- Nations will have to cooperate over humanitarian and legal issues, such as disease
control, natural disaster relief, and transnational crime. - Political issues relating to international governance include the international legal
system, ethics in scientific research, and human rights differences. - Security issues that require international coordination include weapons of mass
destruction, terrorists, and emerging threats such as sectarian and ethnic tensions. - Problems relating to the study of intercultural communication encompass individ-
ual uniqueness, generalizing, lack of objectivity, and compromise. - Communication is not a panacea for all intercultural difficulties.
Activities
- Working with others, think of some of the ways in
which the ethnic and age-group changes in the U.S.
demographic composition will impact your lives. - In a discussion group, identify problems arising
from international water and food shortages. - Identify some of the culturally related challenges
involved in an international relief response to a
communicable disease outbreak. - In a class or online group, discuss the role of culture
in sectarian and ethnic tensions. Identify ways of
ameliorating these tensions in your community.
5. Find a partner and review the internal conflict
scenario on bullfighting given in the text. Role-
play the situation with each person assuming the
position of the student. How do you manage this
dilemma?
6. Identify a problem in your own life where commu-
nication has only worsened the situation.
7. Go to YouTube and search for videos on“cultural
conflict,”“intercultural communication,”or other
related terms. Enjoy the videos, but use your criti-
cal thinking skills.
Concepts and Questions
- What are some of the most compelling intercul-
tural communication challenges that will have to
be managed over the next 50 years? Why? - How do you think the United States becoming a
“minority majority”nation will influence domi-
nant culture values?
3. How can culture influence different perceptions of
human rights? What is an example?
4. What are some generalizations about life in the
United States that an international exchange student
might draw from watchingThe Big Bang Theory,
Modern Family, or your favorite television show?
24 CHAPTER 1•Intercultural Communication: A Requirement for the Interdependent Global Society
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).