Obstacles to Effective Intercultural Communication
Our discussion of the potential difficulties that can arise when entering a different
culture was framed primarily around the cognitive and physical aspects. In this sec-
tion, we turn to some of the impediments to effective communication when commu-
nicating with someone of a different culture. An awareness of these potential pitfalls
will enable you to avoid some of the common problems that can diminish intercul-
tural communication competency.Tendencies to Seek Similarities
Found in multiple variations,“Birds of a feather flock together”is an adage common to
many cultures. Regardless of the variation, however, the meaning is clear—we are more
comfortable being around people who have similar outlooks, habits, and traits. Think
for a moment about the people with whom you most frequently associate. Very likely,
you have a number of things in common with those people, and these shared interests
can include matters as mundane as liking the same type of food, music, or sports and
extend to complex issues, such as similar political or religious views. These similarities
allow you better to gauge the other person’s likely feelings, attitudes, reactions, and
communication styles. Thus, when meeting someone for the first time, it is a natural
inclination to seek topics that both parties find interesting, and if enough commonality
can be found, it is equally likely for friendships to form and evolve. The more you have
in common with another person, the more comfortable you feel being together. In con-
trast, we can often feel ill at ease or unsure when encountering strangers, and this some-
times makes conversation difficult, especially when a second language is involved.
The connection between intercultural communication and the inclination to
associate with people who reflect your own beliefs and values should be obvious.
As previously illustrated, a culture provides its members specialized patterns of
communication—patterns that are often dissimilar to those of another culture. We are
not suggesting there is anything wrong with favoring ethnic or cultural congruity. In
fact, we have already pointed out how common it is to seek the familiar and avoid
what is different or strange. It is when the pull of similarities leads to the exclusion or
even elimination of those who are different that problems arise. Persecution of people
with differences can be seen in the recent tragic events in Myanmar, where Buddhist
majorities attacked Muslim minorities, andin Iraq, where Islamic extremists waged war
on Yazidi Christians. Here in the United States, the movement ofEuro-Americans from
ethnically mixed neighborhoods to racially divided areas has been termed“white flight.”
The message we are attempting to convey is that culture often separates you from
people with a history different from your own. Well over one hundred years ago, the
famous poet Emily Dickinson lyrically alluded to the tendency to separate from those
who are different:
The Soul selects her own Society—
Then—shutsthe Door—
To her divine Majority—
Present no more—Tendencies to Seek Similarities 387Copyright 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).