Communicating Across Cultures

2. To learn how to Continue to analyze your audiences. Begin to adapt your message to your audiences. Begin to understand what your organization wants. Communicating Across Cultures

3. Start by answering these questions: Who is my audience? Why is audience so important? What do I need to know about my audience(s)? Communicating Across Cultures

4. Start by answering these questions: Now that I have my analysis, what do I do with it? What if my audiences have different needs? How do I reach my audience(s)? Communicating Across Cultures

5. Diversity and Culture Basics • Diversity has always been with us—even if people didn’t recognize it or its value. • There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to working with cultural differences. • Use the information in this module as guidelines, not rules set in stone. • Remember that people are individuals as well as members of groups. • Be open to change and difference.

6. Diversity in the Workplace • Gender • Race and ethnicity • Regional and national origin • Social class • Religion • Age • Sexual orientation • Physical ability

7. Diversity in the Workplace • High-Context Cultures • Most information is inferred from the context of a message. • Little is “spelled out.” • Examples: Japanese, Arabic, and Latin American cultures.

8. Diversity in the Workplace continued • Low-Context Cultures • Context is less important than words. • Most information is spelled out; words are privileged • Examples: German, Scandinavian, and dominant U.S. cultures.

9. Diversity in the Workplace continued • Remember • In nations like the U.S., Canada, and Brazil, multiple cultures exist. While the dominant culture may be privileged, recognize that minority cultures may have different norms with regard to behavior.

10. Dimensions of Culture • Values, Beliefs, and Practices • Nonverbal Communication • Body Language • Eye Contact • Gestures • Space • Spatial Arrangements • Time • Dress • Colors • Height • Oral Communication • Understatement, Exaggeration, and Silence

11. Conversational Style • How long a pause tells you that it’s your turn to speak? • Do you see interruption as rude? • Do you show interest by asking lots of questions?

12. Communicating with Different Cultures • Brenda Arbaleez suggests being • Aware that values and behaviors are influenced by culture. • Flexible. • Sensitive. • Aware of the others’ values, beliefs, and practices. • Sensitive to differences among individuals.

13. Ways to Make Language Nonsexist • Use • Words that treat both sexes respectfully. • Titles that do not imply one sex “ought” to do a certain job. • The appropriate gender pronoun when referring to a specific person.

14. Ways to Make Language Nonsexist continued • Use • “Ms.” As the courtesy title for a woman unless • The woman has a professional title. • You know that a woman prefers to be addressed by a traditional title.

15. Ways to Make Language Nonsexist continued • When you write about anyone who may be in a job or position, make pronouns nonsexist. • Use plurals. • Use you. • Revise the sentence to omit the pronoun • Use pronoun pairs.

16. Ways to Make Language Nonracist • Eliminate adjectives that reinforce negative stereotypes. • Biased: The motivated black students were assigned to internship positions throughout the company. • Bias-free: The students were assigned to internship positions throughout the company.

17. Ways to Make Language Nonracistcontinued • Identify race or ethnic origin only if it’s relevant. • Biased: Paloma Esteban, a Latino, has been appointed Vice-President of Finance. • Bias-free: Mike Waters, a Sioux, translated the governor’s speech into the Lakota language.

18. Ways to Make Language Nonracistcontinued • Eliminate words and phrases with negative connotations. • Biased: Many of our managers who come from culturally deprived backgrounds now function as role models for young people through our mentoring program.

19. Ways to Make Language Nonracistcontinued • Bias-free: Many of our managers whose family heritage is African, Asian, or Spanish now function as role models for young people through our mentoring program.

20. Talking about People withDiseases or Disabilities • Use “people first” language and avoid using adjectives as nouns. • Biased: • the alcoholic • the drug addict • the handicapped • Bias-free: • the woman who is an alcoholic • the man who abuses drugs • people with disabilities

21. Talking about People withDiseases or Disabilities continued • Emphasize people’s abilities, not their limits or disabilities. • Biased: Jenny Ling has done an outstanding job as our spokesperson, even though she has diabetes. • Bias-free:Jenny Ling has done an outstanding job as our spokesperson for the past seven years.

22. Ways to Make Language Nonagist • Refer to age only if it’s truly relevant. • Biased: Tomoko Watanabe, 67, is president of Competitive Data Management. • Bias-free: Tomoko Watanabe is president of Competitive Data Management.

23. Ways to Make Language Nonagistcontinued • Avoid stereotypes. • Biased:With her grandmotherly ways, good old Mary Grace makes everyone in Unit 2 feel special. • Bias-free:For the past 35 years, Mary Grace has been helping to create team spirit in Unit 2.

24. Ways to Make Language Nonagistcontinued • Avoid negative labels for children, such as “children from broken homes.” • Remember families can be single-parent and diverse. • Use nonsexist descriptions and images of children.

25. Bias Free Photos and Illustrations • Check visuals for bias. • Are the people diverse? • Are power relationships balanced? • Can you create your own visuals rather than rely on biased clip art?