WilliamHartPhD's Notes: Intercultural

Showing posts with label Intercultural. Show all posts

Thursday, April 6, 2017

GlobalMedia: International Public Relations: Case Study of U.S. Military Image in Afghanistan (W13-P4) [VID] Sp17

A case study is a method of teaching in which students are presented with a problematic scenario or case. A case is an example or illustration of a problem or challenge.

Case studies are some times used in law classes and some times in public relations classes, for example.

After an international case is presented there is a common method used in PR courses.

Define/describe the PR problem.
Give ways for addressing or solving this problem.
List resources needed for implementing solution(s).
Give a timetable for implementation.
State expected impact of solution.
How did you use intercultural skills?

Intercultural skills to keep in mind when working through the international P.R. case

Be mindful

Be thoughtful, aware of differences

Be patience

It may be difficult at first

Be open-minded

Consider other ways of doing things, other views

Be tolerance of ambiguity

Things may not make sense. Be comfortable with uncertainty

Now, let's do a case or three.
Check out the following news videos about three back-to-back incidents between the U.S. military and the people of Afghanistan in early 2012. As you are watching these, starting thinking about the above info. What would you do to build a better relationship between the U.S. military and the people of Afghanistan?

Pentagon denounces Marine urination video (CBS Evening News - Jan. 2012)

Quran Burning Sparks Angry Afghan Protest (Associated Press - Feb. 2012)

Afghan Massacre: Video From Shooting Scene (ABC Evening News - Mar. 2012)

What would you do to build a better relationship between the U.S. military and the people of Afghanistan?

Also, now go through the method given above (i.e., 1. Define/describe the P.R. problem, etc.). Also don't forget to think about how you'd use your intercultural skills in doing this P.R. work.

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: "The Ugly American" (W6-P6) [VID] Sp17

What are the counterproductive attitudes that Americans can have about people from other countries?*

"Foreigners coming to live in the U.S. should adapt American ways."
"Asians do many things backwards."
"Much of the world’s population remains underdeveloped because they don’t take the initiative to develop themselves."
"Americans have been very generous in teaching other people how to do things the right way."
"English should be accepted as the universal language."

Q: Central theme in the counterproductive attitudes expressed above?
A: Ethnocentrism: a belief that your group's ways are the best ways.

Imagine a person working in development communication who heads into a development project abroad with the above attitudes. How would things work out?

The phrase "ugly American" comes, in part, from a 1958 novel about an American who travels abroad and expresses an ethnocentric attitude. The novel was made into a 1963 film staring Marlon Brando.

Now to another film. How does Disney's Pocahontas fit into this discussion?

Do you spot the ethnocentric attitude from John Smith in this Pocahontas clip?
(If the video clip does not work, then the Disney's Pocahontas film can be found on sites like Netflix. If you find the full film see the segment from about 35:45 to about 40:00.)

Given the similarity between Pocahontas and Avatar (see below), then you might explore the "ugly Earthling" aspects of Avatar. Can you think of other related films?

* Of course, this could go the other way. People in other countries can have ethnocentric views toward the U.S. -- The ugly _____.

GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: Hofstede’s Dimensions of Value Orientation (W6-P5) Sp17

Geert Hofstede during the 1980s surveyed over 100,000 workers in multinational corporations in forty countries.

He found 4 main dimensions along which countries/cultures differ. Each country was ranked according to his dimensions.

1. Individualism - Collectivism

I versus We
e.g., “Squeaking wheel gets the greasy.”
e.g., “The nail that sticks up gets pounded down.”
Indiv. (e.g., U.S. & Australia) <--------> Coll (e.g., Taiwan & Peru)

2. Uncertainty Avoidance

The extent to which a culture feels threatened by the unknown.
Hi-U.A. cultures try to avoid uncertainty.
Hi UA (e.g., Greece & Japan) <---> Low UA (e.g. U.S. & Denmark )

A high uncertainty avoidance person or culture would want to avoid any uncertainty.
If a person or generally a group of people have high uncertainty avoidance, would they be more future oriented or more past oriented?
Which would be more likely to take risks? Hi-UA or low-UA?

