It will be important for me to recognize my own culture and the way it affects my interactions with others. I must understand how the culture I am familiar with differs from that of people I interact with daily. I have to work to understand or uncover any similarities that exist between cultures I interact with as well. This will make communication easier and assure it is based on "factual" information rather than stereotypes or ethnocentric behaviors (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel, 2006b).
When I spend time with people who have the same culture as I, then I am more likely to communicate with them openly and freely, without having to change my communication patterns or styling to adapt to a different belief system or communication style that may seem foreign.
In times of old, intercultural communication was not commonplace, therefore stereotyping was much less evident than it is today, because until recently, people had relatively little reason to stereotype people of different cultures (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel, 2006b). Stereotyping and ethnocentrism can seriously affect one's ability to establish rapport with members of another culture, in a negative manner. Samovar, Porter & McDaniel (2006b) note it is important people understand how relationships between "culture and perception" affect one's ability to establish a...
3). Communication between people of the same culture is often not difficult, and rapport is easily established (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel, 2006a). However, if individuals from one culture learn to embrace the subtle differences involved with communicating with others, they are more likely to engage in meaningful and productive communication, rather than communication that is inefficient and of poor quality or intent.
To understand members of another culture, one must understand the ways in which people of one culture interact with each other, and what methods of communication are acceptable or unacceptable (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel, 2006a). They must also understand why people have ethnocentric beliefs and if they do, establish rules or tools for overcoming them. In doing so, they are less likely to engage in social faux pas that may inhibit effective and friendly communication.
References
Samovar, Larry a., Porter, Richard, E. And McDaniel, Edward R.
Communication between Cultures, 6th ed., Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2006a.
Samovar, Larry a., Porter, Richard, E. And McDaniel, Edward R.
Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 11th ed., Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2006b.
Communication
