The Wellspring Logo
wellness workbookWellness Workbook
How To Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality
John W. Travis, M.D. & Regina Sara Ryan
 
top_img1
top_img2
  Home  > Personal Wellness  > Cross-Cultural Communications

Cross-Cultural Communications

These differences are compounded when the communication across cultures is highlighted.* Here are a few examples:

  • In some cultures, to point out a mistake or even a slight oversight is practically an insult.
  • Different cultures have different perceptions of closeness and personal space. To stand too closely or to speak from too far away is viewed as threatening behavior.
  • A loud voice is viewed in some cultures as a prelude to a fight, whereas in another culture it may be necessary in order to indicate enthusiasm for a subject.
  • Direct eye contact, which we in the West prize as being the ultimate expression of communication attentiveness and effectiveness, is considered invasive by some cultures. This is especially true between men and women because so much communication goes on through the eyes alone.
  • While Americans stress the importance of dealing with conflict face-to-face, to approach a personal conflict head-on would be to invite shame, if not embarrassment, in some cultures. Putting something in writing, thus creating some objective distance, is preferable for these people.

Language use varies greatly among individuals, the sexes, generations, races, socioeconomic groups, and cultures. Even the simple word yes can be a source of misunderstanding. Among some groups, saying yes is tantamount to signing your name in blood. For others, a yes means Probably I'll consider it." When dealing with others in a situation that demands common understanding, it may be necessary to ask for further elaboration.

Decision-making styles are different depending upon your cultural upbringing. Some cultures prize unanimity above all; for others, a simple majority is enough; and in others, independent leadership is more appreciated than delegating authority. We have a lot to learn as we approach one another. To assume that our method - or even the methods that seem to work with one cultural segment - should be applied to other cultural groupings, within our country or elsewhere on the planet, is a gross misperception.

As we work together on a task, some cultures and some individuals will place a great emphasis on establishing relationships as the basis for a successful outcome. For others, it is natural to simply get to work, allowing the relationships to build as the job unfolds. For either type to expect the other to change is asking a lot. Look around; observe yourself. Find out what you are doing and what others seem to want. Learn to adapt and compromise; put yourself in the other person's shoes.

Because our learning styles are different, so too will be our ways of communicating about issues. Some members of a group might look to logic and library research as their first line of attack, while others will not feel they know a situation until they have visited the people and places under investigation.

Such differences are cause for celebration, because they show just how vast human potential is. Yet obviously they can also create conflict among the sexes and races and cultures - socially, professionally, and intimately. Ultimately, we all belong to the same human race, with the same fears, desires, and needs. Our survival depends on our willingness to understand and be understood.


* This material is well-summarized in "Working on Common Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges," by Marcelle E. DuPraw, National Institute for Dispute Resolution and Marya Axner, consultant in leadership development and diversity awareness. Their overview is posted at www.wwcd.org/action/ampu/crosscult.html#PATTERNS.


top_img3
links_heading
Home
right_link_sep
Personal Wellness
   Introduction to Wellness
   Self-Responsibility & Love
   Breathing
   Sensing
   Eating
   Moving
   Feeling
   Thinking
   Working & Playing
   Communicating
   Intimacy & Sex
   Finding Meaning
   Transcending
right_link_sep
Personal Wellness Lite
right_link_sep
Child / Family
right_link_sep
Global Wellness
right_link_sep
For Professionals
right_link_sep
About
right_link_sep
Contact Us
right_link_sep
right_link_sep
right_link_sep
right_link_bottom
feature_topics_heading
Child/Family Wellness
Honoring the heart, soul, and spirit of our children, our families, and our future. After more than three decades of pioneering work in adult wellness, and giving birth to a daughter, Siena, in 1993, Meryn and John realized that the  more...
sep
Global Wellness
Global Wellness more...
sep
Pregnancy
Over the past decade, revolutionary discoveries in neuroscience and developmental psychology have shattered long-held misconceptions about fetal devel more...
sep
right_box_top
left_box_bottom

 

top_img4
left_box_bottom
© 2018, Wellness Associates, Inc, All Rights Reserved. Home | Personal Wellness | Personal Wellness Lite | Child/Family | Global Wellness | For Professionals | Resources | About The Wellspring | Contact Us | Advertising Disclaimer | Another site & Search Engine Marketing (SEO) by webko.com.au Byron Bay - Web Design Australia