Intercultural Communication - IKIP Siliwangi

Contents Introduction, Globalization, Informatization, And Cultural Change, Globalization, Informatization, And Intercultural Communication, Communicating in culturally diverse workplace, Gateways to Effective Intercultural Communication. Learning Objectives To define intercultural communication To know the significance of intercultural communication in today’s world of globalization. To understand the basic gateways to effective intercultural communication. A Food & Agricultural Organisation Worldwide Survey ‘asked’ the following question: “Would you please give your ‘most’ honest opinion about the solution to food shortage in the rest of the world?” In ‘Africa’ people did not know what ‘FOOD’ meant. In ‘Western Europe’ they did not know what ‘SHORTAGE’ meant. In ‘Eastern Europe’ they did not know what ‘OPINION’ meant. In the ‘West Asia’ they did not know what ‘SOLUTION’ meant. In ‘South America’ they did not know what ‘PLEASE’ meant. In ‘Asia’ they did not know what ‘HONEST’ meant. And in the ‘USA’ they did not know what ‘THE REST OF THE WORLD’ meant. Introduction Welcome to the Information Age! With the development of technology in a variety of different areas, we are able to communicate with more speed, more power and to more people than ever before. This power to communicate is dramatically reshaping how we understand boundaries between people and places. It is reducing a once vast and isolated world into “the Global Village”. We live in an exciting time because we have, at our fingertips, unlimited potential to communicate with people around the world. We also live in a traumatic time because this new power creates enormous questions about our different identities, cultures and preferences in communication. This course is designed to prepare students to work and live within the Global Village and to develop competence in their ability to communicate with everyone they will come into contact with. This lesson intends to accomplish its goals in light of the fact that nations, communities, and individuals are increasingly connected and interconnected by means of technology. Radio, television, satellite, cable and telephone communications now cover almost every corner of the globe. Furthermore, the use of audio, video, and hypertext add to the complexity of these communications. In other words, not only is the quantity of telecommunication growing, but also the technical quality of telecommunication is improving. This growing interconnection between people offers the potential for additional communication, exchange of information, and even intercultural interaction, by means of technology. As emerging technology interconnects our globe in increasingly complex layers, the world seems to grow smaller. Yet, it is with this increased interconnectivity that our perceptions of the world as we presently know it grows and expands. Our social network begins to encompass individuals whom we have never physically met before, and possibly never will. It is these new relationships with distant individuals that may challenge us to expand our horizons beyond what we now know. As our social web grows, so does the possibility that distant events will have personal meaning to us as individuals. The socio-technical implications of this suggest that the web of social connectivity grows with every new user. With every new link, we become subtly more interconnected with distant individuals, and distant events. This increased interconnection implies the possibility of increased intercultural interactions by means of technology. Many, such as Brislin & Yoshida (1994), Brislin (1993), Condon (1975), and Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey (1988) define intercultural communication as communication between people from different cultures. Samovar and Porter (1972) suggest, “whenever the parti es to a communication act bring with them different experiential backgrounds that reflect a long-standing deposit of group experience, knowledge, and values, we have intercultural communication” (p. 1). Gudykunst and Kim (1992) classify intercultural commu nication as “a transactional, symbolic process involving the attribution of meaning between people from different cultures” (pp. 13-14). Therefore, intercultural communication, for the purpose of this study, is defined as the field of study, which explores the verbal and nonverbal interactions of individuals with diverse patterns of historically derived behavior. The world today is characterized by an ever-growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This communication takes place because of contacts within the areas of business, military cooperation, science, education, mass media, entertainment, tourism but also because of immigration brought about by labor shortage or political conflicts. In all these contacts, there is communication, which needs to be as constructive as possible, without misunderstandings and breakdowns. It is our belief that research on the nature of linguistic and cultural similarities and differences here can play a positive and constructive role. 1 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION LESSON 1 WHY STUDY INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION?

