Communication Between Cultures

Guidelines for Intercultural Ethics

Be Aware That Communication Produces a Response

A basic premise expressed throughout this text has been that the intercultural mes-

sages you send produce a response from the recipient(s). When communicating with

someone from your own culture, you can often anticipate the response although not

always. In an intercultural exchange, where diversity is a factor, it is much more diffi-

cult to foretell the type of reaction your message may produce. For example, in the

culture of the United States, when asked a direct question, the response is usually a

clear“yes”or“no.”Also, a smile normally accompanies a positive reply. Quite in con-

trast, among Northeast Asian cultures, a direct question may elicit an ambiguous

response along with a seemingly sincere smile. Without an appreciation for the nuan-

ces of communication in Northeast Asia—where“yes”can mean“no”—it can be easy

to misinterpret what is said and what is actually meant.

The point is that it is difficult to know always how people will react to messages,

and in intercultural communication, the intended meaning behind the outward reac-

tion may be difficult to discern. Therefore, we recommend that you try to focus on

both the other person and the social environment. In other words, as we discussed

earlier in this chapter, you need to be“mindful.”Obviously, concentrating on per-

sonal actions is far more difficult in actual practice than can be explained here. But

the primary message is clear—being mindful during intercultural communication

encounters requires giving your full attention to the moment. This will enable you

to adjust your messages to the person and the context as well as being self-aware of

how you may be affecting the other person, which is an ethical concern.

Respect Others

How do you feel when someone belittles you, ignores you, embarrasses you in front of

others, or otherwise tends to diminish your sense of self-worth? The answer is obvious.

Your emotions would range from anger to hurt. No one likes to feel belittled. Everyone

wants some level of respect and dignity along with a positive self-image. Our conten-

tion is that ethical standards demand that respect be given to every human being

regardless of their culture or station in life. And we are not alone. TheUnited Nations

Declaration of Human Rights, written in 1948, avers the following in the first of thirty

articles:“Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in

a spirit of brotherhood.”^58 From the ethical perspective, this means that during commu-

nicative actions, you must display respect for the dignity and feelings of the other

person(s). Confucius also advocated this sense of ethical concern:“Without feelings of

respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”In the globalized society, you

must reach beyond your own cultural norms and respect the norms of other cultures.

Seek Commonalities

This book spends a great deal of time discussing how cultural differences can influ-

ence intercultural communication. But cultural similarities must also be considered

because those similarities can act as an ethical guide. The search for commonality is

Guidelines for Intercultural Ethics 403

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