Intercultural Communication Encounter

Intercultural Communication Encounter

Introduction

Communication makes a fundamental part of the social world. Moreover, with the emergence of diverse cultures, communication has become more interactive and productive as individuals can access a wide range of information from different populations. However, the existence of many intercultural groups has given rise to multiple communication encounters that have resulted in problematic interactions between individuals. Problematic cross-cultural interactions may be due to communication encounters that result from various incidents, including cultural relativism, prejudice, ethnocentrism, assumption of similarity, and language barrier. In such encounters, people may view members of other cultural or ethnic groups as different from them. Intergroup interactions may become unpleasant to the extent of raising anxieties that, in turn, terminate relationships between people entirely. The paper provides a basis for comprehending possible problems that may arise from intercultural communication.

The complexity in the nature of human behavior may generate several communication problems. For this reason, there is a need to explore diverse cultural orientations and their influence on perception and interaction with the culturally diverse world. Similarly, there is a need to understand the source of intercultural conflicts within various communication settings, including identifying effective ways of managing them. With the highly increasing rate of globalization, many countries have become rich in cultures, social dynamics, and art. Many ethnic groups have emerged where each group portrays different characters, leading to a higher likelihood of interethnic misunderstanding. In turn, this has affected not only how people exchange ideas and thoughts but also societal growth and development. The paper intends to describe a problematic intercultural communication encounter while reflecting on effective ways of implementing successful interaction among diverse populations.

A Problematic Intercultural Encounter

Communication has been part of human life for centuries. Furthermore, the emergence of diverse cultures has made communication more interactive among individuals and groups. Today, both communication and culture have undergone a considerable evolution, thus becoming two interdependent entities. Therefore, culture has created a profound impact on people’s behaviors and thoughts. The existence of distinct cultural aspects has given birth to many conflicts and disorders in intercultural communication. The encounters that have led to intercultural miscommunication include cultural relativism, prejudice, ethnocentrism, assumption of similarity, and language barrier. Askins (2016) believes that many communication problems are as a result of racial or ethnic differences. Encounters of prejudice or prejudgment are likely to emerge between individuals from different cultures. In this case, one may jump to conclusions about members of other cultures based on their beliefs and customs. In my encounter with an individual from a foreign culture, our interaction was difficult due to the inability to understand each other properly.

Moreover, my partner not only spoke a different language but also had a different religion, history, behavior, and engaged in different practices. The interaction between my partner and I was not successful due to these differences, and this made us dissatisfied. I was sure that ineffective communication, resulting from racial or ethnic differences, contributed to this interaction’s failure. Furthermore, my partner kept on making assumptions about my culture, thus offending me. Therefore, apart from the language barrier, other communication barriers in this encounter included cultural relativism, prejudice, and ethnocentrism. The interaction between us was not successful because we did not engage in productive communication. In other words, the communication between us did not generate new ideas or thoughts that one could learn from and use to improve himself. Similarly, the two cultures did not serve as opportunities for change in society, as no one saw the importance of foreign practices.

An Analysis of the Problematic Intercultural Encounter

Intercultural communication encounters may be problematic where aspects such as cultural relativism, prejudice, ethnocentrism, assumption of similarity, and language barrier generate conflict in society. Samovar et al. (2014) state that these aspects may raise high feelings of anxiety among individuals, making them react in unpleasant ways. Moreover, as a result of conflict and disorder that these encounters may generate in society, growth and development may be limited in some sectors. Even though multiculturalism is right for change and development, it allows individuals to realize their differences (Ferri, 2014). The differences may be in terms of their appearance, the language they speak, their religion, beliefs, among others. In-group favoritism or intergroup bias may occur when the in-group members discriminate against the out-group members. Studies have revealed that in-group favoritism results from the existence of many cultural groups. In this case, the members of a particular culture may favor themselves by accessing more opportunities than non-members. Consequently, people may prejudice or prejudge other cultures leading to feelings of anxiety. As a significant obstacle to cross-cultural communication, prejudice has led to the creation of negative perceptions based on other groups’ religion, race, ethnicity, language, or cast. Many times, people have encountered incidents of prejudice when they come across different cultures. As a result, this has affected productive communication between them as they have failed to interact appropriately or exchange ideas.

According to House, Kasper, and Ross (2014), prejudice results from the projection of irrational hatred to members of a particular group because of the belief that they are different.  Ethnocentrism, on the other hand, is an encounter where other people perceive that their ethnic groups or cultures are more superior than others’, who may, in turn, be inferior to their own (Ferri, 2014). Such perceptions consist of many assumptions concerning other cultures as being morally wrong or inappropriate. Similarly, cultural relativism may lead to problematic intercultural encounters where one uses an individual’s self values and customs to generalize the values and culture of a particular group. Samovar et al. (2014) identify that cultural relativism reflects a specific group’s superiority to the other, thus disrupting the communication pattern between them. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism have made individuals make prejudices about other cultural groups. Therefore, the encounter that I went through is problematic because instead of promoting an excellent intercultural interaction that allows the exchange of ideas and thoughts, it has led to the emergence of many communication barriers that can, in turn, introduce conflicts in society.

