Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Communication

1. Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Communication Esther Langen IHEYO Conference

2. What does the game show? • Different cultural rules lead to confusion • How do you react? You have to find a way to play the game together. • Do you understand each other? How can you check it? • How can you improve communication? • How do you decide which rules to apply?

3. Growth of intercultural contact • Modern means of communication • More e-mail and Internet • Increased migration and travelling • More international trade Result: Growth of intercultural contact and an increased need for intercultural communication skills

4. Group culture Group culture refers to the combined knowledge which is produced in mutual communication between the members of the group, like a common language, habits, rituals, opinions, standards and values, etc.

5. Categories of cultural identity • Language • Non-verbal behavior • Standards and values

6. Language • Not only miscommunication because of different languages, also because language determines the frame of mind and communication style • Language is an indicator of identity and is used to mark borders of groups (social in- and exclusion)

7. Nonverbal behavior • Different meanings and use of gestures • Differences in amount of physical contact between people Result: Nonverbal behavior is a major cause of misunderstandings

8. Standards and values • Values refer to what we find important in our lives (values are often ethical). • Standards refer to rules for behavior. Standards and values influence the way people structure and interpret their surroundings and time (exact / flexible).

9. Perception Perception is the way we select and evaluate information from our surroundings. Perception is the color of our glasses, we look at the same reality but we see it in different colors (e.g. my world looks blue, your world looks red).

10. Cultural filters & perceptions Information and impressions from reality Cultural filter (my colored glasses) My perception / personal evaluation of reality

11. What we need to know • What’s the color of your glasses, what kind of values color your perception? • Which perception of reality is the result? • Do you understand how I see the world, are we talking about the same thing? • Is there a way in which we can combine our two perspectives?

12. Respect diversity • Everybody has his or her own truth. I should not impose my truth upon somebody else. • You can ask your partner to change particular behavior (in a specific situation), you can’t ask your partner to change his or her values or perception

13. Skills for intercultural communication • Mindfulness, acceptance of differences • Empathy / openness, try to look through the others glasses • Patience • Flexibility with regard to behavior and communication styles • Try to listen without interpretation • Explain the color of your glasses and your perception of reality