WHY STUDY INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION? As the world populace grows more aware of its interdependence,it confronts the ever-shifting cultural,ecological,economic,and technological realities that define modern life.The utopias of Lao Tze or Mahatma Gandhi,who prepared for a society of self-sufficient villages,have been replaced by newer ways of living in the world together that require our seeing things through the eyes of others and adding the knowledge of others to our personal repertoire.The development of a global mind-set has become pivotal for further human progress.This mind-set can only result from intercommunication among diverse peoples. Four trends combine to usher in a more interdependent future that shapes our differences into a set of shared concerns and a common agenda:(1)technological development,(2)globalization of the economy,(3)widespread population migration, and (4)the development of multiculturalism.Taken together,these dynamics argue eloquently for the development of more proficient intercultural communications. Technological Development The development of new transportation and information technologies has connected all nations in ways that were possible before this century only in the imagination.Suddenly moon walks,the Chernoble nuclear reactor accident,and the death of a leader half a world away share space with local stories in our newscasts. Supersonic transports carry passengers form continent to continent in a matter of hours,in time for them to conduct business,attend conferences,or meet friends and associates face-to-face.The continent of Australia that once stood geographically apart from the Northern Hemisphere now talks with its European and North American neighbors just as easily as it does with its Indonesian,New Zealand,or Japanese neighbors. Communication technologies,including the Internet computer network, facsimiles,the cellular telephone,interactive cable TV systems,and the anticipated information superhighway,permits us instantaneous oral and written interchange at any hour to most locations in our own country and around the world..Porter and Samovar(1994)indicate that the improvement of information technology has greatly reshaped intercultural communication,creating common meanings and a reliance on persons we may or may not meet face-to-face at some future date in our lives. Government is no longer the only dissemination of information across cultural boundaries;indeed,common people talk and type their way daily into a web of mediated intercultural interactions. As we learn instantaneously about South African elections,a World Cup match. or a Palestinian peace accord,our separateness starts to dissolve.We begin to desire information about other place and to cultivate contact with people we have met along the information highway.We ride the wave of information that surges about the globe. We sit in our living rooms but feel connections to events that happen elsewhere in the world.The immediacy of our new technology involves us with persons of widely varying regions and ethnicity and builds in us a new sense of national and global commonality.We find ourselves moving from uncertainty,to curiosity,to an active
WHY STUDY INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION? As the world populace grows more aware of its interdependence, it confronts the ever-shifting cultural, ecological, economic, and technological realities that define modern life. The utopias of Lao Tze or Mahatma Gandhi, who prepared for a society of self-sufficient villages, have been replaced by newer ways of living in the world together that require our seeing things through the eyes of others and adding the knowledge of others to our personal repertoire. The development of a global mind-set has become pivotal for further human progress. This mind-set can only result from intercommunication among diverse peoples. Four trends combine to usher in a more interdependent future that shapes our differences into a set of shared concerns and a common agenda: (1) technological development, (2) globalization of the economy, (3) widespread population migration, and (4) the development of multiculturalism. Taken together, these dynamics argue eloquently for the development of more proficient intercultural communications. Technological Development The development of new transportation and information technologies has connected all nations in ways that were possible before this century only in the imagination. Suddenly moon walks, the Chernoble nuclear reactor accident, and the death of a leader half a world away share space with local stories in our newscasts. Supersonic transports carry passengers form continent to continent in a matter of hours, in time for them to conduct business, attend conferences, or meet friends and associates face-to-face. The continent of Australia that once stood geographically apart from the Northern Hemisphere now talks with its European and North American neighbors just as easily as it does with its Indonesian, New Zealand, or Japanese neighbors. Communication technologies, including the Internet computer network, facsimiles, the cellular telephone, interactive cable TV systems, and the anticipated information superhighway, permits us instantaneous