Intercultural communication is when people from different cultures talk to each other and share information and ideas. It means knowing how to deal with differences in language, values, beliefs, customs, and ways of talking.
To communicate well across cultures, you need to be sensitive, aware, and flexible enough to adjust to different people or groups’ cultural norms and expectations. It helps people from different backgrounds understand each other, respect each other, and work together.
It is becoming increasingly important in our globalized world, where people from different cultures work, learn, vote, and hang out together.
Intercultural communication theories
Intercultural communication has different theories. Some are:
Cultural Dimensions Theory
Geert Hofstede found that communication is affected by six cultural dimensions:
Power Distance
This is how much less powerful people in a culture accept and expect that power is not shared equally. In cultures with a high power distance, people accept hierarchy and authority more, while in cultures with a low power distance, equality is more important.
Individualism vs Collectivism
This dimension looks at how much people put their goals and interests ahead of the group’s. People are more independent and self-reliant in individualistic cultures, while interdependence and group harmony are important in collectivistic cultures.
Masculinity vs Femininity
This dimension shows how much a culture values assertiveness, competition, and achievement (masculine traits) vs nurturing, cooperation, and quality of life (feminine traits) (feminine characteristics).
Uncertainty Avoidance
It refers to how much ambiguity and uncertainty a culture can handle. In cultures with high uncertainty avoidance, people need more rules, structure, and predictability, while in cultures with low uncertainty avoidance, people are more open to uncertainty and change.
Long-term Orientation vs Short-term Orientation
This dimension shows how much a culture values long-term goals and traditions vs short-term goals and immediate results.
Indulgence vs Restraint
This dimension is about how much a culture lets people satisfy their basic needs and wants so they can enjoy life or how much it limits them.
Communication Accommodation Theory
According to this theory, People change how they talk to fit other people’s cultural norms and expectations. Accommodations in communication can take different forms, such as convergence, which means adapting to the other person’s way of talking, and divergence, which means highlighting differences. Or maintenance, which means sticking to your way of speaking. Accommodation is affected by motivation, social norms, and how similar or different something is seen to be.
Face Negotiation Theory
This theory explains how people from different cultures keep their self-image or face when they talk to each other. Face negotiation is about balancing the need to keep your face and respect the face of others. Face-saving techniques may consist of face-threatening activities (such as criticism), face-saving acts (such as apologies), and face-giving acts (e.g. compliments).
Contact Hypothesis Theory
According to this theory contact between groups can reduce prejudice and help people from different cultures get along better, but only under certain circumstances. These conditions include having the same status, having the same goals, working together, having equal status as a social norm, and having a supportive authority. Contact can help people understand the outgroup better, empathize with them, and think more positively about them.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation Theory
It explains how people learn to live in a different culture. Stages of adaptation:
Honeymoon Stage
The first few months of excitement and interest in the new culture
Culture Shock Stage
Feeling lost, frustrated, and anxious when new cultural norms and expectations are placed before you.
The recovery stages
This stage is when people slowly get used to and accept the new culture.
Adaptation Stage
Becoming a part of the new culture. Communication is important for cross-cultural adaptation because it helps people learn about the unique culture, make friends, and work out their differences.
Types of Intercultural communication
Verbal communication
It is exchanging information and ideas through spoken words, such as conversations, speeches, and presentations. Verbal communication between different cultures can be hard because people from different cultures may talk with different accents and use other words.
Nonverbal communication
It includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, and other nonverbal cues. Nonverbal communication can be very important when dealing with people from different cultures because people may read nonverbal cues differently.
Written communication
It is exchanging information and ideas through written words, like emails, letters, and reports. Intercultural written communication can be hard because different cultures have different writing styles, grammatical structures, and norms.
Electronic Communication
This means talking to each other using computers, smartphones, and social media. Electronic communication can be very helpful in intercultural situations because it lets people talk to each other no matter how far away they are.
Visual Communication
Images, videos, and infographics show information and ideas. Visual communication can be very helpful when people from different cultures are talking to each other because it is easier for people who don’t speak the same language to understand.
