The chapter focuses on communication and globalization.

The student will assess

themselves in terms of their preparedness to communicate accross cultures. They will be
expected to make a reaction paper and/or discussion forum on the impact of globalization on
how people communicate, and vise-versa.

LESSON OUTCOMES:

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Explain how cultural and global issues affect communication; and
2. Give the impact of communication on society and the world by writing a reaction paper.

LESSON 1: Preparing to Communicate Across Cultures

Pre-Assessment:
Assess your personal preparedness to communicate effectively with persons of different
cultures by labeling each of the following statements as true or false.
_______1. I enjoy communicating with persons unlike me as much as with persons like me.
_______2. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups in our multicultural society.
_______3. I can tell when persons from other cultures do not understand me or are confused
by my actions.
_______4. I do not fear interacting with persons from minority groups any more than I fear
interacting with persons from the dominant culture.
_______5. Persons from other cultures have a right to be angry at members of my culture.
_______6. Persons from other cultures who don’t actively participate in a conversation,
dialogue, or debate with others may act that way because of their culture’s rules.
_______7. How I handle disagreements with persons from other cultures depends on the
situation and the culture(s) they are from.
_______8. My culture is not superior to other cultures.
_______9. I am knowledgeable of how to behave with persons of different cultures.
_______10. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own.

The greater the number of statements you labeled true, the more prepared you are to
enrich your communication arena by welcoming people from different cultures into it. Virtually
every day, we find ourselves in situations that require us to communicate with persons
culturally different from ourselves (Gudykunst, 1998). Whether we are aware of it or not,
culture influences communication. According to researchers, the effectiveness of the United
States in the global arena depends on our ability to communicate competently with people
from other cultures (Chen & Starosta, 1997).
LESSON 2: The Cost of Cultural Ignorance

Cultural misunderstandings often lead to lost opportunities and increased levels of

tension between people. Communicators who fail to realize that persons from different
cultures may not look, think, or act as they themselves do run the risk of having those with
whom they interact judge them to be insensitive, ignorant, or culturally confused. The culturally
confused pay a high price. The following examples demonstrate the extent to which cultural
ignorance affects communication:

 Showing the sole of a shoe means nothing to observers in the United States or Europe.
As a result, when visiting Saudi Arabia, the American and European delegates to a
conference thought nothing about crossing their legs and pointing their shoes toward
the speaker while listening to his presentation. The speaker, however, was horrified. In
Muslim cultures, the gesture is perceived as insulting (Samover & Porter, 1991).
Similarly, while crossing your legs in the United States indicates you are relaxed, in
Korea it is a social faux pas.

 John, who represented the interests of an American multinational corporation, and Yu-
Chen, his Taiwanese counterpart, had difficulty establishing a working relationship.
John’s eyeblink rate increased as he became more and more nervous, fearing that his
efforts to resolve their misunderstanding had reached an impasse. This only made
things worse. Blinking while another person talks is considered normal to North
Americans; to Taiwanese it is considered impolite (Gudykunst, 2004)

 McDonald’s fast-food chain unintentionally offended thousands of Muslims when it

printed an excerpt from the Koran on its throwaway hamburger bags (The Record, June
8, 1994). Muslims saw this as sacrilegious. The mistake could have been avoided if
McDonald’s had displayed greater sensitivity and awareness.

 The Japanese view the business card as an extension of a person, while Americans view
it as a business formality and a convenience. Consequently, while the Japanese handle
business cards with great care, making certain to put them in safe places. Americans
are quick to put them away and thus often end up insulting the Japanese (Griswold,
1994).

 Arabs typically adopt a direct body orientation when communicating. Americans

employ a stance that is somewhat less direct and thus often find the communication of
Arabs aggressive and unnerving. Arabs and South Americans also tend to gesture
vigorously when speaking to others, causing the less physical Americans to construe
their behavior as inappropriate and unmannerly. It is common in Middle Eastern
cultures for both males and females to physically exaggerate responses, while in the
 United States emotions are more likely to be suppressed. In Japan, individuals may try
to hide or mask certain emotions. It is common among Asian cultures to exhibit reserve
and emotional restraint. In Japan, the word for “different” is the same as the word for
“wrong.” Compare and contrast a culture in which the goal is to become as much like
others as possible with a culture in which the goal is to distinguish oneself from others.
Which cultural attitude are you most comfortable with? Culturally confused lacking an
understanding of cultural difference Describe a cultural misunderstanding in which you
or someone you know was involved. Was it resolved? How do you adapt when in the
company of people who are more at home with an alternative cultural convention?