oral and written interchange at any hour to most locations in our own country and around the world.. Porter and Samovar (1994) indicate that the improvement of information technology has greatly reshaped intercultural communication, creating common meanings and a reliance on persons we may or may not meet face-to-face at some future date in our lives. Government is no longer the only dissemination of information across cultural boundaries; indeed, common people talk and type their way daily into a web of mediated intercultural interactions. As we learn instantaneously about South African elections, a World Cup match, or a Palestinian peace accord, our separateness starts to dissolve. We begin to desire information about other place and to cultivate contact with people we have met along the information highway. We ride the wave of information that surges about the globe. We sit in our living rooms but feel connections to events that happen elsewhere in the world. The immediacy of our new technology involves us with persons of widely varying regions and ethnicity and builds in us a new sense of national and global commonality. We find ourselves moving from uncertainty, to curiosity, to an active
need to improve our understanding of persons and groups from outside our immediate circle. Globalization of the Economy The progress of communication and transportation technology has made markets more accessible and the world of business more globally interreliant in past decades. The trend toward a global economy brings people and products together from around the world. In the face of economic globalization nations must determine how to remain competitive in the presence of new trade communication and must find ways to promote products and services in places where they have not historically existed. Such interdependence among national economies hinges on effective intercultural communication and calls for ever more skillful interaction in the future across linguistic and national boundaries.Greater cultural and ethnic understanding becomes necessary both to carry out world business and to preserve threatened cultural diversity. Although globalization of the economy leads to a more uniform way of conducting business,Harris and Moran (1989)note that even decreasing differences among people will require of them intercultural knowledge and skills.Five attitudinal imperatives,described by Harris and Moran,will be needed in an age of economic interdependence: 1.Possessing a cosmopolitan mind with a sensitive,innovative,and participative ability to operate comfortably in a global or pluralistic environment. 2.Acknowledging the importance of intercultural communication by recognizing cultural influences on personal needs,values,expectations,and sense of self. 3. Becoming culturally sensitive by integrating the understanding of culture in general with insights gained from service in multicultural organizations or from activities that bring us into contact with ethnically and culturally different persons. 4.Adjusting to the norms of a new culture,whether that be a domestic co-culture or another national culture. 5.Building upon similarities and common concerns while integrating and understanding differences,to further our personal growth and to aid us in our dealings with other cultures that are,as yet,unfamiliar to us. Clearly the attitudes requisite for a global economy force us to reexamine our isolation and to prepare to deal with a wide variety of persons from a broad range of cultural backgrounds.The search for mutually acceptable guidelines for conducting economic exchange as trade barriers are lowered entails frequent intercultural communication. Widespread Population Migrations With the cultural interconnectedness that accompanies technological development
need to improve our understanding of persons and groups from outside our immediate circle. Globalization of the Economy The progress of communication and transportation technology has made markets more accessible and the world of business more globally interreliant in past decades. The trend toward a global economy brings people and products together from around the world. In the face of economic globalization nations must determine how to remain competitive in the presence of new trade communication and must find ways to promote products and services in places where they have not historically existed. Such interdependence among national economies hinges on effective intercultural communication and calls for ever more skillful interaction in the future across linguistic and national boundaries. Greater cultural and ethnic understanding becomes necessary both to carry out world business and to preserve threatened cultural diversity. Although globalization of the economy leads to a more uniform way of conducting business, Harris and Moran (1989) note that even decreasing differences among people will require of them intercultural knowledge and skills. Five attitudinal imperatives, described by Harris and Moran, will be needed in an age of economic interdependence: 1. Possessing a cosmopolitan mind with a sensitive, innovative, and participative ability to operate comfortably in a global or pluralistic environment. 