3. Power Distance

The extent to which a culture accepts inequality.
Hi-P.D. cultures accept inequality in relationships.
Hi PD (e.g. Philippines & India) <----> Low PD (e.g. Sweden & N.Z.)

4. Masculinity and Femininity

Masculinity = assertiveness, ambition, possessions...
Femininity = caring and nurturing...
M (e.g., Japan & Italy) <-----------> F (e.g., Norway & Denmark)

GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: Cultural Values (W6-P4) Sp17

What are values?

"Social principles, goals, or standards accepted by persons in a culture. They are learned by contacts with the family, teachers, and religious leaders. The media also may influence one’s value system."

Or what are the things that a culture finds valuable, important.
Money? Family?

What are your values? Where did you get them? Are there some values more important than others? What is your most important value? Interacted with somebody who has a different set of values?

GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: A Model of Intercultural Com (W6-P3) Sp17

Read the diagram above. The model of intercultural communication (ICC) begins with two people from different cultures interacting or communicating. What is the rest of the process? What are the parts of the process of intercultural communication? In this model, the goal is effective intercultural communication, but what are some of the barriers that can cause problems? Prejudice? Stereotypes? Discrimination? Differences in language? Others?

GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: Definitions and Metaphors for Culture (W6-P2) Sp17

What is culture?

There are hundreds of definitions of culture in the literature.
Let's use this one:

Culture is a set of shared knowledge that influences a particular group of people’s behavior (Hart).

Metaphors of Culture

Hofstede's Computer Metaphor:

Culture is the software of the mind.
We are programmed by our experiences. We are taught our culture.

Hofstede's Game Metaphor:

Culture is "the unwritten rules of the social game."

The Iceberg Metaphor of Culture

Above the waterline—what we can see; behaviors that are visible.
Below the waterline—what we cannot see; values and beliefs that are not visible.

GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: Tower of Babel (W6-P1) Sp17

The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563). Image in the public domain.

The image above depicts the Biblical story of how different languages and cultures came to be.

So, what is the story and what does it have to do with intercultural communication?

Thursday, December 1, 2016

MassMedia: Development Communication: "The Ugly American" (W15-P4) [VID] Fa16

When an U.S. American enters another country as a development worker, tourist, etc., they should be conscious and cautious of the "Ugly American" concept.

Counterproductive attitudes that Americans can have about people from other countries?*

"Foreigners coming to live in the U.S. should adapt American ways."
"Asians do many things backwards."
"Much of the world’s population remains underdeveloped because they don’t take the initiative to develop themselves."
"Americans have been very generous in teaching other people how to do things the right way."
"English should be accepted as the universal language."

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

InterculturalCom: Culture Shock: The W-Curve (W13-P3) Fa16

The cultural adjustment is not finished once an individual leaves a new cultural environment. Depending on the degree to which the new cultural environment has effected the individual, the individual may have to readjust to their home environment. The overall process is not just the U-shaped curve seen in a previous post, but more a W-shaped curve showing the return and adjustment at home.

Ever traveled into a new culture, spent some time there, and then returned home and had to readjust? Can you ever go home again? Can you step in the same river twice?

InterculturalCom: Culture Shock: What is Culture Shock? (W14-P2) Fa16

When an individual enters a new cultural environment they may "suffer" to some degree culture shock.

Is it helpful to think of culture shock as a "disease" or to see it in a more positive light as a growth phase?

Have you experienced culture shock?

This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to culture shock.

What is culture shock?
What are the "symptoms" of culture shock?
How do you lessen culture shock? What is active and passive coping?

The instructional video that this clip comes from appears to be no longer available for purchase. If you can find a copy available in a library, I'd recommend it. Berry's comments are especially insightful. The video was titled "World Within Reach."