 Eye contact preferences also differ across cultures. Americans place a high value on
eye-to-eye communication and tend to distrust those who fail to look at them directly.
The Japanese, in contrast, believe eye contact over a sustained period of time shows
disrespect. Among Asian cultures, too much eye contact is deemed intrusive. Arabs, on
the other hand, maintain direct eye contact with those they interact with for prolonged
periods.

 Americans tend to value personal achievement and individualism. In contrast, Asian

and Native American cultures stress group cohesion and loyalty, placing greater
emphasis on group rather than individual achievement. Failing to develop insights into
cultural nuances and differences can be costly. Recognizing and responding to
differences among cultures allows for more meaningful relationships. At the same time,
we need to be mindful that not everyone from a particular culture exhibits the same
characteristics and communication traits.

Source: novellaqalive2.mhhe.com/sites/dl/free/0073534226/363131/gam34226_ch02.pdf
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Accommodation – It is the means by which co-culture members maintain their cultural identity
while striving to establish relationships with members of the dominant culture.

Assimilation – It is the means by which co-culture members attempt to fit in with members of
the dominant culture.

Co-cultures – It refers to group of people who differ in some ethnic or sociological way from the
parent culture.

Collectivistic Cultures – It refers to cultures in which group goals are stressed.

Cultural Imperialism – It is the expansion of dominion of one culture over another culture.

Cultural Pluralism – It is the adherence to the principle of cultural relativism.

Cultural Relativism – It refers to the acceptance of other cultural groups as equal in value to
one's own.

Culturally Confused – It refers to the lacking an understanding of cultural difference.

Culture – It is a system of knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that are
acquired, shared, and used by members during daily living.

Diversity – It refers to the recognition and valuing of difference such factors as age, gender,
race, ethnicity, ability, religion, education, marital status, sexual orientation and income.

Ethnocentrism – It is the tendency to see one's own culture as superior to all others.

Globalization – It refers to the increasing economic, political, and cultural integration and
interdependence of diverse cultures.

High-context Communication – It is a tradition-bound communication system which depends

on indirectness.

High-power-distance Cultures – It pertains to the cultures based on power differences in which

subordinates defer to superiors.

Individualistic Cultures - It pertains to the cultures in which individual goals are stressed.
Intercultural Communication – It is the way of interpreting and sharing meanings with
individuals from different cultures.

Interethnic Communication – It refers to the interaction with individuals of different ethnic

origins.

International Communication. It refers to the communication between persons representing

different nations.

Intracultural Communication. It refers to the interaction with members of the same racial or
ethnic group or co-culture as yours.

Interracial Communication - It is the way of interpreting and sharing of meanings with

individuals from different races.

Low-context Communication – It is a system that encourages directness in communication.

Low-power-distance Cultures – It pertains to the cultures that believe that power should be
used only when legitimate.

Masculine Cultures - It pertains to the cultures that value aggressiveness, strength, and
material symbols of success.

Melting-pot Philosophy – It is the view that different cultures should be assimilated into the
dominant culture.

Multiculturalism – It refers to the engagement with and respect toward people from distinctly
different cultures.

Prejudice – It is a positive or negative prejudgment.

Separation – It is the means co-culture members use to resist interacting with members of the
dominant culture.

(https://quizlet.com/71457709/chapter-2-communicating-in-a-multicultural-society-and-
world-flash-cards/)
 The Flight from Conversation
SHERRY TURKLE, APRIL 21, 2012

We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we

have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.

At home, families sit together, texting and reading e-mail. At work, executive text
during board meetings. We text (and shop and go on Facebook) during classes and when we’re
on dates. My students tell me about an important new skill: it involves maintaining eye contact
with someone while you text someone else; it’s hard, but it can be done.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve studied technologies of mobile connection and talked to
hundreds of people of all ages and circumstances about their plugged-in lives. I’ve learned that
the little devices most of us carry around are so powerful that they change not only what we
do, but also who we are.

