Communication Between Cultures

you use but rather the idea that you are sharing part of yourself with another

human being. Keating summarizes this concept of human contact eloquently, say-

ing,“Communication is powerful: It bringscompanions to our side or scatters our

rivals, reassures or alerts children, and forges consensus or battle lines between us.”^1

Whether people live in a city in China, in a village in India, on a farm in Kazakh-

stan, or in the Amazon rain forests of Brazil, they all employ the same activity

when they attempt to share their thoughts and feelings with others. The verbal

and nonverbal symbols people utilize might sound and look different, but the

reasons they have for communicating are universal. To further highlight the uses

people make of this important tool, look at some reasons people send and receive

messages.

The Uses of Communication

Communication Helps Fulfill Interpersonal Needs

Although there may be many times when you feel frustrated with other people and

might find comfort in solitude, people are basically social creatures; therefore,

communicating with others satisfies a great many needs. So strong is the need to

communicate that one of the cruelest punishments found in nearly every society is

solitary confinement. Communication is one of the most rewarding experiences

people can have. It is one of the major ways you fulfill a social component within

yourself. Linking with others allows you to experience a sense of inclusion, affec-

tion, and even control. Although cultures might express these feelings and emotions

differently, all people, by both nature and nurture, have a need to communicate and

interact with others.^2

Communicating with
others is one of the
most rewarding
experiences we can
have since it is the
major way we have
contact with others,
and as such we
experience a sense of
inclusion, affection,
and even control.

Don Smetzer/PhotoEdit

26 CHAPTER 2•Communication and Culture: The Voice and the Echo

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