InterculturalCom: Culture Shock: Process of Cultural Adjustment (W14-P1) Fa16

As an individual moves into a new cultural environment (a new country, a new city, a new school, etc.), depending on the degree of cultural difference, the individual generally goes through certain stages.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

InterculturalCom: Intercultural Sensitivity and Competence: Intercultural Training - Part 2 (W13-Activity) Fa16

Some well-known intercultural training activities include "The Parable" and "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes".

"The Parable"

The study of intercultural communication has a rich and interesting history. That's one of the reasons that I study it. There is a long history of government organizations training people to be better intercultural communicators (e.g., diplomats). Out of this training comes some helpful and long-lasting intercultural training exercises. "The Parable" is one of those exercises. Below is the parable as it appeared in a 1973 Unesco document (pdf). Read the story and then rank in order that characters that you most approve of. The person that you approve of at the top and the bottom would be the person that you least approve of.

If you are curious, see also Dr. Ting-Toomey's version of The Parable.

Dr. Hart's classroom instructions:

Write down on a piece of paper, in rank order, the characters whose behaviors you most approve.
Break into groups of 4 to discuss your results. Create a rank list for the group.
What have you learned as a result of this activity?
Can anyone point to something in your past that shaped the values you used in this activity? Who/what programmed you?
Value: “A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable” (TheFreeDictionary.com).

If you are curious: More related activities from CSU Fullerton faculty (pdf).

"Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes"

Another famous intercultural training activity was created by Jane Elliot. What are the steps in Jane Elliot's Blue Eyes / Brown Eyes Experiment?

This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to methods of using intercultural training to reduce prejudice.

How effective do you think this method is?
Any ethical concerns?

Additional intercultural training activities may be covered in future posts.

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InterculturalCom: Intercultural Sensitivity and Competence: Intercultural Training - Part 1 (W13-Activity) Fa16

Research on the best methods of teaching and training in intercultural communication has a long history beginning with the work of anthropologist around the time of World War II. By the 1970s anthropologist lost interest in intercultural interactions and communication scholars carried on the study of intercultural communication. Two of these communication scholars (Gudykunst and Hammer) are among the top prolific authors and most cited authors in the field of intercultural communication (Hammer was my advisor at American University). In one of the articles written by Gudykunst and Hammer they outlined the overall goals of intercultural education or intercultural training (ICT).

"...most ICT involves some form of change in three areas: cognition, affect, and behavior. Cognitively, ICT generally is aimed at helping trainees understand how their culture, stereotypes, and attitudes influence their interactions with members of other cultures. Cognitive ICT goals, therefore, focus on knowledge and/or awareness. Affectively, ICT generally is aimed at helping trainees effectively manage their emotional reactions (e.g., anxiety) when interacting with members of other cultures. Behaviorally, ICT generally is designed to help trainees develop the skills they need to interact effectively with members of other cultures" (Gudykunst, Guzley and Hammer, 1996, p. 65).

In this course we will work on these three goals: cognition, affect and behavior.

Let's explore some types of intercultural training and well-known intercultural training activities.

First, film may be used in intercultural training. A fictional film which shows intercultural interaction may teach a viewer some facts about another culture and, depending on how well the viewer identifies with the characters in the film, it may also have an emotional or affective effect.

This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to the difficulties of intercultural communication.

In the clip Jackie's fiancé has just arrived in the U.S.

Is there intercultural miscommunication? What is the problem exactly? Whose fault is it? Is it right to blame somebody?

Some additional types of intercultural training and well-known intercultural training activities will be explored in future posts.

InterculturalCom: Intercultural Sensitivity and Competence: Principled Negotiation (W13-P4) Fa16

What is principled negotiation and what does it have to do with intercultural conflict?

William Ury: The walk from "no" to "yes"

What does principled negotiation have to do with intercultural conflict?