We’ve become accustomed to a new way of being “alone together.” Technology-

enabled, we are able to be with one another, and also elsewhere, connected to wherever we
want to be. We want to customize our lives. We want to move in and out of where we are
because the thing we value most is control over where we focus our attention. We have gotten
used to the idea of being in a tribe of one, loyal to our own party.

Our colleagues want to go to that board meeting but pay attention only to what
interests them. To some this seems like a good idea, but we can end up hiding from one
another, even as we are constantly connected to one another.

A businessman laments that he no longer has colleagues at work. He doesn’t stop by to

talk; he doesn’t call. He says that he doesn’t want to interrupt them. He says they’re “too busy
on their e-mail.” But then he pauses and corrects himself. “I’m not telling the truth. I’m the one
who doesn’t want to be interrupted. I think I should. But I’d rather just do things on my
BlackBerry.”

A 16-year-old boy who relies on texting for almost everything says almost wistfully,
“Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation.”

In today’s workplace, young people who have grown up fearing conversation show up
on the job wearing earphones. Walking through a college library or the campus of a high-tech
start-up, one sees the same thing: we are together, but each of us is in our own bubble,
furiously connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens. A senior partner at a Boston law firm
describes a scene in his office. Young associates lay out their suite of technologies: laptops,
iPods and multiple phones. And then they put their earphones on. “Big ones. Like pilots. They
turn their desks into cockpits.” With the young lawyers in their cockpits, the office is quiet, a
quiet that does not ask to be broken.

In the silence of connection, people are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people
— carefully kept at bay. We can’t get enough of one another if we can use technology to keep
one another at distances we can control: not too close, not too far, just right. I think of it as a
Goldilocks effect.

Texting and e-mail and posting let us present the self we want to be. This means we can
edit. And if we wish to, we can delete. Or retouch: the voice, the flesh, the face, the body. Not
too much, not too little — just right.

Human relationships are rich; they’re messy and demanding. We have learned the habit
of cleaning them up with technology. And the move from conversation to connection is part of
this. But it’s a process in which we shortchange ourselves. Worse, it seems that over time we
stop caring, we forget that there is a difference.

We are tempted to think that our little “sips” of online connection add up to a big gulp
of real conversation. But they don’t. E-mail, Twitter, Facebook, all of these have their places —
in politics, commerce, romance and friendship. But no matter how valuable, they do not
substitute for conversation.

Connecting in sips may work for gathering discrete bits of information or for saying, “I
am thinking about you.” Or even for saying, “I love you.” But connecting in sips doesn’t work as
well when it comes to understanding and knowing one another. In conversation we tend to one
another. (The word itself is kinetic; it’s derived from words that mean to move, together.) We
can attend to tone and nuance. In conversation, we are called upon to see things from
another’s point of view.

FACE-TO-FACE conversation unfolds slowly. It teaches patience. When we communicate

on our digital devices, we learn different habits. As we ramp up the volume and velocity of
online connections, we start to expect faster answers. To get these, we ask one another simpler
questions; we dumb down our communications, even on the most important matters. It is as
though we have all put ourselves on cable news. Shakespeare might have said, “We are
consum’d with that which we were nourish’d by.”

And we use conversation with others to learn to converse with ourselves. So our flight
from conversation can mean diminished chances to learn skills of self-reflection. These days,
social media continually asks us what’s “on our mind,” but we have little motivation to say
something truly self-reflective. Self-reflection in conversation requires trust. It’s hard to do
anything with 3,000 Facebook friends except connect.

As we get used to being shortchanged on conversation and to getting by with less, we

seem almost willing to dispense with people altogether. Serious people muse about the future
of computer programs as psychiatrists. A high school sophomore confides to me that he wishes
he could talk to an artificial intelligence program instead of his dad about dating; he says the
A.I. would have so much more in its database. Indeed, many people tell me they hope that as
Siri, the digital assistant on Apple’s iPhone, becomes more advanced, “she” will be more and
more like a best friend — one who will listen when others won’t.

During the years I have spent researching people and their relationships with
technology, I have often heard the sentiment “No one is listening to me.” I believe this feeling
helps explain why it is so appealing to have a Facebook page or a Twitter feed — each provides
so many automatic listeners. And it helps explain why — against all reason — so many of us are
willing to talk to machines that seem to care about us. Researchers around the world are busy
inventing sociable robots, designed to be companions to the elderly, to children, to all of us.

