dealing with people who are suffering from mental issues, many of these
individuals couldnt access healthcare in the former lives or receive the proper
treatment, healthcare reform is once more solidified in my head. Health Care needs to

be accessible for all Americans, we cant justify overpaying for something that is so
intrinsic to our lives, we all need access to healthcare, we all grow old and were all likely
to develop cancers, mental issues, and the list goes on. Another issue that was brought
to my attention is education, once again education is embedded in humans, we all crave
knowledge and understanding in some form or another, what Ive seen out there is
many homeless youth, not having the proper understanding of sex education nor the
understanding of contraceptives, many of the homeless have lived at the shelter as kids,
and guess what they grew up, and now theyre having children. Sex education and the
practice of contraceptives need to be taught, because many of these people arent
prepared for children and yet they are having them, especially in harsh conditions.
Another thing is how our public education seems to emulate the prison model, where we
oppress our teens shut down radical thought and creativity, Utah, has an issue when it
comes to education, such as school districts which limit children in poorer communities
by not providing equal opportunities to learn as their rich counterparts, we have
districts that are overly funded (e.g. the east bench) that can pay and keep their
teachers, provide smaller class rooms, better school meals, and integrate technology in
the school. This inequality needs to stop, if we want to truly achieve a perfect society we
cant resort to social class warfare. There is so much wrong with our society, and the
homeless population is the key to understanding what is failing within a municipality.
One example is the criminalization of drugs, which results to an economic and social
death sentence, many individuals seek help but cant afford it nor have the emotional
support, we should be providing affordable/free access to healthcare to promote
autonomy, on top of this we have lack of education on sex and contraceptives, that has
created dysfunctional families who werent ready for children, or worse the transmission

of STIs, and then finally the most saddest of all the de-emphasis of academia, it has
become nothing more but a means to pump out a global workforce, it has stopped
encourage free thought, it has become more focus on order than innovation and
creativity. We need to demand reform on the two things that are intrinsic to human
existence which is health and education, for this does not only help one community to
flourish, it allows the rest of us to be elevated, it is what we call in political science a
collective good.

References
Styles, Chelsey (2016) The Road Home Volunteer Handbook
Phillips, K. Tamra (2016) Intercultural Communication Course Packet (pg. 41-45)
Martin, N. Judith and Nakayama, K. Thomas Intercultural Communication in Contexts
(pg. 47, 282) New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Print.