Communication Between Cultures

parents encourage, approve, and reward aggressive behavior.^160 Rancer underscores

the positive image associated with aggression, noting that in the United States,

“Assertivenessis considered a constructive trait because it involves verbal and nonver-

bal symbols to exert control, obtain justified rewards, and stand up for one’s rights.”^161

This tendency is stressed early, and many young males learn to dominate others as a

way to increase their status.^162 The tendency toward aggression is not confined to the

United States. Studies reveal the propensity toward aggressive behavior in most indi-

vidualistic cultures.^163

What we have been describing is not the case with collective cultures. For exam-

ple, Adler and Proctor reveal that in collective cultures, aggressive messages are per-

ceived somewhat differently:“By contrast, collective cultures (more common in Latin

America and Asia) consider the concerns of the group more important than those of

any individual. In these cultures, the kind of assertive behavior that might seem per-

fectly appropriate to a North American would be regarded as rude and insensitive.”^164

Aggressive actions have such a negative connotation in many Asian cultures that

even the word“no”is perceived as an indication of being belligerent, impolite, ill-

mannered, and aggressive. In these cultures, children are taught the social skills nec-

essary for group harmony, family interdependence, respect for the elderly, and the

importance of saving face. Avoidance of the word“no”is just one of many ways this

value is made manifest. Another vivid example of how each family teaches various

social skills can be seen among the Thai, where the family teaches patterns of inter-

action that avoid aggressive behavior:

The child quickly learns that by behaving in a way that openly demonstrates consideration

for the feelings of others, obedience, humility, politeness and respect, he can make people like

him and be nice to him. This behavior may be summed up in one Thai word,krengjai, which

is usually translated as“consideration.”^165

The examples provided demonstrate the prominence of the family in the encultur-

ation of communication. It is an institution that helps shape each generation and

prepares them to become members of the culture that awaits them.

Developing Communication Competence Through the Family

The basic premise of this chapter has been that to communicate effectively with peo-

ple of cultures different from your own requires an appreciation of the role that family

plays within those cultures. The reason for needing such a fund of knowledge about

families is uncomplicated. Simply put, a person’s family influences how they commu-

nicate. An understanding of the role of family in communication exchanges is impor-

tant on two counts. First, worldwide globalization and demographic changes in the

United States have created a situation where settings involving communication

have increased in both frequency and variety. As Karraker notes,“Every family in

every society—to a greater or lesser degree—is confronted with the issues that global-

ization portends for culture.”^166 Second, many of the professions that you might be

pursuing (teaching, healthcare, etc.) will involve working with families from diverse

cultures. As applied to the United States, Taylor and Ballard point out,“With the

United States having such a diverse population, it is essential that those working

Developing Communication Competence Through the Family 99

Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).