One of the most haunting experiences during my research came when I brought one of
these robots, designed in the shape of a baby seal, to an elder-care facility, and an older woman
began to talk to it about the loss of her child. The robot seemed to be looking into her eyes. It
seemed to be following the conversation. The woman was comforted.

And so many people found this amazing. Like the sophomore who wants advice about
dating from artificial intelligence and those who look forward to computer psychiatry, this
enthusiasm speaks to how much we have confused conversation with connection and
collectively seem to have embraced a new kind of delusion that accepts the simulation of
compassion as sufficient unto the day. And why would we want to talk about love and loss with
a machine that has no experience of the arc of human life? Have we so lost confidence that we
will be there for one another?

We expect more from technology and less from one another and seem increasingly
drawn to technologies that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of
relationship. Always-on/always-on-you devices provide three powerful fantasies: that we will
always be heard; that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be; and that we never
have to be alone. Indeed, our new devices have turned being alone into a problem that can be
solved.

When people are alone, even for a few moments, they fidget and reach for a device.
Here connection works like a symptom, not a cure, and our constant, reflexive impulse to
connect shapes a new way of being.

Think of it as “I share, therefore I am.” We use technology to define ourselves by sharing

our thoughts and feelings as we’re having them. We used to think, “I have a feeling; I want to
make a call.” Now our impulse is, “I want to have a feeling; I need to send a text.”

So, in order to feel more, and to feel more like ourselves, we connect. But in our rush to
connect, we flee from solitude, our ability to be separate and gather ourselves. Lacking the
capacity for solitude, we turn to other people but don’t experience them as they are. It is as
though we use them, need them as spare parts to support our increasingly fragile selves.
 We think constant connection will make us feel less lonely. The opposite is true. If we
are unable to be alone, we are far more likely to be lonely. If we don’t teach our children to be
alone, they will know only how to be lonely.

I am a partisan for conversation. To make room for it, I see some first, deliberate steps.
At home, we can create sacred spaces: the kitchen, the dining room. We can make our cars
“device-free zones.” We can demonstrate the value of conversation to our children. And we can
do the same thing at work. There we are so busy communicating that we often don’t have time
to talk to one another about what really matters. Employees asked for casual Fridays; perhaps
managers should introduce conversational Thursdays. Most of all, we need to remember — in
between texts and e-mails and Facebook posts — to listen to one another, even to the boring
bits, because it is often in unedited moments, moments in which we hesitate and stutter and go
silent, that we reveal ourselves to one another.

I spend the summers at a cottage on Cape Cod, and for decades I walked the same
dunes that Thoreau once walked. Not too long ago, people walked with their heads up, looking
at the water, the sky, the sand and at one another, talking. Now they often walk with their
heads down, typing. Even when they are with friends, partners, children, everyone is on their
own devices.

So I say, look up, look at one another, and let’s start the conversation.

Source: Article “Flight from Conversation”

http://www/nytimes.com/2012/04/22opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?_r=0
LESSON 3: Writing a Reaction Paper
 A reaction paper is an analysis and an evaluation of the material presented.

A reaction paper should:

 make sure to give a detailed overview of the experience and tell what exactly
was taken out of the experience.
 be more than a simple summary of the material that you are reacting upon.
 include your opinion or reaction to the material.

This may take on a variety of forms:

 You may compare the work to other related material;
 You may come up with ways to improve the work;
 You may express what you learned;
 You may concur with the work or argue against the work

You can even use “I” or the first person, in this type of paper.

Guidelines in Writing a Reaction Paper

Consider these general steps as you plan your writing:

 Pull your thoughts together on what you just experienced.
 Come up with a thesis statement.
 Come up with what reaction you want to put down on paper.
 Decide on your organization and format draft your reaction paper.

As a starting point for your reaction paper, select two or three major points from the
following list and write a paragraph for each point.

 React to the ideas presented.

o Are they clear and suitable? Explain the ideas, give examples of their application
in the material presented, and compare/contrast the ideas with your own.

 Compare it to another material.

o How was it similar to the other material? How was it different? Which did you
enjoy more? What makes it more enjoyable? Which did you learn more from?

 Discuss specific insights or facts you have learned or gained from reading the material
presented.
 o Discuss each insight or fact you have learned in a detailed paragraph, using
direct examples from the material presented. Include a page reference to the
material you are reacting to.

