INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

The Effects of Cultural Differences on Interpersonal Communication

The Effects of Cultural Differences on Interpersonal Communication

Introduction

The word culture refers to the lifestyle of a group of people; their ways of communication, beliefs, values, ways of behaving, and artefacts. Diversity of culture, language, religion, and a host of other factors is increasingly commonplace in contemporary society. This diversity creates the potential for misunderstanding and even conflict stemming from the different ways we make sense out of the world and share that sense with others.

People have become increasingly sensitive to cultural differences. The society has moved from a perspective that endorsed cultural assimilation (people should leave their native culture behind and adapt to their new culture) to a view that values cultural diversity (people should retain their native cultural ways). And with some notable exceptions—hate speech, racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism come quickly to mind—we're more concerned with saying the right thing and ultimately with developing a society in which all cultures can coexist and enrich one another. This paper discusses the effects of cultural differences on interpersonal communication.

Discussion

Cultural differences play a major role in interpersonal communication. One's culture and life experiences determine his/her worldview—the general cultural perspective on such key issues as death, God, and the meaning of life that shapes how you perceive and respond to what happens to you. Cultural worldview shapes the thoughts, language, and actions; it permeates all aspects of how you interact with society. You cannot avoid having a worldview. Our personal worldview is so pervasive that we may not even be aware of it. Just as a fish may not be aware of the water in its fish bowl, you may not be aware of how your worldview influences every aspect of your life—how you see and what you think. One's worldview is one of the primary ways you make sense out of the world—it's how you interpret what happens to any person. The six dimensions of culture that we discuss here have been identified by researchers who have found them in all cultures that they have studied. Think of these dimensions as general ways of describing how culture is expressed in the behavior of groups of people. The six dimensions are;

individualism (an emphasis on the individual) versus collectivism (an emphasis on the group);

an emphasis on the surrounding context, including nonverbal behaviors, versus little emphasis on context;

masculine values that emphasize accomplishment versus feminine values that emphasize nurturing;

degree of tolerance for uncertainty;

approaches to power;

short- or long-term approaches to time. (Thomas, 2007)

Communication

To understand intercultural communication events, you must first study the more general processes involved in all human communication transactions. All communication events, including intercultural ones, are made up of a set of basic characteristics. Once these characteristics are known, they can be applied to intercultural interactions in order to analyze the unique ways in which intercultural communication differs from other forms of communication. (Isa, 2009)

Defining Communication

The term communication has been used in many ways for varied, and often inconsistent, ...