COMM 335 1st Edition Lecture 24 Outline of Last Lecture I Three levels of information self disclosure II Romantic relationships III Intercultural dating and marriage IV Intercultural relationships V Permanent relationships VI Four styles of working out power imbalances Outline of Current Lecture I Intercultural conflict II Types of conflict III Family influences IV Approaches to conflict V Individualistic culture conflict VI Collectivistic culture conflict Current Lecture I Intercultural conflict Conflict between two or more cultural groups a Conflict perceived or real incompatibility of goals values expectations processes or outcomes between 2 interdependent individuals or groups b Conflict is unavoidable Conflicts are happening all around the world at the interpersonal societal political and international levels Conflicts may also arise from mediated communication such as U S television film and other media These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute c Ambiguity or confusion about how to handle or define the conflict is often present in intercultural conflicts II When we encounter ambiguity we may quickly resort to our default style of handling conflict the style we learned in our family The conflict may become worse if the preferred styles of handling conflict are different for the people involved in the conflict Types of conflict a Affective conflict occurs when people become aware that their feelings and emotions are incompatible Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend b Conflict of interest arises when people have incompatible preferences for a plan or course of action A married couple disagrees on how to raise their children c Value conflict occurs when people differ in ideologies on specific issues Prochoice vs Prolife d Cognitive conflict describes a situation in which two or more people become aware that their thought processes or perceptions are in conflict More thought process involved e Goal conflict occurs when people disagree about a preferred outcome or end state About the end result III Family influences a People deal with conflict in the way they learned while growing up This is their default style b Conflict resolution strategies usually relate to how people manage self image in relationships They may prefer to preserve their own self esteem before others They may sacrifice self esteem to preserve the relationship c Sometimes people try very hard to reject the conflict styles modeled by their parents IV Approaches to conflict a Direct approach Some cultural groups think that conflict is a good thing and that it should be approached directly because working through conflict results in stronger and more satisfying relationships People who take this approach concentrate on using precise language The goal is to articulate the issues carefully and select the best solution based on a set of criteria agreed upon beforehand b Indirect approach Some cultural groups view conflict as ultimately destructive for relationships Pacifism a nonresistant response fits this approach When members disagree they should adapt to the consensus of the group Members who undermine group harmony may be sanctioned Confrontations seen as destructive and ineffective silence and avoidance used to manage conflict Use intermediaries a friend or colleague to act on their behalf in dealing with conflict c Emotional Expressiveness People who value intense displays of emotion during discussion of disagreement rely on the emotionally expressive style They think it is better to show emotion through expressive nonverbal behavior and vocalization Outward displays of emotion are seen as indicating that one really cares and is committed to resolving the conflict d Restraint style People who believe in the restraint style think that disagreements are best discussed in an emotionally calm manner These people are uncomfortable with emotional expression People who prefer this approach are concerned with protecting the face or honor of the other in order to make the relationship stronger V Individualistic culture conflict In individualistic cultures conflict is seen as good and the individual is responsible for preserving his her own dignity VI Collectivistic culture conflict In collectivistic cultures people are more concerned with preserving harmony in the group and preserving the dignity of others