 Make a judgment about the material presented and support it.

o Did you like it? Why or why not? Elaborate on your answer by commenting on
the content, style, clarity, validity of ideas and method of presentation.

 Analyzed the material presented.

o What is its purpose? How does it go about achieving its goal? What is the
plan/method of presentation?

 Tell what others might gain from the material presented.

o Is it valuable? Is it informative, entertaining, or accurate? Do you think your
instructor should use it again? Why or why not?

In your conclusion, summarize your ideas and tie them together.

Writing a Reaction or Response Essay

Reaction or response papers are usually requested by teachers so that you willl consider
carefully what you think or feel about something you have read. The following guidelines are
intended to be used for reacting to a reading although they could easily be used for reactions to
films too. Read whatever you've been asked to respond to, and while reading, think about the
following questions.

 How do you feel about what you are reading?

 What do you agree or disagree with?
 Can you identify with the situation?
 What would be the best way to evaluate the story?

Keeping your responses to these questions in mind, follow the following prewriting steps.

Prewriting for Your Reaction Paper

The following statements could be used in a reaction/response paper. Complete as

many statements as possible, from the list below, about what you just read.

My Reaction to What I Just Read Is That . . .

 I think that; I see that; I feel that; It seems that; In my opinion; Because; A good quote is;
In addition; For example; Moreover; However; Consequently; Finally; In conclusion.

What you've done in completing these statements is written a very rough

reaction/response paper. Now it needs to be organized.

Organizing Your Reaction Paper

A reaction/response paper has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

 The introduction should contain all the basic information in one or two paragraphs.

This sentence should give the title,

Sentence 1:
author, and publication you read.

Sentence 2, 3, and These sentences give a brief summary of what you

sometimes 4: read (nutshell)

This sentence is your thesis statement. You agree, disagree,

Sentence 5:
identify, or evaluate.

 The introduction should include a concise, one sentence, focused thesis. This is the
focused statement of your reaction/response.
 The body should contain paragraphs that provide support for your thesis. Each
paragraph should contain one idea. Topic sentences should support the thesis, and the
final sentence of each paragraph should lead into the next paragraph.

Topic Sentence

detail -- example --quotation --detail -- example -- quotation -- detail -- example --

quotation -- detail -- example –quotation

Summary Sentence

 You can structure your paragraphs in two ways:

Author

You

OR
 Author

in contrast to

You

 The conclusion can be a restatement of what you said in your paper. It also be a comment
which focuses your overall reaction. Finally, it can be a prediction of the effects of what you are
reacting to. Note: your conclusion should include no new information.

Strategies for Writing a Conclusion

Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an essay to write, and many writers feel
that they have nothing left to say after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind
that the conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best
part of your paper.

A conclusion should
 stress the importance of the thesis statement,
 give the essay a sense of completeness, and
 leave a final impression on the reader.

Suggestions
 Answer the question "So What?"
o Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper
was meaningful and useful.

 Synthesize, don't summarize

o Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show
them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were
not random, but fit together.

 Redirect your readers

o Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in
the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your
conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

 Create a new meaning

 o You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By
demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture.
Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

Strategies

 Echoing the introduction: Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant
to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the
same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.
Example

Introduction

From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing
stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher.
From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main
Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so
charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for
children, but it brings out the child in adults.

Conclusion

I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing
time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I
could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they
could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take
us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I
would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think
that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.

 Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to
redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives.

Example

Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting
experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the
routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free
and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.
  Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your
paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new
information to their lives or see things more globally.

Example

Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If
higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will
not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best
qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.

 Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your
readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before
reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new
meaning.

Example

Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and

positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing
candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-
fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate
or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and
soap?

Summary

In summary, this handout has covered prewriting and organizing strategies for
reaction/response papers.

 Prewriting
o Read the article and jot down ideas.
o How do you feel about what was said?
o Do you agree or disagree with the author?
o Have you had any applicable experience?
o Have you read or heard anything that applies to this what the writer said in the
article or book?
o Does the evidence in the article support the statements the writer made?

 Organizing
o Write the thesis statement first.
o Decide on the key points that will focus your ideas. These will be your topic
sentences.
 o Develop your ideas by adding examples, quotations, and details to your
paragraphs.
o Make sure the last sentence of each paragraph leads into the next paragraph.
o Check your thesis and make sure the topic sentence of each paragraph supports
it.

Source: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html