2. Acknowledging the importance of intercultural communication by recognizing cultural influences on personal needs, values, expectations, and sense of self. 3. Becoming culturally sensitive by integrating the understanding of culture in general with insights gained from service in multicultural organizations or from activities that bring us into contact with ethnically and culturally different persons. 4. Adjusting to the norms of a new culture, whether that be a domestic co-culture or another national culture. 5. Building upon similarities and common concerns while integrating and understanding differences, to further our personal growth and to aid us in our dealings with other cultures that are, as yet, unfamiliar to us. Clearly the attitudes requisite for a global economy force us to reexamine our isolation and to prepare to deal with a wide variety of persons from a broad range of cultural backgrounds. The search for mutually acceptable guidelines for conducting economic exchange as trade barriers are lowered entails frequent intercultural communication. Widespread Population Migrations With the cultural interconnectedness that accompanies technological development
comes the influence of cultural migration between nations.Conditions at home and broad push or pull persons to leave their country to find peace,employment,learning, or a new start.Canada and the United States have been the destination of choice for generations of refugees,job seekers,and others seeking a change in political climate. The 1990 U.S.census reveals that nearly 20 million persons residing within U.S. borders are of recent foreign extraction.About 8.7 million of these arrived between 1980 and 1990.Some 32 million Americans speak a mother tongue besides English, and 14 million are not very fluent in English.Although various legislative initiatives have been made to declare English the official language at the state(Peterson,1988 and national level (Short,1988 )as many as one American in nine speaks black English vernacular(Ebonics)as a mother tongue-tied,17 million American Cuban, Mexican,Puerto Rican,or South American varieties of Spanish,and 4.5 million American first speak a language from Asia or the Pacific Islands.Some 91,000 Americans originate from the Philippines;75,000 come from Canada (including French bilinguals);74,000 have arrived from Cuban;71,000 are German;58,000 are Italian;and 56,000 originate from Korea.Since 1980,the average age of immigrants has dropped from 46.3 to 28. Earlier immigrants to the United States considered the United States to be a "melting pot"of ethnocentric;more recently.This image has been replaced by that of the“tossed salad,”in which each ethnic group retains its own“flavor.”Be their result a melting pot tossed salad,successive waves of imagination have rewoven the fabric of American and Canadian society,turning North America into a continent of persons of recent foreign ethnic origin. This multiethnic composition makes contact among North American co-cultures inevitable.Children in multicultural classrooms and workers in multinational corporations look for ways to learn and work efficiently in settings that are no longer defined exclusively by mainstream norms and rules.The quest for more productive interaction in international and domestic settings calls for a details understanding of the dynamics of communication among persons of diverse national and ethnic origin. Intercultural communication as a field of study investigates the dynamics of interaction among persons deferring ethnic or national origin. Development of Multiculturalism Changing North American demographics now affect every aspect of life.Johnson and Packer (1987)report five demographic trends in the United States that will affect organizational life in the twenty-first century: 1.The population and the workforce will grow more slowly 2.The average age of the population and the workforce will decline. 3 More women will enter the workforce. k More nonmainstream workers will enter the workforce. Immigrants will make up the largest share of the workforce since the 1920s. These demographic trends will produce classrooms and workforce that are defined by no predominant ethnic culture or gender.The tributaries of different
comes the influence of cultural migration between nations. Conditions at home and broad push or pull persons to leave their country to find peace, employment, learning, or a new start. Canada and the United States have been the destination of choice for generations of refugees, job seekers, and others seeking a change in political climate. The 1990 U.S. census reveals that nearly 20 million persons residing within U.S. borders are of recent foreign extraction. About 8.7 million of these arrived between 1980 and 1990. Some 32 million Americans speak a mother tongue besides English, and 14 million are not very fluent in English. Although various legislative initiatives have been made to declare English the official language at the state (Peterson, 1988 ) and national level (Short,1988 ), as many as one American in nine speaks black English vernacular (Ebonics) as a mother tongue-tied, 17 million American Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or South American varieties of Spanish, and 4.5 million American first speak a language from Asia or the Pacific