Unit 2: Communication and Globalization

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. explain how cultural and global issues affect communication.

ENGAGE YOURSELF!
Now that we have reviewed the basic concepts of communication, let us look at
communication and globalization. Considering today’s situation where we have medical
emergencies and natural calamities, and considering the effects of the pandemic in the
economy and in education, how does communication affect globalization?
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EXPLORE (DIVE IN!):

“Globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon which encompasses economic, social,
political, technological and cultural dimensions.” (Mir et al, 2014, p. 1). Globalization
has opened the door of diversities. One of which is cultural diversity.
Cultural diversity is a reality, may it be in school or in your future workplace. Hence, as
students and as future professionals, we have to know how to address the challenges
brought about by the diversity in culture. Read the attached article downloaded from
https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijmjmc/v4-i2/5.pdf (for OBL )/ read the article on your
OTG, module 1 folder article 3 file name (for CBL).

EXPLAIN (GET THE HANG OF IT!)

In transacting or communicating in a global setting, vital preparations must be done. One

of these preparations is having a general understanding of the differences in conducting
communication from one country to another or from one culture to another.
Communication has since been increasingly global, blurring national boundaries. The
ability to communicate effectively in a global setting can be a challenge.

Read the attached cultural relativism article downloaded from

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/society-and-culture/culture/a/cultural-rela
tivism-article (for OBL) or check your copy on your OTG, Module 1 folder, article 1 file name
(for CBL).

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To further illustrate cultural relativism, we can take one of the strategies suggested by Krizan
(2014) on how to become an effective communicator; that is, being open to an accepting
of other cultures. In employing openness to other people’s cultures, we should:
1. become self-aware - work out our own beliefs, values and personal biases;
2. do our own research;
3. interact with people from a different cultural background;
4. travel;
5. adapt ourselves to new environment;
6. avoid stereotyping; and
7. remember that everyone and every culture are unique.

You can read the whole article attached downloaded from (for OBL) or check your copy
on your OTG Module 1 folder, article 2 file name (for CBL).

ELABORATE (ON MY OWN NOW)

Watch the video the attached video (for OBL)/ open the video on your OTG Module 1
folder unit 2 second video file name (for CBL). Reflect on how globalization plays a major
role in understanding a culture and in preparation for the next unit, try to answer the
following questions:
1. Does the statement “Philippines is cheap” possibly miscommunicate a message?
How?
2. How is cultural relativism observed/ evident in the video?
EVALUATE: (GET TESTED!)
Watch the attached video(for OBL)/ open the video on your OTG Module 1folder unit 2
third video file name.
1. Study the speech in the video and reflect on the following questions:
a. What global issues have emerged because of miscommunication?
b. How can effective communication and language use contribute to the creation of
a truly global society?

The activity above will help you in the next task.

Remember the concepts you learned in this unit because you will need them in the next
unit.

UNIT 3: Local and Global Communication in Multicultural Settings

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At the end of this unit, you are able to:
1. apply culturally appropriate terms, expressions, and images;

2. apply concepts in cultural and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in

communicating ideas.

ENGAGE YOURSELF!

Living in a globalized world, we encounter people with diverse cultural backgrounds. Such
interactions occur in social, educational, political, and commercial settings. Intercultural
competence is essential for us to live harmoniously despite our differences in culture.

Let us find out your effectiveness in communicating or dealing with other people who
belong to different cultures through this simple self-assessment. This is a non-graded task.

Write T (True) if the item is true about you and write NT (Not True) if the item is not a
reflection of yourself. This activity was lifted from the Purposive Communication book by
Wakat et al (2018).
1. ______ I am interested in interacting with both people who are like me and different
from me.
2. ______ I am sensitive to the concerns of all minority and majority groups in our
multicultural country.
3. ______ I can sense when persons from other cultures seem not to understand me or
get confused by my actions.
4. ______ I have no fear communicating with persons from both minor and major
cultural groups.
5. ______ People from other cultures may get angry with my cultural affiliates.
6. ______ I deal with conflicts with people from other cultures depending on the
situation and their cultural background.
7. ______ My culture is not inferior to other cultures.
8. ______ I can manage my behavior when dealing with people of different cultures.
9. ______ I show respect to the diverse communication practices of other people.

How many true answers did you write? The more True answers that you give, the more
effective you are in your intercultural competence.

EXPLORE (DIVE IN!):

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In everyday life, local or abroad, we get to deal with people from different ethnic, cultural,
racial, or national backgrounds. What happens when different peoples meet?
*peoples = not the plural of people but al term to mean groups of people with different
ethnic or national backgrounds

Culture
-- a way of living
-- all knowledge and values shared by a group
-- a system of behaviour that helps us act in an accepted or familiar way
-- (Hofstede, 1991): the “software of the mind” –- mental programs that make us inclined to
patterns

* Hence, if we say we are of the same culture, we share the same norms, that which are
considered normal. However, what we consider normal in our group, whether ethnic or
national, can be strange to other cultures.

