Nature of Intercultural
Communication
MARIO M. SAMPILO
Intercultural communication happens when individuals
interact, negotiate, and create meanings while bringing
in their varied cultural backgrounds (Ting-Toomey,
1999).
Intercultural communication pertains to communication
among people from different nationalities (Gudykunst, 2003).
Intercultural communication as influenced by different
ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations.
Intercultural communication takes place when people draw
from their cultural identity to understand values, prejudices,
language, attitudes, and relationships (Gudykunst & Kim,
2003).
For example, nodding means “yes” in the Indian subcontinent, Iran, most of
Europe, Latin America, and North America. However, in Greece, Lebanon,
Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Albania, nodding indicates
disagreement.
Moreover, in the case of Japanese culture, silence as a form of
communication is more integrated in their customs than in Western
languages. It is therefore important for you to acknowledge and understand
the many communication patterns present in other cultures.
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Stage 1: Denial. The individual does not recognize cultural
differences.
An individual in the denial stage might be heard saying:
“All cities are the same; they all have tall buildings, fast food
chains, and coffee shops.”
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Stage 2: Defense. The individual starts to recognize cultural differences and is
intimidated by them, resulting in either a superior view on own culture or an
unjustified high regard for the new one.
An individual in the defense stage might be heard saying:
“This culture does not view life the way we do; our culture is certainly
better.”
“Their ways are better than my own; I wish I were one of them.”
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Stage 3: Minimization. Although individuals see cultural
differences, they bank more on the universality of ideas rather
than on cultural differences.
An individual in the minimization stage might be heard saying:
“Once we see through the cultural differences, we really are
just the same!”
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Stage 4: Acceptance. The individual begins to appreciate
important cultural differences in behaviors and eventually in
values.
An individual in the acceptance stage might be heard saying:
“These people and I have different values and experiences,
and I think we can learn from one another.”
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Stage 5: Adaptation. The individual is very open to world views
when accepting new perspectives.
An individual in the adaptation stage might be heard saying:
“To address our issue, I have to adjust my approach to consider
both my own and my counterpart’s background.”
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Stage 6: Integration. Individuals start to go beyond their own
cultures and see themselves and their actions based on multifarious
cultural viewpoints.
An individual in the integration stage might be heard saying:
“I can look at things from the perspective of various
cultures.”
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
Once you understand these stages, you may apply it to:
1) recognize communication behaviors which differ from your own,
2) take into account what can influence these types of behaviors,
and
3) try to analyze how linguistic and cultural communities differ in
terms of communication behavior and influencing factors (Allwood,
1985).
Characteristics of Competent Intercultural Communicators
World Bank (2010) identifies the following traits that define a competent intercultural
communicator.
flexibility and the ability to tolerate high levels of uncertainty
reflectiveness or mindfulness
open-mindedness
sensitivity
adaptability
ability to engage in divergent thinking (or thinking creatively) and systems-level thinking (or
thinking how each one in a system or organization influences each other)
politeness
Tips to be Ccompetent Intercultural Communicators
Avoid stereotypes, i.e., generalizations about a certain group.
Challenge gender norms; avoid using “he” and “man” to refer to a
general group of people. To remedy this, you may use plural pronouns or
rewrite a sentence to avoid using pronouns. The use of his/her is also
acceptable.
Do not talk down on younger people and the elderly.
Be sensitive to the religious practices of others.
Be polite at all times; do not belittle people you perceive to be on a
lower social class than you.
