CULTURAL ISSUES IN

VERBAL AND
NONVERBAL
FACULTY
COMMUNICATION
PRESENTERS
SWATHI.C
Dr. BRAJESH PRIYADARSHI SWATHI.S.SANJEEVAN
 Table of Contents
1.

Introduction 2. 3. 4.
Terminologies
Culture and
Communication Conclusion
1. Introduction
Why need of intercultural communication?

- Globalizing forces, internationalization, transportations

and technological advances, changing demographics and
conflict situations
 Terminologies to know !!
Culture:
● It can be defined as any group of people who share a common history
and a set of relatively common behaviours and communication
patterns.
● Similar ethnic, racial and social class memberships create cultural
groupings.
Ethnicity: Ethnicity is based upon one’s ancestry, religion, or
nationality.
Race: Race refers to physical classification of humankind. A racial
group is characterised by combination of physical characteristics.
Social class relationship: It depends upon the socio economic
factors such as one’s income, education and employment.
“Culture is passed from one
generation to the next
through communication, not
through genes”.
 2.

Culture and
Communication
“

COMMUNICATION

“Communication is message exchange between two or

more people” (Guirdham ,2011)
“Culture is communication and communication is culture”
(Hall 1959,)
 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

“It refers to the exchange of information (verbally or

nonverbally) between members of different cultural
populations”

(Berry et.al 2011:471)

 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION:

“It is a form of communication that involves a small

number of individuals who are interacting
exclusively with one another and who therefore
have an ability both to adapt their messages and
obtain immediate interpretation from them”
Lustig & Koester 2010:19
CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION VS
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Cross-cultural communication
compares native discourse across
cultures (for example,
management meetings of
Japanese and those of
Americans). (i.e) comparison of
communication behaviours and
patterns in two or more cultures
Bargiela-Chiappini and Harris 1997; Lustig and Koester 2009
Intercultural communication
involves an investigation of
interpersonal interaction
between individuals
(groups) fom diverse
linguistic and cultural
background. (i.e) interaction
between people from diff
cultures
INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
ISSUES
WHY?
 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ISSUES
WHY?

Speakers from different culture Differences in thoughts

Misunderstanding
 The major cause

Differences in communicative
It is not the lack of language, but the behaviour.
lack of knowledge about the other's
Allwood(1985)
culture

Ethnocentrism, socio-political problems

and unwarranted beliefs of universality

Lim (2003)
 Verbal
Communication
Communication
Types of

Non verbal
communication
 Verbal Communication
And its Issues

● It is the use of words to convey a message.

● It is composed of sounds, word and language which has a
direct relationship with culture.
● Forms of verbal communication: Written communication
( Letters, Texting, Emailing) & Oral communication (Face-
to-face conversations, Speech, Radio)
 Types of Verbal
Communication

Spoken Written
Communication Communication

Private Office
Private Public
correspondence correspondence
 Greek word “ethnos” -
Ethnocentrism Nation or people
and “Kerton”-Center

Sociologist William.G. Sumner (1911)

“Ethnocentrism as the statement of cohesion, internal

comradeship,and devotion to the ingroup, which carries
with it a sense of superiority to any out-group and
readiness to defend the interests of the ingroup against
the out -group”
 Impact of Ethnocentrism on Communication

Make comments that

It impacts the way
disparage their interlocutors
in which the people
and other individuals who
communicate with
2 they perceive from a lesser
others.
group or category.
 “A strong tendency to
Stereotyping and characterize people from other
Generalization cultural backgrounds unfairly,
collectively and usually negatively”

A generalization is a statement about common trends

within a group, but with the recognition that further
information is needed to ascertain whether the
generalization applies to a particular person.(Galanti
2000;335)
Dervin (2012), Lead us to believe that a commonly - held belief is
01 actually true , when its is a fact or not.
samovar et.al (2010)

1. May compel ones to accept the previous perspectives

02 that reflect on a conversation if we meet an individual ,
ignore new info
we assume that all members of the group possess the same
characteristics and we fail to acknowledge the individual
03 variations.

Lead to use of language that diminished the worth of

04 individuals perpetuates overgeneralization and leads to
inequality.
Devalues individuals or groups
05
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 Ignorance and fear often
root of prejudice.

Samovar et.al (2010), noted that prejudice

may be expressed overtly or indirectly
ways.
For eg:while individuals may be
prejudiced towards a particular person/
group they may not act on their beliefs and
negative attitudes. Instead of actively
discriminating against outgroup members
Discrimination:
“Expression of Prejudice” (samovar et.al 2006). It refers to the
prejudicial or unequal treatment of certain individuals based on
their membership, or perceived membership of a particular
category.

Discriminatory language:

It may take many forms ( eg, derogatory labels,

offensive terms, stereotypes, trivializing language).
People who are different from ourselves may be
labelled in a pejorative way, largely ignored or
verbally referred in a demeaning way , which may
hurt the group of individuals that are targeted.

