Diversity

Intercultural Sensitivity

As America grows, diversity and how to deal with it becomes more and more of a focus and a challenge. First and foremost, people need to realize that there is a whole world full of thousands of cultures and that interaction is unavoidable. Secondly, we all need to be aware that these cultures can differ dramatically from ours and that this can cause friction from miscommunication. Hahn (2005) describes several differences we should be aware of, including social values, status symbols, body language, concepts of time, personal space and many others. For one example, I had always heard that other cultures view holding up one’s middle finger very differently than we do here in America. AssociatePublisher.com says that in “In China, contrary to the offensive nature of the gesture in other cultures, Chinese Sign Language used by the deaf of China employ this handshape to represent the first born male, a position of status in traditional Chinese culture.” It’s funny to think that if someone held their middle finger up to a Chinese tourist, he or she might think you’re trying to say something about your son. But if they did that, an American might get upset and take offense; an example of a miscommunication gone bad.

There is no way that we can remember all the different nuances between cultures. The best way to handle it is to a) Study up on the culture of anyone you know you’ll be interacting with, b) Realize that if someone offends you, it may be a misinterpretation of a gesture, symbol or body language and communicate as best as you can to gain understanding and c) If you seemed to have offended someone of another culture, realize they may have also misinterpreted something and try to apologize or explain. Hahn (2005) gives a lot of good advice, including to “tolerate ambiguity,” “show respect,” “be flexible,” “recognize your own cultural biases,” and to “increase your cultural sensitivity.”

Recognizing your own cultural biases is one of the best pieces of advice. Allowing yourself to have preconceived notions of others can cause you to form opinions that affect your behavior which is not fair to the other person. For example, always thinking an Italian person is a mobster or that a New Yorker is rude will likely cause us to have a closed mind or a “hard” attitude in anticipation of how we think he or she will act. We often form these opinions based on what others have said rather than from our own experience which can cause unnecessary fear and/or offensive behavior. We should, of course, be cautious and protect ourselves but should not allow our minds to remain closed. Work to gain understanding, study other cultures, keep an open mind and don't expect others to be like you or think that your way is the right way.

References:

Hahn, M. (2005, December 30). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-­Commandments-­of-­Intercultural-­Communication&id=120247

Haynes, J. (2004). Communicating with Gestures. Accessed June 10, 2010 from: http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/body_language.php.