Interpersonal communication
When two or more people talk to each other face-to-face and share information and ideas. Intercultural communication can be hard because different cultures have different rules and expectations about talking to each other, like how much eye contact and how close you should stand.
What is the difference between cross-cultural, Intercultural, and multicultural?
Multicultural, cross-cultural, and intercultural are all related terms that refer to different aspects of cultural diversity.
Multicultural means that a society or group has people from more than one culture, ethnicity, or country. Multiculturalism emphasizes the differences and values that each culture has to offer. It can include celebrating cultural traditions, working for equality and social justice, and ensuring people from different backgrounds understand each other. Multiculturalism isn’t just a way of discussing communication; it’s a bigger idea about society.
Cross-cultural means that people from two or more cultures interact with each other or compare their ways of life. Cross-cultural communication means understanding and dealing with differences in communication styles, values, beliefs, and norms from different cultures. It can also mean getting used to cultural differences and finding things you have in common. Cross-cultural communication, like business, education, healthcare, and diplomacy, can happen everywhere
Intercultural describes relationships between individuals from various cultural backgrounds. To accomplish effective communication, intercultural communication requires recognizing and managing cultural differences in communication styles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs. It emphasizes the need for cultural sensitivity, awareness, and the ability to adapt to different cultural settings. It takes place in a range of contexts, including interpersonal, group, and mass communication.
In short, multiculturalism is a social concept, cross-cultural refers to interactions or comparisons between cultures, and intercultural refers to interactions between people from different cultures. Even though these terms are related, they focus on other communication and cultural diversity aspects.
Intercultural communication Importance
Intercultural communication is becoming more and more important in today’s globalized world for many reasons:
Promoting Understanding
It helps people from different cultures understand and respect each other. By learning about different cultural norms and values, people can talk to people from diverse backgrounds in a way that doesn’t lead to misunderstandings or fights. People from different cultures share ideas, beliefs, and values when they talk to each other. This conversation helps people understand each other better and reduces misunderstandings and fights. Effective intercultural communication requires people to have an open mind and be willing to hear different points of view, which can help them learn more about the world.
Making trade and commerce easier
Globalization has made it possible for businesses to do business worldwide, but this also means they must work with people from different cultures. Companies must communicate well with people from different cultures to understand their customers’, suppliers’, and employees’ needs and expectations. This knowledge can help businesses make connections, negotiate contracts, and do well in the global marketplace. Communication across cultures is important for businesses that sell to customers worldwide. In today’s global economy, companies that communicate well with customers, suppliers, and employees from different cultures are likelier to do well.
Improving diversity and inclusion
Businesses operating in a global market need to communicate with people from other cultures. In today’s global economy, companies that communicate well with customers, suppliers, and employees from different cultures are likelier to do well. It helps people to understand and celebrate the differences between cultures. This can lead to workplaces and communities that are more open to people from different backgrounds and that value and respect them.
Making Education Better
Communication across cultures is key to promoting multiculturalism and understanding. Students can learn more about the world and develop a more nuanced understanding of global issues if exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking. This can help people better understand people from other cultures, which is becoming increasingly important in a globalized world.
Promoting peace
Misunderstandings and a lack of understanding between people from different cultures often cause conflicts in the world today. It also promotes peace and reconciliation by making it easier for people to talk to each other, helping them understand and respect each other, and finding things they have in common. This can help people in different communities get along and work together.
Conclusion
In today’s globalized world, it is important to communicate with people from other cultures. As people from different cultures meet more often, it becomes more important to communicate well to build relationships, make trade easier, spread understanding, and promote peace. It demands an open mind, empathy, and a willingness to learn about and accept diverse cultural norms and values. It also requires people to be aware of their own cultural biases and be willing to change how they talk to people from other cultures. People can improve their communication abilities, forge deeper bonds, and advance mutual respect and understanding among others from various cultural origins by acquiring good intercultural communication skills.
