Activities

ACTIVATE

            To be able to communicate competently and effectively both in the local and global context is a necessary skill to be developed. In the era of globalization, this need has increased since economic, political and cultural ties are inevitable. This means that we communicate not only with people within our locality but also with people from different countries or cultures. The challenge now is to be able to embrace diversity – “the recognition and valuing of difference, encompassing such factors as age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, religion, education, marital status, sexual orientation and income (Communicating in a Multicultural Society and World, n.d.). If one is unable to adjust to diversity, this may lead to cultural misunderstanding and cause “lost opportunities” and “increased levels of tension between people.”

            These are scenarios that illustrate how cultural ignorance may affect communication:

·   The Japanese view the business card as an extension of a person, while Americans view it as a business formality and convenience.  Consequently, while the Japanese handle business cards with great care, making certain to put them in safe places, Americans are quick to put them away and thus often end up insulting the Japanese (Griswold, 1994).

·   Showing the sole of a shoe means nothing to observers in the United States or Europe. As a result, when visiting Saudi Arabia, the American and European delegates to a conference thought nothing about crossing their legs and pointing their shoes toward the speaker while listening to his presentation.  The speaker, however, was horrified. In Muslim cultures, the gesture is perceived as insulting.  Similarly, while crossing your legs in the United States indicates you are relaxed, in Korea it is a social faux pas (Samovar & Porter, 1991).

Task 1

Pair Work:

1. Describe your own or somebody else’s experience which demonstrates cultural misunderstanding. 

2.  Discuss whether the misunderstanding was resolved or not.

Task 2 (adopted from Chapter 2: Communicating in Multicultural Society and World)

With the same partner, answer the following tasks:

1. Do you believe any of the following cultural practices are unethical?

·   Cockfighting

·   The withholding of medical intervention, such as blood transfusion

·   Female circumcision

·   Death penalty

If your answer is yes to any of the practices, explain why. If your answer is no to any, explain why not.

2.  Summarize your responses to the cultural practices and share to the whole class.