“ INTERCULTURAL

COMMUNICATION ”
 DEFINITION AND NATURE OF
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Intercultural communication -pertains

to communication among people from
different nationalities
 DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL
SENSITIVTY
Stage 1: DENIAL – the individual does not recognize culture differences.
An individual in the denial stage might be heard saying:
“ALL CITIES ARE THE SAME; THEY ALL HAVE TALL BUILDINGS, FAST FOOD CHAINS, AND COFFEE
SHOPS.”

Stage 2: Defense – starts to recognize culture differences

And is intimidated by them resulting in either a superior
View on own culture or unjustified high regard for the new one.
“This culture does not view life the way we do, our culture is certainly better”
“Their ways are better than my own, I wish I were one
of them.”
 DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL
SENSITIVTY

Stage 3: MINIMIZATION – they bank more on the universality of ideas

rather than on cultural differences.
An individual in the minimization stage might be heard saying.
“ Once we see through the cultural differences, we really are just the same. ”
Stage 4: Acceptance – appreciate important cultural differences in behavior and
eventually in values.
“ These people and I have different values and experiences , and I think we
can learn from one another”
 DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL
SENSITIVTY

Stage 5: ADAPTATION –very open to world views when accepting new

perspectives.
An individual in the Adaptation stage might be heard saying.
“To address our issue, I have to adjust my approach to consider both
my own and my counterpart’s background”
Stage 6: Integration – go beyond their own cultures and see themselves
and their actions based on multifarious cultural viewpoints.
“ I can look at things from the perspective of various cultures”
 DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL
SENSITIVTY

Acculturation is a process in which an individual

adopts, acquires and adjusts to a new cultural
environment.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPETENT INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATORS
1. Flexibility and the ability to tolerate high levels of
uncertainty
2. Reflectiveness or mindful
3. Open-mindedness
4. Sensitivity
5. Adaptability
6. Ability to engage in divergent thinking( creative thinking)
and system level thinking (thinking how each one in a
system, or organization influences each other)
7. politeness