Islands. Some 91,000 Americans originate from the Philippines; 75,000 come from Canada (including French bilinguals); 74,000 have arrived from Cuban; 71,000 are German; 58,000 are Italian; and 56,000 originate from Korea. Since 1980, the average age of immigrants has dropped from 46.3 to 28. Earlier immigrants to the United States considered the United States to be a “melting pot” of ethnocentric; more recently. This image has been replaced by that of the “tossed salad,” in which each ethnic group retains its own “flavor.” Be their result a melting pot tossed salad, successive waves of imagination have rewoven the fabric of American and Canadian society, turning North America into a continent of persons of recent foreign ethnic origin. This multiethnic composition makes contact among North American co-cultures inevitable. Children in multicultural classrooms and workers in multinational corporations look for ways to learn and work efficiently in settings that are no longer defined exclusively by mainstream norms and rules. The quest for more productive interaction in international and domestic settings calls for a details understanding of the dynamics of communication among persons of diverse national and ethnic origin. Intercultural communication as a field of study investigates the dynamics of interaction among persons deferring ethnic or national origin. Development of Multiculturalism Changing North American demographics now affect every aspect of life. Johnson and Packer (1987) report five demographic trends in the United States that will affect organizational life in the twenty-first century: 1. The population and the workforce will grow more slowly. 2. The average age of the population and the workforce will decline. 3. More women will enter the workforce. 4. More nonmainstream workers will enter the workforce. 5. Immigrants will make up the largest share of the workforce since the 1920s. These demographic trends will produce classrooms and workforce that are defined by no predominant ethnic culture or gender. The tributaries of different
ethnocentric,national,genders,ages,tribes,and language will flow into the mainstream of the classroom and workforce.Culture diversity,or multiculturalism, will become the norm,not the exception.Intercultural communication scholars will be needed to smooth the transition to bicultural,bidialectal classrooms,to multinational borderland,to multiethnic neighborhoods,and to gender and ethnic sensitivity on the part of professionals and service providers. The public must acknowledge and adjust to difference but build on commonality. It must begin to recognize the culturally defined qualities in all persons but not elevate one set of qualities above any others.It must understand that competency in a culture is a learned process and that understanding resides in persons,not in words.Such adjustment,though critical for the smooth functioning of society,do not always come easily;they are accompanied by the attempts of some persons to keep their position of privilege. The field of intercultural communication will play a vital part in teaching new ways of interacting,in helping to negotiate multicultural understanding,in dealing with the frictions that accompany the adjustment to new cultural realities,and in educating citizens to a greater global awareness.Whereas multiethnic societies have been the rule rather than the exception in Europe,African,Asia,Canada,and the Caribbean,it is in the United States that intercultural communication first evolved as a formal field of study.Therefore,it is instructive to trace the development of this field from its origins within the past fifty years
ethnocentric, national, genders, ages, tribes, and language will flow into the mainstream of the classroom and workforce. Culture diversity, or multiculturalism, will become the norm, not the exception. Intercultural communication scholars will be needed to smooth the transition to bicultural, bidialectal classrooms, to multinational borderland, to multiethnic neighborhoods, and to gender and ethnic sensitivity on the part of professionals and service providers. The public must acknowledge and adjust to difference but build on commonality. It must begin to recognize the culturally defined qualities in all persons but not elevate one set of qualities above any others. It must understand that competency in a culture is a learned process and that understanding resides in persons, not in words. Such adjustment, though critical for the smooth functioning of society, do not always come easily; they are accompanied by the attempts of some persons to keep their position of privilege. The field of intercultural communication will play a vital part in teaching new ways of interacting, in helping to negotiate multicultural understanding, in dealing with the frictions that accompany the adjustment to new cultural realities, and in educating citizens to a greater global awareness. Whereas multiethnic societies have been the rule rather than the exception in Europe, African, Asia, Canada, and the Caribbean, it is in the United States that intercultural communication first evolved as a formal field of study. Therefore, it is instructive to trace the development of this field from its origins within the past fifty years