Intercultural communication: principles and practice

Intercultural Communications -- Definitions -- In its most basic form, multicultural communication is a way of understanding how people from different cultures communicate, behave, and perceive the world. One scholar defines it as the "interpersonal interaction between members of different groups, which differ from each other in respect to the knowledge shared by their members and in respect of their linguistic forms of symbolic behavior" (Knapp in What is Intercultural Communication?, 2011). Culture is a learned set of values that is passed down and communicated through a variety of forms: parents, relatives, peers, school systems or learning environments, and society. Typically, its power focuses on the reinforcement of behaviors through positive responses and discourages inappropriate actions or responses through negative responses. Because of this learning transference, it is possible for a person to communicate, adapt, and even become part of another cultural experience -- multicultural communication. The idea of multicultural communications is multidisciplinary, and is done through psychological sociological, linguistic, political, historical, economic, and anthropological measures which, when combined, form a more holistic approach to culture (Gundykunst, ed., 2003).

Co-Cultural Affiliations -- Chinese-American-

Ethnic Heritage

Religion and Spirituality

Social Groupings

Education/Educational Expectations

Profession/Processional Affiliations

Gender/Age Group

Stereotypes of Asian-Americans- In general, a stereotype is a popular belief about a group, person, or culture that may or may not be true, but has come to hold certain cultural meanings from one group to the next. Essentially, they are standardized and rather simplistic conceptions of groups that are often based on prior assumptions. The sociological dynamics about stereotyping are based on the concepts of groups and group norms -- those who are in-groups and those who are out-groups. Oftentimes, these norms are based not on written dogma, but culture and tradition. Thus, they often morph into stereotypes about the "other" or the outsider without giving adequate thought to truth or new experience (McGarty, et.al., 2002). Asian stereotypes are more generalized; many Americans do not see a difference between a Korean-American and a Japanese-American, even though there is a wide cultural gulf. Some examples of the Asian-American stereotype go back generations, some have evolved, and some are surprisingly accurate:

Example

Explanation

Analysis

Asians are perpetual foreigners

Regardless of the time living in America, physical characteristics of Asian often bring about assumptions of being foreign, not American.

A clear false stereotype. One cannot tell by looking at a person how long they have been in America, if they are a citizen, or how many generations have lived in America.

The Model minority

More positive traits than negative: hard working, less criminal activity, etc.