Cultural Differences

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

REQUIRED READINGS

Lustig, M. W., & Koester, J. (2013). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

• Chapter 7, “Verbal Intercultural Communication” (pp. 151–178)
• Chapter 8, “Nonverbal Intercultural Communication” (pp. 179–204)

Gladwell, M. (1999). Is the Belgian Coca-Cola hysteria the real thing? The New Yorker, 75 (18), 24.
Talk of the Town, Dept of Straight Thinking: Is the Belgian Coca-Cola hysteria the real thing?. by Gladwell, M. in The New Yorker, July 12, 2010. Copyright 2010 by Conde Naste Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Conde Naste Publications, Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Use this article for Scenario 1.

Carson, G. (n.d.). More fizz than they bargained for: Coca-Cola and the 1999 Belgian crisis. Unpublished.
Carson, G.W. More Fizz Than They Bargained For: Coca-Cola and the 1999 Belgian Crisis. Reprinted by permission of Gary W. Carson.
Use this article for Scenario 1.

Ted Conferences, LLC. (2006). Ted talks – Hans Rosling: The best stats you’ve ever seen [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_be…
Use this article for Scenario 2.

Gregersen, T., & Youdina, T. (2008). An intercultural communication event via video bridge: Bringing Russian and American students together. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20 (2), 262–266.

Use this article for Scenario 3.

Document: Week 4 Assignment Scenarios (PDF)

REQUIRED MEDIA

Walker, G. (2012). Working through cultural differences [Books24x7 version].

Overaas, N. (2010). Understanding cultural differences [Books24x7 version].

Goulston, M. (2007). Cross-cultural communication made simple [Books24x7 version].

Discussion: Doing vs. Saying: Nonverbal Communication

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, lecturer, poet

Just about everything a person does or wears expresses meaning to others. This nonverbal communication depends on context determined by culture, history, or familial norms and practices. In over 75 studies, researchers have shown that humans have seven universal facial expressions of emotion: joy, surprise, contempt, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust (Matsumoto & Hwang, 2011). Other than these expressions of emotions, human nonverbal behavior varies from culture to culture. Although dictionaries exist to assist with verbal meanings, nonverbal meanings are not easily formalized and can present serious communication quandaries in intercultural situations.

In order to competently communicate in intercultural situations, you need to study and acquire knowledge of the nonverbal codes. In this week, you consider how nonverbal behaviors communicate meaning and how this affects intercultural communication practice.

Photo credit: Microsoft Corporation. (Producer). MP900402101 [Photo of child with hands over ears].

To prepare for your Discussion:

• Review Chapters 7 and 8 in the course text. What verbal and nonverbal behaviors described in these chapters do you recognize in your own communication? How might your verbal and nonverbal behaviors influence your communication with another culture that uses different verbal and nonverbal behaviors?
• Think of examples of challenges and benefits that verbal and nonverbal behaviors from different cultures bring to society. How would society change if everyone used the same verbal and nonverbal behaviors? What would be the benefits of a society that used the same verbal and nonverbal behaviors?

Note: One of the goals of this course is to promote a wide variety of views. You are encouraged to present your honest personal viewpoint while at all times reflecting a respectful tone for the views of others.

BY DAY 3

Post a 2- to 3-paragraph explanation of how one major cultural, nonverbal behavior can affect communication with someone outside that culture by doing the following:

• Identify a major nonverbal behavior in your culture.
• Consider how someone outside of the culture might react to this nonverbal behavior.
• Consider how these behaviors can affect communication with people of other cultures.

Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to at least one of this week’s Learning Resources. Additionally, you may opt to include an outside academic resource that you have identified.

BY DAY 5

Respond to the posts of at least two different colleagues in one of the following ways:

• Explain how the nonverbal behavior in your peer’s post might be interpreted in your culture.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting by providing additional examples of nonverbal behaviors from the same culture.
• Offer an alternative view of how the nonverbal behavior might be received.