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Globalization, Informatization, and Cultural Change The first broad area of questions to be addressed is that of the social and cultural implications of globalization and informatization, and the relevance to intercultural communication. These are areas that are typically not directly addressed by theories of intercultural communication, but rather more often come within the range of theorists of international communication, critical theory, or even post-colonial literary theory. However, given the force we have ascribed these trends in the contemporary world, it is critical that theorists of intercultural communication engage them, as it is the social and cultural context in which all intercultural communication arises. I will specifically discuss three critical areas that need to be addressed, our understanding of culture, the ways in which cultural change is precipitated by globalization and informatization, and their role in defining personal and communal identity. Culture, of course, is an amorphous concept, even in the most rigorous theories of intercultural communication. Typically, it is defined as a symbolic system, which includes issues of perception, cognition, and understanding. Culture is not merely an abstract set of folk practices, nor a collection of touristy festivals. Rather, as Geertz (1973) defines it, it is a set of symbolic systems, that serve not only to define and identify the culture and social structures, but also to articulate the synthesis of two essential parts of human culture, ethos and world view. Geertz employs a very diffuse, totalistic conception of culture, that can not easily be perfunctorily articulated. Every specific act, every utterance, every thought must be understood within a much larger, much broader context. There are certain inherent challenges that globalization, in particular, make upon our understanding of culture. One of these is a tendency to equate “culture” with “nation.” Scholars and teachers speak of Russian culture, Chinese culture, or Japanese culture, for example, with little reference to the distinctions between very different groupings within a national boundary. The nation, as a political abstraction, is certainly very different from the culture, which as Geertz (1973) has described it, is primarily a system of symbols. Although scholars distinguish between co-cultures within North American boundaries, this concept is rarely applied to other nations. Within the boundaries of the Peoples’ Republic of China, for example, there are approximately 80 different linguistic groupings, bound by geographical, political, and yes, even cultural distinctions. The language most often called Chinese, Mandarin, or putonghua, the official language based on the dialect of the northern region around Beijing, is the official spoken language, but to the vast majority of citizens of the nation, it is a second language. Each of the regions of China have vastly different ethos, and yet this is rarely considered in abstract pronouncements about “Chinese culture.” In a globalized world, the political abstractions known as nations are becoming increasingly irrelevant, while the symbolic systems known as cultures are continually in flux. With greater access to cultural diversity from within nations, our conception of “culture” will take on narrower frames of reference. 2 Beyond the inherent instability of the nation alluded to earlier, does globalization force us to redefine cultural boundaries? Do globalization and informatization bring about culture convergence or divergence? Do the ties formed by economic and technological integration increase or diminish the impact of culture on communication? How does global interaction affect one’s cultural identity? When Israelis read South African websites, or when Chinese read Japanese sites, which cultural background is most significant? This question is not easy to answer because it entails certain other fundamental questions. For example, media forms themselves are not passive entities. Cultural forms, codes, and values determine issues of media content and media design, including aesthetic, technical, and logical criterion. One has only to compare the websites of the aforementioned North Korean Central News Agency with the much more visibly dynamic Western news sites, such as CNN, to see immediate differences in perceptions of what “news” is, how it is to be presented, and the cultural, economic, and political assumptions regarding its purposes. A related area of discussion is that of the forces of globalization and informatization in cultural change. Many theorists argue that globalization is working in a fundamentally centripetal manner, forcing homogenization and consumerism along Western lines. Observers from both traditionalist and integrationist perspectives perceive a certain convergence across cultural and national boundaries. The rise of a new class of capitalists in recently developed nations is often praised as a verification of the universality of notions of rationality, liberalism, secularism and human rights (Robison and Goodman, 1996, p. 2). In other words, a new culture is forming that transcends traditional political and geographic boundaries, that can best be defined by profession, technological expertise, or social class. Others decry the “coca-colonization” and “McDonaldization” of the globe, and argue that the rampant global rise of consumerism ultimately will destroy traditional cultures. In a recent Chinese news publication, for example, a Chinese scholar argues that the “blind worship” of foreign consumer goods, the tendency to disparage patriotic heros and uplift “traiterous literati,” and the compromise of national dignity are all symptoms of the “dregs of colonial culture” (Li, 1999, p. 10). In other words, the globalization of China’s economy, including consumer products, as well as the rise of cybercafes on Chinese streets, all indicate the evil nature of the changing circumstances.

This has serious implications regarding the transformation of culture. Globalization and informatization provide a context that ultimately can be at odds with traditional cultural forms. To what extent, for example, can Islam, which is rooted in the history and the language of the Arabs, survive postmodern globalization? Islam has certainly taken root in culturally diverse locales, such as Central Asia and Southeast Asia, but the globalized future presents a different set of challenges. As a world view, Islam might very well provide a welcome bed of stability in a world of change (Ahmed, 1992). As a cultural practice, however, globalization has introduced tensions into Islamic societies, such as allowing youth access to vastly different world views, creating a tension within traditional Muslim societies. For example, in the 1990’s a survey indicated that Michael Jackson was more popular in Indonesia than Mohammed, and merely reporting on the survey landed an unfortunate journalist in jail (Hitching, 1996). It is not just Muslim societies that must deal with the unknown future, however, but all societies in which tradition has played a major role in providing guidance to social life; in short, all societies. Some might well experience a backlash as illustrated by the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, while others find themselves in vastly changed social circumstances. In 1997, representatives of the South Korean government, undoubtedly one of the nations that had most benefited from global economic and technological change, argued before the United Nations that globalization represented a threat to cultural diversity that must be guarded against (United Nations Press Release, 1997). If informatization and globalization have the capacity to transform culture (the yang), then they also strengthen them (the yin). There is evidence that indicates