Culture and Diversity in Communication

The article titled “The Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communications” provides some key elements towards intercultural communication that can be applied in many situations.  I feel that I can communicate with any group or culture effectively; however, when holding differing values and views on issues, it is inevitable that values will affect communication.  If someone comes from a culture that holds the cow as sacred, and I eat beef, then this will affect when and where communication happens.  What I mean by this statement is that we certainly will not meet at a steakhouse and/or talk about cuisine.  This person would find these places or communications offensive; therefore, it would be appropriate to show respect for their cultural beliefs and understand what is acceptable and what is not.

Given a situation where one may be traveling to another country with differing languages and customs, it would be appropriate to study the customs and traditions in advance.  This is important because different cultures may see our actions or greetings as rude.  It is important to understand how cultures view body language and actions.  For instance, Former President George W. Bush was well advised on how to interact with the Saudi Arabian King.  During a visit to Saudi Arabia, the President walked with the Saudi King while holding his hand.  In the United States this was ridiculed; however, in Saudi Arabia, this was seen as respectful and culturally aware.

In the United States I think many value politeness and/or etiquette; however, this is not universally practiced nor are there etiquette rules to follow.  “Traditional Indonesian society considers the giving of refreshments to guests a very important display of respect and politeness” (Whitfield III, n.d., para. 3).  In America, this is typically practiced as well.  When someone attends a business meeting they may be offered refreshments; however, many times this depends on the length of the meeting and the setting.  Also, in the American setting, it is not considered rude or inappropriate to refuse the offered refreshments.  In Indonesian culture one should take the offered refreshment, even if they do no want it; to refuse refreshments is considered an insult.  In this case it would be important to be aware of the difference in social values placed on such an interaction and or setting. 

It is also important to understand the importance of gestures, body language and/or greetings with differing cultures.  For instance, Japanese consider bowing to be an important part of greeting, with many types of bows that can be hard to interpret in America.  The length, timing and number of bows have meaning.  “When one party wants to emphasize the salutation and holds the pose for an unusually long period of time - while intoning appropriate remarks - the recipient must continue to make short bows, usually of gradually lessening degrees, to properly acknowledge the other person's action” (De Mente, 1999, para. 8).

References

De Mente, B. L. (August, 1999). Politeness Makes Perfect. Retrieved on February 2, 2011, from http://www.apmforum.com/columns/boye29.htm

Hahn. M. (n.d.). The Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communications. Retrieved on February 2, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247