Download Unit 7 - American Bar Association

Building Community Trust:
Improving Cross-Cultural Communication
in the Criminal Justice System
Unit 7: Cross-Cultural
Communication
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Where are we headed
in this unit?
• Identify challenges to effective crosscultural communication
• Develop strategies and skills for
improved cross-cultural communication
Culture Shapes Attitudes
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Punctuality
Child rearing
Dress
Education
Discipline
Importance of
Families
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Government
Authority Figures
Courts
Punishment
Domestic Violence
Culture Shapes Behavior
• Communication style
• Interactions with others
• Decision-making paradigms:
– Individual vs. Family
CJS Culture
Visible:
• Structure
• Jargon/language
• Communication style:
cross-examination
• Rules
• Adversarial
• Process
• Suits/clothing
Invisible:
• Motivations
• Values
• Preferences
• Iceberg
Other Aspects of CJS Culture:
• Culture “…affects how we analyze, judge, and
interpret information, behavior, and perceptions about
behavior.”
• Analytical - Logic
• Precedent - Reliance on Facts
• Jargon + Thought Process, Decision-making
Cultural Collisions
Occur when individuals or groups with
different traditions, world views, values,
or languages come together in a
situation in which neither side is able to
view the situation from the perspective
of the other.
Sender:
Receiver:
Develops message
Encodes message
Decodes message
Receives message
40-60% loss of meaning
Barriers to effective crosscultural communication:
• Assumed similarity
• Nonverbal
Communication
• Language
• Tendency to
evaluate
• Preconceptions and
stereotypes
Assumed Similarity
Assumption that:
Words and gestures have a set
meaning
Message sent is received
Modes of communication:
• Telling (ineffective)
• Asking (obtain
information, validate)
• Showing (increases
retention,
understanding)
• Listening (helps form
good relationships,
encourages others to
be open with us)
• Direct vs. indirect
• Deeply embedded
Non-verbal communication:
Verbal:
– Word choice
– Content of speech
– 7% influence on the
message received
Non-verbal:
– Facial-postural (eye
contact, facial
expressions,
posture, gestures,
proximity)
– Vocal (tone, volume,
pitch, voice quality,
rate of speaking
– 93% influence
Caution in interpretation:
Averting eyes or refusal to make eye
contact:
– Respect?
– Shifty or untrustworthy?
– Rude or aggressive?
Strategies:
• Look for behavioral
and contextual
clues:
– e.g., how others are
responding to our
style of
communication
• Ask for feedback
and clarification
– Don’t assume
message sent =
message received
Verbal language
• Words with multiple
meanings:
– 400 common words
have 14,000 different
meanings
• Nuance, idioms,
slang
• Assumptions about:
– Accent (intelligence)
– Pacing/timing
(aggressiveness,
intelligence)
Bridging cross-cultural barriers
• Clarify
• Increase culturespecific awareness
• Be self-aware
• Do not act on
stereotypes
• Treat each person
as unique individual
• Continue to learn
• Listen with respect
Bridging cross-cultural barriers
• Tolerate ambiguity
• Listen for hidden
meanings
• Establish trust
• Show concern and
empathy
• Be aware of nonverbal cues
• Avoid doubleentendre
• Be patient - with
yourself and others
Why is cross-cultural
communication so challenging?
• Culture shapes how we think—how we
see, hear, and interpret world
• Multiple meanings
• Language interpretation opens door to
misunderstanding
Cognitive Constraints
Frames of reference or world views that
provide backdrops against which new
information is compared/inserted
Behavior Constraints
Each culture has rules about proper behavior
which affect verbal and nonverbal
communication. For example:
Eye Contact
Overt discussion or “talk around” an issue
Physical proximity
Emotional Constraints
Different cultures regulate display of emotion
differently.
Emotional when debating issues - yell, cry,
exhibit anger, fear, frustration, other feelings
openly
Keep emotions hidden, exhibiting or sharing
only rational/factual aspects of situation