Communication Between Cultures

Ethical Considerations

The previous discussions in this chapter have focused on problems that can arise in

an intercultural situation and issues that can impede communication between people

of different cultures. At this point, we feel the need to examine some of the ethical

issues that can arise in intercultural scenarios. As an introduction to ethics, we offer a

series of contentions:

• Only God should decide when it is time to die.


• Assisted suicide should be made legal.


• Racial profiling is necessary and justified.


• Racial profiling violates the individual’s personal freedom.


• Women have the right to control their reproductive behaviors.


• Artificial birth control is wrong.


• School prayer is just exercising freedom of religion.


• School prayer violates the concept of separation of church and state.
  Deciding how you feel about these propositions involves making judgments that
  contain ethical implications and considering what is right or wrong, proper or
  improper, good or bad. The propositions may also require that you think about them
  in a global sense and decide if what is appropriate for your society is suitable for the
  global society as a whole. Ethics can be seen as a reflection of convictions that are
  rooted in culture. As a set of principles, ethics also provide guidelines that influence
  your manner of communicating with other people. Ethics, therefore, helps you deter-
  mine what you ought to do, how you ought to act, and how you should interact with
  people.

Ethics in Communication

A basic concept of this text is that communication is an instrument that can be used

for an infinite number of purposes—sell a car, run for public office, teach children,

obtain directions, make friends, persuade others to believe your views, express feel-

ings, etc. Communication always has an impact, good or bad, desirable or undesirable,

significant or insignificant, intended or unintended. Something happens when you

send someone a message. Your words can change behavior, attitudes, beliefs, percep-

tions, moods, and even a person’s sense of

self. While the change may be immediate

or delayed, public or private, short term or

long term, when you communicate, you

produce changes. This very fact speaks of

the ethical component associated with

intercultural communication.

Most cultures recognize the ethical

dimension of communication on both a

legal and an interpersonal level. In the United States, for instance, the legal aspects

of communication are manifested in laws governing libel, slander, truth in advertising,

and political campaign practices. Although most of your communication contexts are

beyond the realm of legal control, you still need to consider the effects of your actions

REMEMBER THIS

Ethics is a tool that you may use when making difficult moral

choices. These choices often involve the balancing of compet-

ing rights when there does not appear to be one“correct”

answer.

400 CHAPTER 11• The Challenges of Intercultural Communication: Managing Differences

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