Racism
It is a contested term that
has no defensible biological
basis rather it is a social
construct that historically
has privileged people in
positions of power.
Racist discourse and
behaviours
Racist may convey their hatred in
their speech (oral/ written) as well
as their nonverbal behaviours .
Wetherell and porter 1992:70)
define racist discourse as
“discourse which has the effect of
categorizing, allocating and
discriminating between certain
groups
Xenophobia:
Xenophobia is a severe aversion to or irrational fear of
foreigners or strangers, that is basically anyone who is
different from oneself or one’s group in terms of culture,
language, politics.
Xenophobia is dangerous as it has potential to spawn
hostile and violent reactions.
 Linguistic Style:

“Individual characteristic speaking pattern”,(Tannen 1995)

He also noted that linguistic style is a set of culturally

learned signals by which we not only communicate what we
meant but also interpret others(tanner 1995:139)
Styles

Communication Style:
Sapphire et..al (2005) Communication style as the way
in which we communicate, a pattern of verbal and non
verbal behaviours that comprises our preferred ways of
giving and receiving information in a specific situation.
 Nonverbal Communication

“ Those actions and attributes that have socially

shared meaning, are intentionally sent or interpreted
as intentional, are consciously sent or consciously
received, and have the potential for feedback from
the receiver.”
( Burgoon, Boller & Woodall, 1988, as cited in
Jackson,2014).
Types of nonverbal communication and its Issues

Paralanguage ( Vocalics)
Kinesics (Body language)
Oculesics (eye contact or movement )
Haptics (Touch)
Olfactics (smell)
Physical appearance and artifacts
Chronemics (Time)
 Paralanguage
● In some cultures
Paralanguage speaking loudly indicates
concerned with the sincerity, whereas in
study of vocal cues others it is interpreted as
which is the non aggressive.
phonemic qualities of ● The use and perception
language that convey of the meaning of the
meaning in verbal silence are influenced by
communication. culture.
(Moore et al 2010).
 Kinesics
It includes study of body
movements (body language),
e.g body posture, gestures,
facial expressions, eye
movements. Ideally includes
messages which are conveyed
through physical movement
either by the whole body or
parts(arm, hand).
● People in Japan and South
Korea may smile or even laugh
in situations they find awkward
or over personal ( when made a
mistake).
● Communication partners from
other cultural backgrounds may
mistakenly interpret the smile or
laugh as uncaring, rude and this
can negatively impact
intercultural relations.
 Oculesics
❏ It is concerned with eye behaviour as an element of communication (e.g.
eye contact, dynamic eye movement, pupil dilation, static/fixed gaze,
gaze direction and intensity).

In North america, direct eye contact is common about 40%

while talking and 70% while listening, whereas in japan it is
more common to look at the throat of the other person.
(Matsumoto& Hwang)
In North America from an early age, children are taught to
look directly into the eyes of the older interlocutor to
demonstrate respect .

Whereas in North Asia , the same behaviour is deemed

disrespectful and children are expected to look away
( downward) to show deference to their elders .
 Proxemics
Proxemics refers to the social use of space in communication situations.
Hall (1959. 1966), classical work on proxemics identified four levels of
interpersonal space used in united states vary depending on the social
relationships involved :

❖ Intimate space 0 - 18 inches

❖ Personal space 18 inches to 4 feet
❖ Social space4 feet to 12 feet
❖ Public space beyond 12 feet
Variations in this space leads to discomfort..

In some countries it is acceptable for men and

women to sit and stand close to each other but in
some countries it is taboo for there to be interaction
between male and female.
 Haptics
❏ It refers to the use of touch in communication, including the type of
contact as well as its frequency and intensity.

In some countries like North Latin America,people tend to

America handshakes tend to be
less firm than that of other
countries, and a tight grip and
vigorous handshake may be
interpreted as rude.
employ a lot of social touching
in greetings and conversations
with members of the same
gender. In Moderate touch
culture, such as north America,
touching is used less
 Chronemics
It is the study of how people use and structure time.The way that we perceive
value time, organize,our time and respond to time impact on the
communication process.
Monochronic
In Monochronic time orientation, tasks are
done one at a time and time is segmented into
Chronemics

precise, small units so that one’s day is

scheduled, arranged and managed

Polychronic
multiple tasks can be performed simultaneously
and schedules follow a more fluid approach.
 Olfactics

❏ Olfactics is the study of how we use and perceive odours( e.g perfume,
spices, body scent, deodorant).

Synnot(1993) claims that In Switzerland, wearing an expensive

odour is used to categorize perfume, cologne or aftershave can
people into social groups signal status and wealth. A strong
of different status, power odour of sweat can indicate manual
and social class. labour and a lower status.
 Conclusion

Intercultural competency, an adaptive

capacity based on an inclusive and
integrative worldview which allows
participants to effectively
accommodate the demands of living
in the host culture. (Taylor 1994:154)