that the emerging globalized information society, rather than weakening cultural and national identity, actually strengthens traditional cultural forms. Although the web is in English, for example, the rise of technology and the globalization of commerce allows for innovation and creativity in the enhancement of non-mainstream perspectives. For example, these forces have enabled the rise of a new genre of music, Vietnamese pop music, that would not arise in a world bounded by more traditional economic structures. The overseas Vietnamese population, from geographically diverse locations such as Southern California, France, and Canada, would not likely support the rise of concert tours, recordings, and the other trappings of the entertainment industry without the linkages that can occur in a more globalized world, which allows an economy of scale necessary to make Vietnamese pop music profitable. Zhang and Hao argue that in the “age of cyberspace, the role of ethnic media in fortifying the cultural traits of ethnic immigrants is expected to be further strengthened. As a result, ethnic groups are more likely to be assimilated into the mainstream culture without losing their own cultural roots and ethnic identity.” In this sense, then, the forces of globalization and informatization have a centrifugal effect, allowing the rise of new local traditions and cultural forms. It also increases the ability of outsiders to learn more about significant cultural, religious or historical traditions without the filtering mechanisms of more traditional media. Whereas most local bookstores, for example, carry but a handful of histories of non-Western societies, web access allows one to explore the histories, politics, economics and societies of the most inaccessible regions. Perhaps the most succinct way of addressing these questions is to distinguish levels of integration and polarization. At the economic and technological levels, there is certainly integration. Local industries can no longer afford to not be vulnerable to international competition, and must position themselves within a global context. The anti-WTO protests in Seattle were inherently about the conflict between global trade realities in conflict with local regulation in areas such as genetically modified foods. Moreover, anyone with access to the technology can gain information about and from any part of the globe. At the level of individual identity, however, informatization and globalization allows a myriad of possibilities for the individual to make radically different choices than previously possible; in other words, these twin forces allow, and even encourage, polarization. This leads us to the third critical issue for scholars of intercultural communication, which relates to how individuals define their local and communal identity. At the personal level, one’s individual ethos can be ever more narrowly defined, providing the potential for a further polarization (or ‘tribalization,’ to use Barber’s term) of personal identity. There are at least three aspects to this argument. First, rather than seeing oneself as essentially a citizen of a nation or a local community, people are more free to define themselves along narrower conceptions of identity and commitment, either ethnic, religious, or ideological affiliation. In this sense, the more global we become, the more provincial our attitudes can become. We are no longer forced into a certain homogeneity of lifestyle, belief, or social knowledge, but we are also no longer forced to work through issues with our neighbors. Second, by gaining access to vast amounts of information, one is no longer dependent upon the village for knowledge and/or affirmation. For example, communication technologies allow 3 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION As evidence for the claim of homogenization, analysts point to graphic indicators, such as the abundance of McDonald’s restaurants around the world, such as this one in Oman. Such blatant symbols of multinational power are indicative of the homogenization of traditional societies. Integrationists, on the other hand, argue that unlike previous manifestations of colonial power, there is nothing coercive about offering hamburgers to willing consumers.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION citizens of nations in which religious conversion is illegal access to inconceivable amounts information about other global faiths, radically revamping what has historically been one of the most significant intercultural communication encounters, religious missions, and making a true independence of thought possible. Christian mission organizations, such as Campus Crusade for Christ, are already beginning to build extensive web sites with clearly evangelistic intent. Conversely, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and various other faiths all appear on the web, lending themselves not only to easy propagation, but also to reinvention. This has both liberating as well as debilitating aspects, because if one can more easily define herself outside of the boundaries of the local community, she can no longer rely as fully upon the local community for support. Ultimately, whether a cyber-neighbor is as reliable as a physical neighbor is but mere speculation. Moreover, communication by electronic channels is ultimately affected by the media itself, producing potentially irrevocable distortion. Jacques Ellul argued decades ago, for example, that the technologies of modern life are ultimately destructive when applied to certain kinds of messages, such as religion (1965). In his discussion of communication technologies, which Ellul argues are a form of the totalizing system of propaganda, he argues that “Christianity disseminated by such means is not Christianity” (p. 230). Further, he argues that when the church uses the means of ideological indoctrination to propagate the faith, it might reach the masses, influence collective opinions, and “even leads many people accept what seems to be Christianity. But in doing that the church becomes a false church” (p. 230). So although the information systems that permeate the modern world allow for a greater dissemination of information, there remains the danger of the dehumanization of that information, and the social context that makes the information relevant. And finally, the fact that globalization and informatization allow, even encourage, one to adopt new perspectives and identities, allows one to make superficial commitments to a new identity. Students who have access to marginal (and marginalized) belief systems by access to the web, for example, might come to see themselves as adherents, with little or understanding of the larger history and body of beliefs that constitutes the larger community of believers. This superficial identification with “the other” can disrupt social unity at a great cost, and yet not provide any compensatory alliances or social unions. It is one thing to convert to a new faith when in the midst of an encouraging body of support, it is another altogether when one is, in all critical aspects, removed from any sources of social support. In summary, the cultural and social changes accompanied by globalization and informatization have clear relevance to theorists in intercultural communication in at least three key ways. The conception of culture, the ways in which cultural change is precipitated by these trends, and the role of these forces in defining personal identity and social unity are all important issues of discussion for communication schola

Change, Globalization, Informatization, And Intercultural Communication, Communicating in culturally diverse work-place, Gateways to Effective Intercultural Communication. Learning Objectives To define intercultural communication To know the significance of intercultural communication in today's world of globalization.