People From Different Cultural Groups example essay topic

Understanding Cultures for Effective Communication Robert Anthony TrejoSpartan School of AeronauticsAbstractThe purpose of this paper is to examine the many different cultural backgrounds as a whole and come to the realization and conclusion that other cultures have the exact same fears and misguided interpretations that we have and face today. To understand the vast many beliefs and traditions that each culture represents, so as to further advance our own culture and nation. Understanding Cultures for Effective Communication We all have an internal list of those we still don't understand, let alone appreciate. We all have biases, even prejudices, toward specific groups.

Fears usually include being judged, miscommunication, and patronizing or hurting others unintentionally; hopes are usually the possibility of dialogue, learning something new, developing friendships, and understanding different points of view. At any moment that we " re dealing with people different from ourselves, the likelihood is that they carry a similar list of hopes and fears in their back pocket. From Waging Peace in Our Schools, By Linda Lantieri and Janet Patti (Beacon Press, 1996) We communicate with others all the time, in our homes, in our workplaces, in the groups we belong to, and in the community. No matter how well we think we understand each other, communication is hard. Just think, for example, how often we hear things like, 'He doesn't get it,' or 'She didn't really hear what I meant to say. ' 'Culture' is often at the root of communication challenges.

Our culture influences how we approach problems, and how we participate in groups and in communities. When we participate in groups we are often surprised at how differently people approach their work together. Culture is a complex concept, with many different definitions. But, simply put, 'culture' refers to a group or community with which we share common experiences that shape the way we understand the world.

It includes groups that we are born into, such as gender, race, or national origin. It also includes groups we join or become part of. For example, we can acquire a new culture by moving to a new region, by a change in our economic status, or by becoming disabled. When we think of culture this broadly, we realize we all belong to many cultures at once. Our histories are a critical piece of our cultures. Historical experiences, whether of five years ago or of ten generations back, shape who we are.

Knowledge of our history can help us understand ourselves and one another better. Exploring the ways in which various groups within our society have related to each other is the key to opening channels for cross-cultural communication. In a world as complex as ours, each of us is shaped by many factors, and culture is one of the powerful forces that acts on us. Anthropologists Kevin Avruch and Peter Black explain the importance of culture by saying, "One's own culture provides the 'lens' through which we view the world; the 'logic'... by which we order it; the 'grammar'... by which it makes sense (Avruch and Black, 1993).

In other words, culture is central to what we see, how we make sense of what we see, and how we express ourselves. As people from different cultural groups take on the exciting challenge of working together, cultural values sometimes conflict. We can misunderstand each other, and react in ways that can hinder what are otherwise promising partnerships. Oftentimes, we aren't aware that culture is acting upon us.

Sometimes, we are not even aware that we have cultural values or assumptions that are different from others. For this reason, six fundamental patterns of cultural differences, (ways in which cultures, as a whole, tend to vary from one another), are described below. The first of the six is titled, 'Different Communication Styles'. The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways.

For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of 'yes' varies from 'maybe, I'll consider it' to 'definitely so,' with many shades in between. Secondly, is 'Different Attitudes toward Conflict', where some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S., conflict is not usually desirable; but people often are encouraged to deal directly with conflicts that do arise. In fact, face-to-face meetings customarily are recommended as the way to work through whatever problems exist. In contrast, in many Eastern countries, open conflict is experienced as embarrassing or demeaning; as a rule, differences are best worked out quietly. A written exchange might be the favored means to address the conflict.

Third is 'Different Approaches to Completing Tasks', and as we see from culture to culture, there are different ways that people move toward completing tasks. Some reasons include different access to resources; different judgments of the rewards associated with task completion, different notions of time, and varied ideas about how relationship-building and task-oriented work should go together. Fourth is 'Different Decision Making Styles', the roles individuals play in decision-making vary widely from culture to culture. For example, in the U.S., decisions are frequently delegated -- that is, an official assigns responsibility for a particular matter to a subordinate. In many Southern European and Latin American countries, there is a strong value placed on holding decision-making responsibilities oneself. When decisions are made by groups of people, majority rule is a common approach in the U.S. ; in Japan consensus is the preferred mode.

Be aware that individuals' expectations about their own roles in shaping a decision may be influenced by their cultural frame of reference. Fifth is 'Different Attitudes toward Disclosure', where in some cultures, it is not appropriate to be frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or about personal information. Keep this in mind when you are in a dialogue or when you are working with others. When you are dealing with a conflict, be mindful that people may differ in what they feel comfortable revealing. Questions that may seem natural to you -- What was the conflict about?

What was your role in the conflict? What was the sequence of events? -- may seem intrusive to others. The variation among cultures in attitudes toward disclosure is also something to consider before you conclude that you have an accurate reading of the views, experiences, and goals of the people with whom you are working. Lastly is 'Different Approaches to Knowing', as notable differences occur among cultural groups when it comes to epistemologies, that is, the ways people come to know things.

European cultures tend to consider information acquired through cognitive means, such as counting and measuring, more valid than other ways of coming to know things. Compare that to African cultures' preference for affective ways of knowing, including symbolic imagery and rhythm. Asian cultures' epistemologies tend to emphasize the validity of knowledge gained through striving toward transcendence. (Nichols, 1976) Recent popular works demonstrate that our own society is paying more attention to previously overlooked ways of knowing.

As you enter into multicultural dialogue or collaboration, keep in mind, the six fundamental patterns of cultural differences. Next time you find yourself in a confusing situation, and you suspect that cross-cultural differences are at play, try to review the list and ask yourself how culture may be shaping your own reactions, then try to see the world from others' points of view. These descriptions point out some of the recurring causes of cross-cultural communication difficulties and give you the ways in which cultures, as a whole, tend to vary from one another.

Bibliography

Avruch, Kevin. Culture and Conflict Resolution Washington, DC: United States Institute for Peace, 1998.
web L. Waging Peace in Our Schools (Beacon Press, 1996) web waging.
htm Rushworth, Kidder. Finding an Ethical Common Ground. (1998-99) web.