Intercultural Communication: Local and Global Communication on a

Multicultural Setting.
Intercultural Communication is the sending and receiving of messages across languages and culture. It is also
a negotiated understanding of meaning in human experiences across social systems and languages.

A subculture is a smaller group within a larger culture that shares language or behavioral patterns that are
different from the larger group

Why is communication across cultures considered challenging?

• According to Science, each person is genetically unique.

• Humans are formed by forces other than genetics:
Ø family background, religious affiliations, educational achievements, socio-cultural forces, economic
conditions, emotional states and other factors that shape human identities.

How does culture complicate communication?

Culture encompasses the social norms and behaviors of a particular society or group, and those norms and
behaviors vary greatly across peoples and countries.
Cultural diversity makes communication difficult as the mindset of people of different cultures are different,
the language, signs and symbols are also different. (i.e. use of nonverbal cues which are culture-specific).

One of the most descriptive, and perhaps most accurate, concepts of culture uses an iceberg to illustrate the
components of culture that are obvious and those that are hidden, offering a clear illustration of just how
complicated culture can be to interpret and understand.
Clothing
Food
Language

What are other reasons why communicating across cultures is considered challenging?
– Lack of awareness of our own cultural biases
What are some cultural biases/stereotypes that we have towards other cultures?
Ilocano – kuripot
Kapampangan – mayabang
Boys – don’t cry
Girls – fickle-minded

Communicating Across Cultures

• High Context vs Low Context
• Sequential vs Synchronic
• Affective vs Neutral

High-context vs. Low-context Cultures

To further understand the nuances of cultural diversity, it is important to know the differences between ”high-
context” and ”low-context” cultures.

Ø Context refers to the information that surrounds an event and is tied up with that event’s ultimate meaning
(Nishimura, Nevgi & Tella, 2017).

• High-context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal communication, using elements such as closeness of their
relationships, strict social hierarchies and deep cultural knowledge to convey meaning.

• Low context cultures depend largely on words. Communication tends to be more direct, relationships tend
to begin and end quickly (ouch), and hierarchies are more relaxed.

* Note: No culture is “better” than the other. Communication styles simply convey differences rather than
superiority.
Sequential vs Synchronic Cultures

• Some cultures think of time sequentially - as a line with one event occurring after another. Time is also seen
as a commodity that can be bought and sold or to "spend," "save," or "waste”. This ‘time is money’ attitude
means that people feel that being on time is very important as it shows politeness and respect.

• In synchronic cultures (including South America, southern Europe and Asia) the flow of time is viewed as
circular – with the past, present, and future all inter-related. People will approach tasks in a much more open
way and not be as beholden to deadlines and timeframes.

Affective vs Neutral Cultures

Reason and emotion are part of all human communication but different cultures show them in different ways.
When expressing ourselves, we look to others for understanding of our ideas and feelings. Affective or neutral
context describes how cultures express their emotions.
• People in neutral cultures do not show their feelings, but keep them carefully controlled.
• In cultures with high affect, people show their feelings easily by laughing, smiling, scowling - and sometimes
even crying, shouting, or walking out of the room.

What are the factors that may affect communication?

- Diversity of people and cultures - Lack of language proficiency

If cultures and people diversity impact communication, how then should we approach intercultural
communication?
• In reality, no culture is right or wrong, better or worsejust different.
• The key to cross-cultural success is to develop an understanding of, and a deep respect for, the difference.