Cultural Diversity
- the existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups in a society (Oxford Languages)
- differences in a community such as race, ethnicity, age, ability, language, nationality,
socioeconomic status, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

Why do people from different cultures sometimes have misunderstandings or conflicts?

They can interpret the same thing differently. Some behaviors that are polite in one
culture can seem rude in another culture. Clothing that is very nice in one cultural context
can be entirely inappropriate in another. People from any two cultures should be able to
make the same observations about someone’s behavior or clothing, but their
interpretations of them could be very different. This is because they attach different cultural
meanings to what they observe.
Cultural meaning is symbolic. We do not see events and objects just for what they are; we
attach symbolic meaning to it. For example, instead of simply seeing clothing of a
particular color and style, we can interpret it to indicate that a person is a policeman or a
baker. These professionals’ uniforms have symbolic meaning to all who know how to
interpret them. Gestures and actions take on symbolic meaning when interpreted through
a cultural lens. Greetings, for example, vary widely from culture to culture. How should you
greet a particular person? Do you shake hands? Wave? Give a kiss on the cheek? Is a hug
appropriate? Do you bow? The rules vary widely around the world.

(excerpt from World learning, Intercultural Encounters)

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Anecdotes on Cultural Diversity
A. Between a British ( British usually like to engage in small talk even with strangers) and
a Norwegian (Norwegians mostly prefer to keep quiet or by themselves amongst strangers)
In a cafe in Oslo…
British visitor: “So you have lived all your life here in Oslo?”
Norwegian: “Not yet”.
B. Between British (culture: greets co-workers) and a French (culture: analytical/too
critical about things, strong tendency as faultfinder )
In the workplace, the British arrives…
British: “Good morning, Jean.”
Pierre (French): “Iz it?” (Is it?)
C. Trevoh (African-Swiss) goes to fetch his 10-year old half brother, Isaac (full-blooded
African).
Inside the car, while Isaac is putting on his seatbelt:
Isaac: “ Ah kids, Noah.. I can’t do this. Kids…”
Noah: “Why? What’s the matter?”
Isaac: “ My friend saw you and I told him you are my brother. Then he asked me how
come you are my brother. You are white. “
Noah: “Oh, so what did you tell him?”
Isaac: “I have to explain the way kids understand. So I said, ‘People are like chocolates.
Like you can have white chocolate; there is dark chocolate; or you can have milk
chocolate. But it is all Nestle”.

N.B. *A & B anecdotes are from Pellegrino Riccardi’s TED Talk

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyofREc5Jk ) on Cross-cultural Communications).
*Anecdote C is from Trevor Noah who is an African-Swiss comedian and anchor based in
the US (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTChXsrGZC4).

Intercultural Competence
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is "a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral
skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of
cultural contexts.” (Bennett, J. M. (2008).
Interculturally competent people will adjust their behavior according to the context they
find themselves in.

These cultural diversities are neutral elements, neither positive nor negative. It becomes a
source of conflict or misunderstanding largely because of people’s unacceptance of what
is different or not normal to their sets of systems they have been exposed to or lived in for
years. It takes intercultural competence in which an open mind is a major factor to
understand, adapt, and adjust well in this world with differences.

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EXPLAIN (GET THE HANG OF IT!)

Knowing has a big contribution in understanding that leads to better adjustment or

adaptation. Let us expound some of these cultural diversities in our society, be it local or
international.

Cultural Dimensions

1. According to the degree to which individuals perceive themselves as members of a

group
A- Individualistic culture: An action is done for the self. Those who belong in this culture
will be willing to sacrifice personal relationships if that is necessary for personal gain.
Because of this, relationships outside of their nuclear family are less important. Written
contracts in these societies are very important documents for defining relationships
between many people.

B- Collectivist culture: An action is done for the community or society.

In a collectivist society, your strongest identity is with the group you belong to. Your
individual identity is less important. This group may be your family, your work place, or your
national identity. If the group’s needs conflict with your individual needs, you will be
expected to sacrifice (give up) your individual needs for the group. In collectivist societies,
long-term relationships built on trust are very important.

2. According to Context:
C. low-context culture: uses direct speech or manner
D. high-context culture: uses indirect, subtle speech or manner

3. According to Chronemics, sense of time

E. monochromic culture : strict with time
F. polychromic culture: flexible with time

4. According to Uncertainty avoidance:

G. low-uncertainty avoidance culture: open to spontaneous decisions and gives
leeway
H. high-uncertainty avoidance culture: very organized so errors are not
acceptable; has many rules

5. According to Power distance

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I. low-power distance culture: Everybody is on equal footing.
J. high-power distance culture: There is hierarchy or ranking in power or status.

6. According to Gender:
K. masculine culture: Men are dominant or superior in the society over their females.
L. feminine culture: Women and men have different roles but are both valued equally.

