Chapter 6 Communication Conflict and Power in Our Relationships A The Importance of Communication 1 Communication is the process of exchanging and interpreting ideas and feelings a At least two parties are involved b Each party brings his her own life history assumptions etc c Verbally and nonverbally 2 As a transaction all human behavior is a continuous exchange and partners are simultaneously senders and receivers of messages 3 As a process is dynamic and always changing and culture race 4 ethnicity and sex are critical Includes co construction of meanings each partner speaks a language and interprets meaning in a way acquired from his her family of orientation 5 Uses symbols constructs meanings or definitions we rely on symbols that can be verbal like words or nonverbal like gestures 6 Thinking about communication as an interactive transaction is focusing on the micro level aspects of the process 7 Communication assumptions a Family communication is not random Consistent repetitive patterns b Communication is transactional Exchanging information c It is impossible not to communicate 8 Communicator person who creates and sends the message Individual is a total system a b What we wear body presence facial expressions mannerisms and tone of voice are all forms of information about the communicator 9 Message the unit of information transmitted between sender and receiver commands a May contain thoughts feelings ideas suggestions or b Prepared encoded by the communicator 10 Medium the way a message is presented a Talking television text message note e0mail b Message is often determined to a degree by the medium 11 Recipient receiver of the message a Interprets the message based on his her personality life experiences and the relational context B The Cultural Context of Communication Embracing Difference 1 Race Ethnicity and Communication a Linguistic differences even for the same language depending on ethnic group or race Includes actual words syntax acoustics and rules for subject verb agreement b Can affect wages than did Whites Blacks with racially distinct speech earned lower wages Blacks who did not use racially distinct speech had wages equal to those of the Whites c Nonverbal messages also differ across racial and ethnic groups 2 Social Class and Communication a Members of the working class tend to speak less Standard American English SAE use more words of simple coordination such as like or but and use fewer pronouns compared to the middle and upper middle classes b People with different levels of income education and occupational prestige communicate in different ways 3 Cultural Differences c a Culture is a macro level factor that shapes our communication b Sapir Whorf hypothesis the concept that language shapes our culture and at the same time our culture shapes our language Individualist vs Collectivist Cultures An individualist culture values personal achievement and independence People are responsible for themselves and should receive little help from outside sources such as government Whereas a collectivist culture focuses more on the needs of the group The goals of the group supersede the goals of the individual Individualists Australia the Netherlands and the U S Collectivist China Guatemala Pakistan Potential for miscommunication between these two cultures d High vs Low context Cultures In high context cultures emphasis is placed on indirect and nonverbal communications and communication is based on the context of the individual Generally use more feeling in their expressions A low context culture communication is more direct and everything must be explained explicitly High context Japan Latin America Are also collectivist cultures Low context the U S Germany Directness of the low context culture may be perceived as rudeness by high context cultures e Masculine vs Feminine Cultures In masculine cultures gender stereotypes tend to be more rigid and women have less power in society Feminine cultures are more likely to see compromise and negotiation as useful communication tools Masculine Japan Austria Mexico Feminine Sweden Norway f Centralized vs Decentralized Power Centralized power is in the hands of few a great distance between those few who have power and the ones who do not Decentralized power is more evenly distributed and average people have a chance to participate Centralized India the Philippines Brazil Decentralized New Zealand Denmark It would be more difficult to complain to your boss about your heavy workload if you are from a culture with centralized power g High vs Low Ambiguity High ambiguity cultures generally feel comfortable with unknown situations They minimize the importance of strict rules governing relationships and communication Low ambiguity cultures may feel anxiety about the future Tend to create clear cut rules for behavior and communication High Hong Kong Malaysia Sweden Low Greece Portugal Serbia h Short vs Long term Time Orientation Short term time oriented cultures are more interested in spending rather than saving place greater emphasis on social status and look for quick results Long term time oriented cultures emphasize the future and tend to value traits like thrift deferred gratification and perseverance C Types of Communication 1 Listening process of giving thoughtful attention to what we hear i ii iii iv v Need to receive or hear the message Understand decode what the speaker says Retain the message you receive and understand Evaluate the message that you hear by asking yourself Why are they saying this Do I agree What do I think Respond even a nod while the person is still speaking constitutes as a response a Circular process b A good listener listens to both the content and the feelings that are associated with that content c Active listening extremely attentive listening where the listener has good eye contact and body language and encourages the other person to continue talking 2 Verbal Communication It s All Your Fault a Verbal communication spoken exchange of thoughts feelings or other messages b Specific barriers to understanding verbal communication include Bypassing easy to misunderstand what a person is saying when one word has several meanings Lack of precision incorrect or unclear language can easily foster miscommunications Overgeneralizing Always never statements imply that evidence has been collected to reach a definitive conclusion when in reality this is probably not the case Static evaluation People continue
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