Essay About Second Approach And Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Communication In An Intercultural Setting
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Interpersonal Communication in an Intercultural Setting
Cultural growth in the twenty-first century has heightened the
emphasis on interpersonal communication in an intercultural
setting. As our world grows, expands and becomes increasingly more
interconnected by various technological advances, the need for
effective interpersonal communication among differing cultures has
become quite clear. Due to the advancement of technology in
todays world, a world in which some businesspeople are involved in
transactions with other businesspeople in faraway countries, the
call for knowledge of intercultural communication within this
setting has become a reality. Interpersonal communication is a
form of communication that involves a small number of people who
can interact exclusively with one another and who therefore have
the ability to both adapt their messages specifically for those
others and to obtain immediate interpretations from them (Lustig et
al, 1993). Although interpersonal communication is usually thought
of as being perf! ormed in small, centralized groups, a need to
broaden these groups and bring about a general feeling of cultural
awareness has become apparent. To a certain degree, all communication
could be called interpersonal, as it occurs between two or more
people. However, it is useful and practical to restrict the definition
to distinguish those relationships that involve a relatively small
group of people, such as couples, families, friends, workgroups, and
even classroom groups from those involving much larger numbers of
people, as would occur in public rallies or among massive television
audiences. Unlike other forms of communication, interpersonal
communication involves person-to-person interactions. Additionally,
the perception that a social bond has developed between the
interactants, however tenuous and temporary it may seem, is also much
more likely.
Intercultural communication is a symbolic, interpretive,
transactional, contextual processing tool with which people
from different cultures create shared meanings (Berko et al,
1998). When we speak to someone with whom we share little or
no cultural bond, it is referred to as intercultural
communication. Our need to communicate across culture can be
very beneficial personally and professionally. Within an
intercultural setting, nonverbal and verbal communication are
both prevalent in emphasizing the differences in cultures. The
way we act and the things we say determine whether or not we
belong in a certain culture. Nonverbal communication systems
provide information about the meaning associated with the use
of space, time, touch and gestures. They help to define the
boundaries between the members and nonmembers of a culture
(Koester at al, 1993). In order to fully enjoy and benefit
from interpersonal communication in an intercultural setting,
one must first gain a fu! ll, comprehensive knowledge of the
determining factors of culture. There are several ways of defining
culture. Websters dictionary defines culture as ” . . . a particular
civilization at a particular stage” or ” . . . all the knowledge and
values shared by a society.”. A second approach emphasizes the social
heredity of a group of people, suggesting that the new members of a
culture must be taught its fundamental ideas, practices and
experiences. The social heredity approach therefore asserts that
culture is symbolically transmitted, often “handed down” through
ensuing generations, from parents or other adults to children, who in
turn grow up and teach their own children the cultures customs and
expectations. This approach is important because it emphasizes that
one does not become a member of a culture by birth, but rather through
a process of learning. The word ^culture is often considered in terms
of nationality or ones country of origin. Other more specific dist!
inguishing characteristics of culture are region, orientation,
socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation and preference, age,
marital and parental status. Another approach to understanding the
concept of culture involves the beliefs, values and norms that exist to
guide an individuals behaviors in solving common problems. This
approach, often called the perceptual or subjective culture approach,
suggests that people behave as they do because of the perceptions