7. According to performance/outcome
M. Short-term orientation culture: believes in immediate, fast outcomes or performance
N. long-term orientation culture: Outcomes or performance may take time.
* Items 1,4,5,6,7 are findings of Hofstede (1991)

Diversity is a natural occurrence in our society. However, it is not usually understood nor
accepted; thus, it creates unintentional offense, misunderstandings, or conflicts. One way
to understand diversity is through intercultural communication. Intercultural communication
is the sharing of ideas between/ among people from different backgrounds or cultures
(Allwoo, 2004; Croucher, 2015; Jandt, 1998)

Improving Intercultural Communication Competence

The following guidelines may help enhance our ability to communicate effectively across
cultures:

*By Trompenaars & Woolliams, 2004: The 4Rs of Applying Transcultural Competence

1. Recognition: The first step is recognizing what the cultural dilemma may be primary in a
situation.
2. Respect: The second step is respecting that there is a dilemma and that both sides of
the dilemma have cultural legitimacy.
3. Reconciliation: The third is reconciling the dilemma through coming to some sort of
agreement that honors all sides. It is looking at a win-win scenario and not a win-lose one.
4. Realization: Finally, the fourth is bringing into realization the needed change to sustain a
reconciled solution.

*By Gamble & Gamble, 2008).

1. Recognize the validity and differences of communication styles among people.
2. Learn to eliminate personal biases and prejudices.
3. Strive to acquire communication skills necessary in a multicultural world.

* By Pellegrino Riccardi, TED talk speaker suggests:

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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyofREc5Jk

1. Make the effort to learn about the new culture.

- - At first Mr. Riccardi got annoyed with Pierre, his French co-worker who likes to complain
a lot and too critical about things. But upon learning that French people like to complain
to improve state of things, he sees Pierre in a more positive light.
-- He also learned that Norwegian language likes brevity.
British Norwegian
● Excuse me, may I just interrupt for for a second? Du?
● Sorry for bumping into you like that…terribly clumsy of me. Oi!
● Sorry, I didn’t quite catch what you just said. Haa!

2. Focus on the positive or the best traits of the culture different from your own.
*By Foster (1992) recommends the following:
-- Focus on “the value of a global mind-set over a global miscellany.”
-- He suggests that the “more you understand about the history, art, music, literature,
politics, economics, religion, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and mythology of a
people, the more likely you will be to succeed in communicating with them.”
-- “It is best to begin by understanding the one culture we can truly master, our own, and
becoming aware of the ways it affects the process of working with others…” (Foster, 1992).
-- “… our first priority needs to be the development of a larger, deeper, and more
empathic approach to doing business with other cultures.” He used an analogy “no one
can know everything about someone else’s culture, just as you cannot gather every fish in
the sea;” rather, it “is more like a journey”.

“Human beings draw close to one another by their common nature, but habits and
customs keep them apart.” (Confucius)

Amidst these differences, the blatant fact is that we have more commonalities than
differences. We can start in acquiring intercultural competence by focusing on these
commonalities.

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination” (Nelson Mandela)

ELABORATE (ON MY OWN NOW)

You have learned how cultural and global issues affect communication and you now have
a good idea of the cultural diversity you may encounter in your workplace, here in the
Philippines and much more abroad.

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 Your task now is to identify a place (local- any place in the Philippines or
international- any country) where graduates of your program are mostly employed. As a
newly hired employee, you need to know about the cultural modes of the place. Research
3 cultural modes to be used in the next task. Remember to copy your references.

EVALUATE: (GET TESTED!)

TASK 1
Using your output above, create a 2-minute informative video focusing on the
cultural communication modes of your identified place. You may do it thru advertisement,
news etc… You may record using your smartphone. Use English as your language. Save
your recording on the flash drive (CBL)/ upload your output on the Google classroom
(OBL).
Criteria:
Content- cultural modes are well-researched and informative (20 pts)
Organization – cultural modes are clearly presented and interwoven (10 pts)
Technicalities – informative content being delivered is audible/ video shots are clear (5
pts).MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE A VIDEO OF YOURSELF IN THE INTRODUCTION AND THE
CONCLUSION PART.ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR CAMERA TO HAVE GREAT EYE CONTACT IN
YOUR VIDEO.

ASSIGNMENT GUIDE

 TASK 1

UNIT 3: CULTURAL COMMUNICATION MODES

I. Output

 2-minute informative video or audio

II. Rationale

        In the near future, you may be employed in a place in our country whose
culture is somewhat different from yours. In this activity, you will get an experience
of such cultures, specifically on distinct communication modes that may help you
adapt easily and communicate effectively with the people in a certain place. This
activity will also increase your intercultural awareness as you get to encounter other
cultures.

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III. Materials

Video camera or cell phones or any recording device

IV. Specific Guidelines

After doing the task in the Elaborate part of this unit:

1. create a 2-minute informative video focusing on the cultural communication

modes of your identified place
2. you may do it through advertisement, news etc… (BE CREATIVE)
3. you may record using your smartphone
4. use English as your language. 

MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE A VIDEO OF YOURSELF IN THE INTRODUCTION AND THE
CONCLUSION PART.ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR CAMERA TO HAVE GREAT EYE CONTACT IN
YOUR VIDEO.

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