InterculturalCom: Intercultural Sensitivity and Competence: Intercultural Conflict (W13-P3) Fa16

Intercultural Competency: Managing Intercultural Conflict

Culture can enter conflict in a variety of places as shown in the diagram below.

Now, let's shift gears and look at conflict in a different way, by using a film clip.

This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to the concept of intercultural competence, especially in conflict situations.

The film clip wasn't about intercultural conflict, but how could you use Nash's idea to resolve intercultural conflict?

The film is based on a true story.
Background: JOHN NASH, Princeton math prof., played key role in game theory,
Game theory had important impacts on scholarly thinking in economics, international relations, biology, etc.
So, important, Nash won 1994 Nobel Prize

InterculturalCom: Intercultural Sensitivity and Competence: Bennett's Model (W13-P2) Fa16

According to the Bennett model, as people gain more intercultural sensitivity, they move through a variety of stages starting with Denial and possibility ending in Integration.

In each stage, people express a certain mindset or way of thinking about cultural differences. The mindset of each stage is expressed in the quotes below. In the first stage what is being denied? In the Defense stage what are defensive about? In the third stage what is being minimized? Continue this line of questions with the remaining stages.

Not that the first three stages are labeled Ethnocentric. How does this relate to our previous definition of ethnocentrism?

Last question and perhaps most important question, what stage are you in? Does that depend? On what?

InterculturalCom: Intercultural Sensitivity and Competence (W13-P1) [VID] Fa16

In order to work toward an understanding of intercultural sensitivity, let's start with a clip from South Park which shows Cartman travelling internationally to Costa Rica.

Is Cartman interculturally insensitive? How?
What's it mean to be interculturally sensitive?
Can you think of another fictional characters that show this same type of intercultural insensitivity?
Is there a certain perspective/attitude?
Is there a particular set of skills?
How interculturally sensitive are you?
Can a person be too interculturally sensitive?
Relationship to politically correct (PC)?

Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

MassMedia: International Public Relations: Case Study of U.S. Military Image in Afghanistan (W12-P2) [VID] Fa16

A case study is a method of teaching in which students are presented with a problematic scenario or case. A case is an example or illustration of a problem or challenge.

Case studies are some times used in law classes and some times in public relations classes, for example.

After an international case is presented there is a common method used in PR courses.

Define/describe the PR problem.
Give ways for addressing or solving this problem.
List resources needed for implementing solution(s).
Give a timetable for implementation.
State expected impact of solution.
How did you use intercultural skills?

Intercultural skills to keep in mind when working through the international P.R. case

Be mindful

Be thoughtful, aware of differences

Be patience

It may be difficult at first

Be open-minded

Consider other ways of doing things, other views

Be tolerance of ambiguity

Things may not make sense. Be comfortable with uncertainty

Also, now go through the method given above (i.e., 1. Define/describe the P.R. problem, etc.). Also don't forget to think about how you'd use your intercultural skills in doing this P.R. work.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

InterculturalCom: Effective Intercultural Com: Stereotypes and Ethnocentrism (W12-P4) Fa16

If you were looking for clip art for "Native Americans" and all that you found were images like the top two images above, would this be an example of stereotyping? How? Use the definition. How does the bottom image break the stereotype? What exactly is the stereotype?

How do you tear down this brick?

Ask me about "Zhong Guo."

Watch the following images.

What was your reaction to the images? What does your reaction have to do with ethnocentrism? Anything?

How do you "tear down" this brick?

InterculturalCom: Effective Intercultural Com: Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism (W12-P3) Fa16

How do you tear down this brick?

How do you tear down this brick?

Note that there are two definitions of racism given here.

Notice any connection between racism and prejudice as previously defined?

Also, what is the differences among racism, prejudice and discrimination? They are related terms, but they are not the same thing.

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Thursday, April 6, 2017

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Tuesday, November 8, 2016