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Communicating Across CulturesCommunicating Across CulturesOverview1. Culture has a strong impact on your communication behavior2. Different cultures have different modes, codes, and valuesIntercultural ContactWhat is Culture?What is Culture?The Iceberg analogy:Most of culture is invisible and taken for grantedCultural Self-AssessmentDimensions of cultures:How do cultures vary?High Context/Low Context Dimension (Hall)CommunicationImproving intercultural communicationImproving intercultural communicationImproving intercultural communicationSome important points about cultures in Africa…..Some important points about cultures in Africa…..Communicating Across CulturesBernd Widdig, Ph.DDirector, MIT-Germany ProgramAssociate Director, MIT InternationalScience and Technology Initiative2Communicating Across CulturesOverview1. Importance of cross-cultural competence2. What is culture?3. Cultural self-assessment4. How do cultures vary?5. How to deal with stereotypes5. Basics of communication6. Improving Intercultural Communication7. A case study of German-American workgroups31. Culture has a strong impact on your communication behavior2. Different cultures have different modes, codes, and values defining how people communicate (verbal and non-verbal)3. When people from different cultures communicate with each other, difficulties and miscommunication can occur4. What can we do about this…….?4Intercultural Contact International: between people from different cultures and culturesNew technology and information systems Changes in the world’s population Rapid movement towards a global economyDomestic interaction: with members of other co-cultures Dominant culture, “mainstream culture,” Co-cultures: share many features of dominant culture, but have also distinctly different patterns and perceptions (African-Americans, gays, the military…)5What is Culture?Or:“The way we do things around here”“A relatively organizedset of beliefs andexpectations about howpeople should talk, think, and organize their lives.” (Bate)6What is Culture? The Iceberg analogy:Most of culture is invisible and taken for grantedArtifacts: working hours, business meetings, social events, rituals, jargon etc. = structures and processesExplicit beliefs and ValuesUnderlying assumptions: unconscious, perceptions, thoughts, feelingsConcrete expressions: dress code, architecture, food, language, transportation, political system, legal system“Culture with a big C”: language, art, musicAssumptions, expectations, opinions, norms, values, belief systemsInvisibleVisible7Cultural Self-Assessment Work in pairs: Discuss with your partner the following questions:Name three cultural norms or values that were important in your upbringing.How important is it to be punctual in the culture you come from? Is it seen as impolite in your culture to interrupt others during conversation?8Dimensions of cultures:How do cultures vary? Hofstede’s five value dimensions:Power distance the extent to which the less powerful person in society considers inequality in power as normalUncertainty avoidance  toleration of uncertainty and ambiguity or strict codes of behavior and absolute truthIndividualism/collectivism self-orientation versus collective orientationMasculinity/femininity degree to which masculine or feminine traits are valuedLong-term/short-term orientation favoring long-term or short-term planning9High Context/Low Context Dimension (Hall) High Context Cultures: Many of the meanings being exchanged during encounter are not communicated through words (Latin America, Japan, Arab countries, China)Low-Context Cultures:less homogeneous populations, verbal message contains most of the information, little in context of participants (Germany, Swiss, Scandinavia, North America)10Stereotypes and necessary generalizationsFrom: Bennett, “Intercultural Communication.”11CommunicationEvery act of communication has always two levelscontent level (you convey information)relationship level (you establish a relationship)If the two don’t go together, communication may not succeed12Non-Verbal Communication: Typology and DimensionsProxemics: the use of personal space (private space, public space, queuingIntimate (touching to 18 inches) , private situations, whisperPersonal (18 inches to 4 feet), couples in public, soft voiceCasual (4 to 12 feet), working together, full voicePublic (more than 12 feet), teaching in classroom, loud voiceKinesics: gestures, body movements, posture, facial expressions, eye contactBasic facial expressions that many people identify throughout different cultures: anger, disgust, happiness, fear, sadness, surprise, contemptWide cultural variety of gestures that create different meaning in different cultures13Non-Verbal Communication: Typology and Dimensions IIChronemics: the study of our use of timeCyclical or linear concepts of timeRelationship between Past, Present, FutureHow late can you be? What kind of excuses?“Mumbling something”Slight apologyMild insult that requires explanationRude behavior (not showing up without explanationParalanguageVocal characterizers (laughter, sobs)Vocal qualifiers (loud/soft, high/low pitch, Vocal segregates (“uh”, “um” “uh-huh”)14Non-Verbal Communication: Typology and Dimensions IIIThe Use of Silence: from agreement to apathy, sadness, thoughtfulness, respect, hostilityHaptics: the use of touch in communicationClothing and physical appearance15Improving intercultural communication Know yourself Know your culture Know your personal attitude, be aware of your stereotypes  Know your communication styleDominant, dramatic, contentious, animated, impression-leaving, relaxed, attentive, open, friendly Monitor yourself16Improving intercultural communication Learn a foreign language and go abroad! Consider the physical and human settings Timing Physical Setting Customs Achieve clarityState points clearly, explain jargon, be careful in your use of idioms, repeat key points, encourage to ask questions, check for understanding17Improving intercultural communicationDevelop empathy: imagine things from the point of view of othersTry to listen, be aware that talking and listening has different values in different culturesDevelop communication flexibilityLearn to tolerate ambiguity18Some important points


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MIT SP 772 - Communicating Across Culture

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