Arts Intercultural Communication Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet Caulfield

Arts Intercultural Communication Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet Caulfield – Global Connections session 9th March 2015

Definition of culture Beliefs Values Basic understanding of a group of people about what the world is like or what is true or false What a group of people defines as good and ad or what it regards as important Norms Rules for appropriate behavior, which provide the expectations people have of one antoher and of themselves Social Practices The predictable behavior patterns that members of a culture typically follow Lustig, M., Koester, J. (2013, 7th ed.) Intercultural Competence. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson Prentice Hall Pearson. (p.26) Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 2

Definition of ‘intercultural challenge’ The ‘intercultural challenge iceberg’, from Pamela Kittler, Food and Culture ( 2001, 3rd ed.) Race Gender Age Nationality Acculturation/assimilation Socioeconomics status Occupation Health condition Religion Sexual preference Group membership Educational background Political orientation Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 3

Definition of Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication is a symbolic, interpretative, transactional, contextual process in which people from different cultures create shared meanings. (Lustig & Koester, 2013:43) Intercultural communication occurs when large and important cultural differences create dissimilar interpretations and expectations about how to communicate competently. (Lustig & Koester, 2013 :48) A situation where people from different cultural backgrounds come into contact with each other; or a subject of study that is concerned with interactions among people of different cultural and ethnic groups and comparative studies of communication patterns across cultures (Zhu Hua, 2011: 422) Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 4

Cross-cultural or intercultural communication? Cross-cultural communication Intercultural communication Compares and contrasts native discourse and communication styles /behaviours in different cultures Involves an investigation of interpersonal interaction between individual (or groups) from diverse linguistic and cultural background. E.g. : behaviour of business students in case discussion in Saudia Arabia behaviour of business students in case discussion in Malaysia E.g. : a South Korean student in Seoul interacting in English with an exchange student from Sweden (Jackson, 2014: 3) Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 5

Reasons to study IC The study of Intercultural communication is bout acquiring the necessary knowledge and dynamic skills to manage differences appropriately and effectively. It is also about developing a creative mind-set to see things from different angles without rigid pre-judgement. (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2005: 3) Imperative for learning more about IC? Globalisation Internationalisation Communication/transportation technologies Demographic changes Conflict and Peace Ethics Personal skills (self-awareness, creative problem solving, etc.) Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 6

E.T. Hall (1976): Three dimensions of cultural difference - Monochronic-polychronic time - Low-high context of communication - Use of personal space Unambiguous and straightforward messages Meaning comes from context, not from words Direct communication Indirect communication Monochronistic Polychronistic LOW CONTEXT CULTURES HIGH CONTEXT CULTURES Individualistic oriented cultures Collectivist oriented cultures Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 7

Activity 3: where do you place UK, Malaysia and Australia in this triangle illustrating cultural types? Follow the colour code. Red multi-active – warm, emotional, loquacious, impulsive Blue linear-active – cool, factual, decisive planners Multiactive Brazil, Chile, Mexico Yellow reactive – courteous, amiable, accommodating, compromiser, good listener India Belgium, Israel Germany, Switzerland Linearactive Reactive Vietnam Canada The Lewis Model: http://www.crossculture.com/services/cross-culture/ Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 8

The Lewis Model http://www.crossculture.com/services/cross-culture Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 9

Geert Hofstede’s Six dimensions of country level cultural variation (1991) Power distance: the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions ad organisations within a country expect and accept that the power is distributed unequally. Individualism: the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. Masculinity: what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what they do (feminine). http:// geert-hofstede.com Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 10

Geert Hofstede’s Six dimensions of country level cultural variation (1991) Uncertainty avoidance: the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid this. Pragmatism: how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future. Indulgence: the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses. Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 11

Activity 4 : How can you interpret this draft? (Use Communication across Cultures selected reading to help you) Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 12

Interpretation (1/3) Power distance: At 35 Britain sits in the lower rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people should be minimized. Interestingly is that research shows PD index lower amongst the higher class in Britain than amongst the working classes. The PDI score at first seems incongruent with the well established and historical British class system and its exposes one of the inherent tensions in the British culture – between the importance of birth rank on the one hand and a deep seated belief that where you are born should not limit how far you can travel in life. A sense of fair play drives a belief that people should be treated in some way as equals. Individualism: At a score of 89 the UK is amongst the highest of the individualistic scores, beaten only by some of the commonwealth countries it spawned i.e. Australia and the USA. The British are a highly individualistic and private people. Children are taught from an early age to think for themselves and to find out what their unique purpose in life is and how they uniquely can contribute to society. The route to happiness is through personal fulfillment. As the affluence of Britain has increased throughout the last decade, with wealth also ‘spreading North’, a much discussed phenomenon is the rise of what has been seen as rampant consumerism and a strengthening of the ‘ME’ culture . Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 13

Interpretation (2/3) Masculinity: At 66, Britain is a masculine society – highly success oriented and driven. A key point of confusion for the foreigner lies in the apparent contradiction between the British culture of modesty and understatement which is at odds with the underlying success driven value system in the culture. Critical to understanding the British is being able to ‘’read between the lines’’ What is said is not always what is meant. In comparison to feminine cultures such as the Scandinavian countries, people in the UK live in order to work and have a clear performance ambition. Incertainty avoidance: At 35 the UK has a low score on uncertainty avoidance which means that as a nation they are quite happy to wake up not knowing what the day brings and they are happy to ‘make it up as they go along’ changing plans as new information comes to light. As a low UAI country the British are comfortable in ambiguous situations - the term ‘muddling through’ is a very British way of expressing this. There are generally not too many rules in British society, but those that are there are adhered to (the most famous of which of course the British love of queuing which has also to do with the values of fair play). Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 14

Interpretation (3/3) Pragmatism: With an intermediate score of 51 in this dimension, a dominant preference in British culture cannot be determined. Indulgence: A high score of 69 indicates that the British culture is one that is classified as indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish. Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 15

Communication styles Linear Circular Development of an argument All contextual elements Explicit Make listeners understanding Straightforward logic Length ‘The point’ No ‘point ‘ Direct Indirect Message within the words Message in a variety of elements (silence, proverbs) Priority to the content Speak ‘honestly’ Priority to relationships Sensitive to the complexity Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 16

Linear / Circular communication style Suggestions for improving intercultural communication across styles Linear Style Circular Circular style Linear Be patient, stop waiting for the point Ask question Listen to interpret Listen to synthesise and reformulate Relationships matter Select and choose Direct Style Indirect Indirect Style Direct Look behind words Try not to feel attacked Learn to use metaphors, proverbs Prefer facts to metaphors Practice diplomacy Say exactly what you mean http:// www.cinfo.ch Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 17

References Jackson, J. (2014). Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication. New York: Routledge Lustig, M., Koester, J. (2013, 7th ed.) Intercultural Competence. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson Prentice Hall Pearson. (p.26) Spencer-Oatey, H., Franklin, P. (2009). Intercultural Interaction. Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave McMillan. Ting-Toomey, S. , Chung. L.C. (2005). Understanding Intercultural Communication. New York: Oxford University Press. Zhu Hua (2011). Glossary, in Zhu Hua (ed.). The Language and Intercultural Communication Reader. Abington: Routledge, 418-425. Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet, Global Connections, 9/3/2015 18