COMM 335 1st Edition Lecture 28 Outline of Last Lecture I Four levels of intercultural communication competence II Interpretive perspective competence in contexts III Critical perspective competence for whom Outline of Current Lecture I Becoming Interpersonal Allies II intercultural alliances are characterized by three issues III Building Coalitions IV Social Justice and Transformation V Forgiveness Current Lecture I Becoming Interpersonal Allies a Think about multiculturalism and cultural diversity in a new way that recognizes the complexities of communication across cultures and power issues b The goal is to find a way in which people can work toward equitable unity that holds many different and contradictory truths a unity based on conscious coalition of affinity of political kinship in which we all win II intercultural alliances are characterized by three issues a Power and unearned privilege Intercultural friends recognize and try to understand issues of ethnic gender and class differences and how these determine power and then try to manage these power issues Most students arrive at college with little experience in intercultural relations and are generally unaware or hold negative attitudes towards racial issues or see themselves as victims 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 Understanding and acknowledging one s privilege is necessary to intercultural friendships b Impact of history Intercultural friends recognize that people in power interpret the importance of history differently from those who have less power c Orientations of affirmation Intercultural friends value and appreciate differences and are committed to the relationship even during difficulties and misunderstandings III Building Coalitions a There are specific ways to build coalitions IV As people strive to build better intercultural relations they may need to transcend some of their identities or reinforce other identities Shifting identities allow people to build coalitions across seemingly different peoples to foster positive intercultural relationships for a better world Coalitions built of multiple identities are never easy and in the process people may find that some of their own identities feel neglected or injured To achieve success they have to work through emotional injuries Social Justice and Transformation a Acknowledgement of oppression and inequities is a first step in working for social justice b Social inequities are sometimes present in work contexts such as cases of workplace bullying Being bullied in the workplace can be experienced by individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds Recent research determined that Asian Americans African Americans and Latinos experience more bullying in the workplace than do Whites c Intercultural listening should be followed by action application d Johnson provides concrete suggestions for working toward social justice and personal transformation V Acknowledge that trouble exists Pay attention Do something Forgiveness a Although limited and problematic is an option for intercultural understanding and reconciliation b It requires intellectual and emotional commitment during moments of great pain c Leaders must construct conditions of contact among groups that lead to decategorization and recategorization opportunities to develop intimate private knowledge of each other and providing superordinate goals that foster cooperation d Reserves of new positive experiences can be used as a psychological buffer to undo ingroup outgroup revenge e The future of the world may hinge on our abilities to control revenge while promoting forgiveness VI What the Future Holds a The world is rapidly changing with increasing diversity both domestically and internationally b Changes are economic political historical and ideological c Seeing the complexities of life is an important step toward successful intercultural communication d Have the confidence to engage in intercultural communication but know that there is always more to learn