CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND THE

PUBLIC SPEAKER
 The United States has become the most
diverse society on earth.
 All nations and cultures are now part of a vast
"global village", due to air travel,
immigration, and electronic communication.

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 CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND THE
PUBLIC SPEAKER

Diversity and multiculturalism

Ethnocentrism are such basic facts of life that
The belief that
public speakers, to be
one’s own successful, need to take account
group of cultural differences between
or culture is themselves and their listeners.
superior to all Because of this diversity and
other groups or multiculturalism, it is especially
cultures. important for public speakers to
avoid ethnocentrism.
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 Public Speaking and
Diversity

 Different expectations for appropriate and

effective speech topics, argument structure,
language style, and delivery.
 A speaker needs to understand differences and
adapt to diverse audiences.
Public Speaking and Diversity

 Gender
 Ethnicity
 Culture
 Context - The Culture
Maximum Difference

Western Asian
Italian Saudi Arabian
U.S. American French-Canadian
White Anglo-American African-American
Urban American Rural American
Catholic Baptist
Male Dominance Female Equality
Heterosexual Homosexual
Environmentalist Developer

Minimum Difference