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Describe the role of communication in defining, transmitting, and changing culture
Discuss the relationships between dominant and co-cultures
List and discuss the ways in which cultures differ and how that affects intercultural communication
Explain how one develops intercultural competence
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The psychological discomfort of adjusting to a new cultural situation
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Interactions that occur between people whose cultures are so different that the communication between them is altered
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The system of beliefs, values, and attitudes shared by a particular segment of the population
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Culture within a society whose attitudes, values, beliefs, and customs hold the majority opinion
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Groups of people living within a dominant culture who are clearly different from the dominant culture
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Co-Cultures
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Gender
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Race
Ethnicity
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Religion
Social class
Generation
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Self-image based on cultural group or groups you associate with
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Individualism-Collectivism: extent to which people in a culture are integrated into groups
Uncertainty Avoidance: extent to which people in a culture avoid unpredictability regarding people, relationships, and events
Power Distance: amount of difference in power between people, institutions, and organizations in a culture
Masculinity-Femininity: extent to which notions of "maleness" and "femaleness" are valued in a culture
Time Orientation: differences in how cultures perceive time
Cultural context: differences in how cultures share meaning
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Individualism-Collectivism
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Individualistic cultures value:
Personal rights and responsibilities
Competition and personal achievement
Self-expression
Privacy
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Collectivist cultures value:
Community, strong connection to groups
Harmony and cooperation
Avoiding embarrassment
Group interests over self-interests
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Uncertainty Avoidance
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Low Uncertainty
Avoidance
Comfortable with unpredictability
Takes risks
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Few rules
Accepts multiple perspectives of “ truth ”
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High Uncertainty
Avoidance
Creates systems of formal rules
Believes in absolute truth
Less tolerant of deviant ideas or behaviors
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Power Distance
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High Power Distance
Power distributed unequally
Power imbalances seen as natural
 Power is respected
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Low Power Distance
Power is distributed equally
Inequalities are downplayed
People with power are not feared
Democracy is valued
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Masculinity-Femininity
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Masculine Cultures
Traditional sex-based roles followed
Men are assertive and dominant
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Women are nurturing, service-oriented
Male traits valued over female traits
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Feminine Cultures
Roles not based on one ’ s sex
People free to act in nontraditional ways
Feminine traits valued
Both men and women demonstrate both masculine and feminine behaviors
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Time Orientation
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Monochronic
Value punctuality
Follow plans
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Polychronic
Value flexible schedules
Multitasking
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Cultural Context
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Low-Context
Direct verbal messages
Speakers expected to say what they mean
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High-Context
Indirect meaning
Understood by referring to unwritten cultural rules and subtle nonverbal behavior
“Read between the lines”
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(among 53 Countries/Regions)
43 rd
38 th
15 th
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effective and appropriate behavior and communication in intercultural situations
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Barriers to Effective Intercultural
Communication
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Anxiety
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Assuming similarity or difference culture
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Ethnocentrism
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Stereotyping
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Incompatible communication codes
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Incompatible norms and values
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Pyramid Model of Intercultural
Competence
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Intercultural Communication Competence
• Internal outcomes:
• Informed frame of reference, filter shift
• Adaptability, flexibility
• Ethnorelativism: point of view that allows you to see value in other cultural perspectives
• Empathy
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External outcome: Behaving and communicating effectively and appropriately to achieve your goals
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Analyze your own intercultural communication skills. Which skills are strong? What barriers most hinder your ability to communicate interculturally?
Write down a goal and a plan to improve one specific intercultural goal this semester.
Review your Assignment Rubric!!
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