Chapter 5 Communication and Culture 143they are unconscious. When someone stands a bit too close to you, you might
just sense “something funny.” Or you might interpret someone’s very direct
eye contact as a sign of hostility rather than merely a cultural difference. Of
course, not all uncomfortable interactions stem from cultural differences, but
being mindful of the possibility gives you a wider range of effective ways to
respond.
You should also ask yourself whether you might be interpreting another
person’s behaviors negatively or positively based on whether the individual shares
your group memberships. Part of this mindfulness is practicing intercultural
sensitivity, or mindfulness of behaviors that may offend others (Bennett &
Bennett, 2004). When Luke, who is Catholic, married Caroline, who is Jewish,
his mother insisted that the family pictures be taken in front of the church altar
and religious statues in the garden outside. This was insensitive to the Jewish side
of Caroline’s family. Had Luke’s mother reflected on how she would have felt if
her own religious beliefs had been disregarded in this manner, she might have
behaved very differently. Being sensitive doesn’t mean giving up your own beliefs
and practices, but it does mean not forcing them blindly on others.
Desire to Learn
Learning culture-specific information can be a useful starting point in intercul-
tural communication; knowledge of general interaction patterns common for a
particular group can increase your awareness of other ways of communicating. It
can also prepare you to adapt—or not adapt—as you consider the many factors
influencing an intercultural interaction.
But how do you go about learning about another culture or co-culture and
its members’ communication preferences? Is it okay to ask group members
questions or to seek clarification? Do you have to visit a foreign country to
learn about that nation’s culture? Do you need a close friend within a given co-
culture to understand aspects of that co-culture’s communication? We encour-
age you to ask respectful and earnest questions and to experience other cultures
in whatever way you are able—whether that means trying foods outside of
your own culture, studying the scriptures of another faith, or deciding to study
abroad.
In fact, with all the technology available to you today, you can make contact
through online communities and social networking groups, even if you can’t per-
sonally travel around the world. For example, some students have taken to post-
ing videos of themselves practicing a foreign language in order to elicit feedback
from native speakers on the quality of their speech and accent. Such attempts
to learn more about another culture’s language or way of speaking can also be
seen in YouTube videos in which American and British children attempt to swap
accents and rate each other on how accurate they are.
Overcome Intergroup Biases
Learning about other cultures is a great start to improving intercultural com-
munication. But many scholars also recommend spending time with members of
other cultures and co-cultures, virtually and face to face.
Consider a time you felt
competent in learning about
another culture or co-culture.
What was the situation?
How did you gain knowl-
edge about the culture? Did
this knowledge cause you
to change your behavior or
thoughts?AND YOU?