Intercultural Communication: Dynamics of cultural identities in global interaction Archives - Page 3 of 3

Understanding social identity theory

This reading introduces Social Identity Theory (SIT). It helps explain why people identify with a group, how that affects their affiliation and communication, and how in-group and out-group distinctions affect …

Exploring “Who are you?”

How much are we aware of how others perceive identities, want to present themselves, or evaluate us? Identities are not static , nor do they exist in vacuums. They are …

Considering cultural identity

Identities can be personal, social and cultural. As multifaceted people relating in different arenas, your identity list is probably made up of all three. Your discussion helped reveal that we …

How do cultural differences affect communication?

Too often, cultural differences make our communication complicated. This article highlights how awareness of differences and seeking shared identities can be helpful in facilitating meaningful communication. Every interaction is affected …

Exploring “Who am I?”

We begin this week with a brief introduction to cultural identities, how they are revealed in our cultural stories, and ask you to start thinking about what identifies you. Welcome …

Considering degrees of interculturalness

Cultures can at times be compared across scales. Consider what degree of shared culture you might have with others in intercultural interactions. To the degree we note differences between us, …

Benefiting from intercultural communication

Three international experts are invited to comment on the benefits of this course. In turn, they emphasize the importance of intercultural communication from international business, intergroup, and education perspectives. Having …

Highlighting goals of intercultural learning

To review the week, Prof. Zhang provides a summary of benefits you can gain from an intercultural learning process like the steps provided. Keep these points in mind as we …

Considering an intercultural incident

“Critical incidents” apply cross-cultural concepts to real-world situations. Analyzing cases helps us face confusing encounters, develop awareness, and note potential causes of intercultural misunderstandings. Have you ever been in a …

What is subjective culture?

The influential cross-cultural psychologist Harry Triandis noted that culture can be divided into material or objective culture and subjective culture. Material culture refers to products made by man, such as …

Carrying unnoticed cultural baggage

Another metaphor is “cultural baggage,” referring to attitudes, patterns, judgments or expectations “packed” in our home cultures that we carry with us. How might these often hidden contents influence cross-cultural …

Feeling like a fish out of water

Metaphors often help elucidate the concepts in this course. We start with the idea of “being like a fish out of water” to explain the strange unfamiliarity that inter- or …

What is intercultural communication?

There are three important elements that mark a communicative act as being intercultural. They are generally: Contact (communication) between different cultures (inter-), where the cultural differences affect in the process …

Defining intercultural communication

You may have already heard the term “intercultural communication”. In this section, we provide several commonly accepted academic and applied definitions to clarify this concept and process. It is helpful …

Reflecting personally on Week 2

This week we first listed and categorized various identities. While our personalities, skills and social roles affect us, we focused on issues related to cultural identities (group membership or links …

Course: Intercultural Communication: Dynamics of cultural identities in global interaction

Intercultural Communication: Dynamics of cultural identities in global interaction