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Lecture 1
Overview of
Intercultural Communication
COM 340
What is Communication?
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In its simplest form, the passing of a
meaningful message from one person to
another person.
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Not necessarily verbal… can also be nonverbal.
Can be conscious or unconscious.
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What is Communication?
The way we communicate and the way we
understand another person’s communication
is a result of our knowledge and past
experiences.
 When receiving a message or seeing a
behavior, we reach into our mind and
attempt to understand and give meaning to it.
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Easy to do in our own culture.
Can be challenging outside our own culture.
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Chances for mis-interpretation great.
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An Activity - Introductions
Form groups of three people
 Introduce yourself to the other two people in
your group.
 Listeners will want to take notes.
 Later you will introduce one of the people in
your group.
 You may also ask questions if there is some
additional information you want.
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What is Culture?
In this course, when we think about culture,
we are concerned with the way people live.
 The way people…
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think, feel, believe, and strive for what is
proper in their culture.
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Definitions of Culture
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Culture is…
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an historically-transmitted, socially constructed
system of beliefs, premises, symbols and their
meanings that pertain to a group of people.
Culture is…
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in your head.
in your behavior.
in your talk.
deeply felt.
Culture is a system of resources for
understanding the world around you.
 Culture is the “tools” that our families and
societies instill in us to get through life.
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An Activity - Time Capsule
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Imagine you are going to prepare a time
capsule that will not be opened for 100
years. You want to show people in the next
century what your culture is like. What things
would you put in it?
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Time Capsule
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Can you touch these things?
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Items like these appear on the surface of our
cultures.
But, also many things which describe our
culture that we cannot see.
 This difference is very important when we
study ICC.
 All governed by the patterns of culture…
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Language habits, friendships, food & eating
habits, social acts, economic and political
activities, religion, clothing, art, music, sports,
festivals, etc.
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Culture is like an Iceberg
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Part of an iceberg is above the water and
part is below the water.
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Surface culture: part we can see
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Deep culture: part we can’t see
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visible and tangible
hidden and not tangible
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Artifacts
Values and Beliefs
Underlying Assumptions
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Communicating Interculturally
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Imagine you are communicating with
someone from a different culture.
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Surface cultures: parts similar and parts
different
Deep cultures: more than likely different
The more different the deep cultures, the
more chance there is for misunderstandings.
 Increased contact with other cultures has
brought about the need to communicate
more efficiently and effectively.
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COM 340
Communicating Interculturally
In our shrinking world, it is important to become
interculturally aware in order to overcome and
reduce the chance for misunderstanding.
 More than ever before…
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Because most people have little intercultural
awareness, their communication is not as
effective as it could be.
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Opportunities to live, work, study, travel abroad.
People from other cultures are living in our
communities.
When interacting with someone from another
culture, you have to know where they are coming
from
COM 340
Communicating Interculturally
When interacting with someone from another
culture, you have to know where they are
coming from (figuratively).
 You must ask yourself…
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What is their mindset?
Why are they acting or behaving in that
manner?
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Perceived Cultural Differences
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“PCDs”
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Areas where diversity can be present
between people from two cultures.
Illustrated by differences in:
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World View
Values and Beliefs
Thought Process
Customs
Appearance
Expectations
Communicator Style
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Language usage
Verbal & Non-verbal behavior
Rules of social interaction
Roles & Relationships
Business interactions
Concepts and ideologies
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