Language was also a communication barrier that resulted from the intercultural encounter that I had. Samovar et al. (2014) identify that the language barrier has become the greatest problem that cross-cultural groups encounter in communication. With the language barrier, people cannot engage in productive conversation. Whether in the workplace, school, or any other social place, the inability to communicate proficiently may limit one in many ways from passing to receiving the intended message. For instance, students abroad may not access all the opportunities due to the inability to interact with people in the local culture. Proper use of language allows individuals from diverse cultures to exchange ideas, values, and thoughts. Other than the language barrier, prejudice is another communication barrier that prevented my partner and me from communicating effectively and productively. Moreover, the assumption of similarity made him raise false claims about my culture. The assumption of homogeneity may lead to unnecessary judgments without evidence. For instance, where an Arab chooses to take tea over coffee, people may assume that tea is the staple drink in his or her country, leading to false judgements.   

Even though people may come from different cultures, they should embrace their differences and use them as opportunities for growth and development. For instance, distinct groups should imitate other cultures or use them to adjust their own for improvement. However, with the rising encounters of prejudice, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism, conflicts are likely to arise between cultures. The encounter between the other individual and me was problematic as we used our differences to look down upon each other. For example, my partner criticized my religion and made prejudices about it. Askins (2016) elaborates that this interaction is more likely to lead to a conflict due to the lack of understanding as an effective way of communication. All in all, the interaction was unsuccessful because of our inappropriate actions that included using our differences to look down upon ourselves. Besides being unpleasant, the communication was unproductive due to the inability to pass the intended message or exchange ideas and values. Moreover, the display of prejudices or ethnocentrism during the interaction not only disrupted the pattern of communication between us but also stopped change and development in society (Ferri, 2014). Such an encounter may also influence how one perceives culturally or ethnically different groups. From my encounter, I started perceiving people from other cultures as morally wrong. Similarly, I started stereotyping the cultural group from which my partner belonged based on his actions during our interaction.

Conclusion

With the current state of multiculturalism, people need to come together and learn from each other for societal growth and development rather than letting their differences separate them through conflict. Moreover, multiculturalism should not give birth to encounters such as cultural relativism, prejudice, ethnocentrism, assumption of similarity, or language barrier that disrupt the pattern of communication among diverse populations (House, Kasper, & Ross, 2014). The existence of many cultures should act as a challenge for communities to imitate and improve themselves. For example, where one bumps into people of a different culture, he or she should embrace this opportunity and use it as a challenge to build himself or herself by doing more research on the diverse culture and acquiring more information (Samovar et al., 2014). The acquisition of information about a specific culture prevents unnecessary prejudices and prejudgments on other intercultural groups. In turn, this will help curb many communication barriers among cross-cultural groups.

Therefore, the other individual and I could have interacted better by searching for more information about the cultures to get a better understanding of each other and avoid making prejudices. Similarly, through learning from each other, one can master the foreign language and speak it proficiently. Language barriers have become the most significant challenge that various cultural groups have encountered in communication (Ferri, 2014). With language barriers, people cannot engage in productive interactions. Whether in the workplace, school, or any other social place, the inability to communicate proficiently may limit one in many ways from passing to receiving the intended message. For instance, students abroad may not access all the opportunities due to the inability to interact with people in the local culture (House, Kasper, & Ross, 2014). A proper understanding of a language allows individuals from diverse cultures to exchange ideas, values, and thoughts. Thus, doing more research on everyone’s culture could have enabled us to learn from each other, in turn, making the encounter smoother and more successful. All in all, the acquisition of information through research on a particular culture is one effective way of enhancing intercultural interaction.

Due to a lack of understanding or appreciation, the interaction between people from different cultures may be problematic. By understanding and appreciating each other, the encounter between the other individual and I could have been better. Understanding people from other cultures implies that one allows them to freely express themselves without criticizing them and takes time to comprehend their beliefs and customs. On the other hand, one is supposed to appreciate people in other cultures by approving their actions without discrimination. When one understands and appreciates foreign cultures, it means that he or she is not making judgements about the culture. By doing this, he or she takes time to learn from diverse cultures and compares them with his or her own. From this, one can make the necessary life adjustments accordingly. Therefore, through understanding and appreciating each other, we could have engaged in effective communication without barriers, thus fostering growth and development in our respective societies. Askins (2016) concludes that to facilitate successful intercultural communication, individuals should not use their differences as drawbacks, but use them as opportunities for a better change. Through learning different cultural aspects, including language, cuisine, and art, individuals can improve their cultures by imitating other practices. Samovar et al. (2014) explain that this can not only lead to fruitful interaction among people from diverse populations but also promote developmental changes among individuals and society at large.

References

Askins, K. (2016). Emotional citizenry: Everyday geographies of befriending, belonging and intercultural

Ferri, G. (2014). Ethical communication and intercultural responsibility: A philosophical perspective. Language and Intercultural Communication, 14(1), 7-23. Encounter. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 41(4), 515-527.

House, J., Kasper, G., & Ross, S. (2014). Misunderstanding in social life: Discourse approaches to problematic talk. Routledge.

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2014). Intercultural communication: A reader. Cengage Learning.