Com_360_Intercultural_Communication

Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication occurs when people interact with at least one person from a different culture. Communication within different cultures varies in many ways. The sense of security one believes exist when communicating within one’s own culture is not the same when speaking to people in different cultures. The level of comfort and certainty that distinguishes communication with culturally like people is gone. Intercultural communication is extremely important when communicating with those from other cultures because confusion can lead to unsuccessful results, especially during communications with other countries to establish foreign policies. To gain further insight into intercultural communication and its importance one must seek to understand cultural patterns, theories, identity, and bias. One should also seek to understand communication devises like communication foundations and taxonomies between two cultures. Included below is a review of an intercultural theory needed to address and possibly resolve the foreign policy issue between the United States and the creation of Israel. Intercultural Communication Similarities are just as important and differences when communicating with people from other cultures. System like economics, politics, and education are found in every culture. Cultural systems affect intercultural communication. Culture evolves from people’s experiences and beliefs. These experience and beliefs lead people to act, react, and communicate the way they do. To have a complete understand of the cultural similarities and difference of those one intends to communicate with can lead to successful results. One’s behaviors derive from their culture. One’s culture dictates their communication. Cultural Systems The United States (U.S.) has a culture that has similarities to others, but has many differences. Understanding how cultural systems in the United States and how they differ from others can enhance effective communication when conducting business with people of other cultures. Later in this paper a review of foreign policy between the United States and the creation of Israel shows the effectiveness in communication. Reviewing the cultural system in both countries is a good first start to understanding the differences and similarities within both cultures. The United States economic system is a capitalistic system with socialistic overtones (Lustig & Koester, p. 125, 2010). The United States political system is a democratic federal government. The U.S. education system requires those who are five to 16 years to be in school within a formal educational infrastructure. Israel has gone from a social economic system to a capitalistic economic system. However, during the transition because of the differences in opinions difficulties arise. Israel has a multi-party parliamentary government system. That means that people vote for a party instead of individual candidates. Israel has a compulsory education system in place with free education available to those from nursery school age through 10th grade. Secondary education can continue through 12th grade for free but it is not compulsory. Israel’s education, economic, and political systems have many similarities that make it a little easier to communicate, but the differences may interfere as well as delay reaching desirable results. Communication in United States and Israeli Culture One’s culture can hinder the delivery of a messages as well as the receipt of the message and interpretation. Culture affects behavior. America today has so many people from throughout the world living and experiencing one another’s cultural differences and similarities. These experiences with other cultures on a regular basis is a good foundation to begin understanding each other’s culture making it better for communication within those cultures. However, the experiences one has in America with the different cultures also led to biases and perceptions and continue on that path. American culture includes individualism, equal opportunity, rivalry, self-help concept, action orientation, casualness, straightforwardness, practicality, greediness, and problem-solving orientation as well as individual management of surroundings. The perceptions others from different cultural backgrounds create bias most find hard to change or relinquish. The Israeli culture like the United States is made up of immigrants and Jews from around the world and therefore is considered a melting pot or salad bowl of mixed cultures. The Israeli culture includes opinionated, traditionalists, informal, direct, hospitable, willing to take risks, self-confident, realistic, and assertive as well as casual about rules. Today’s Israel has many of the same culture attributes that the United States does. Because of many similarities communication tends to be more successful with this group of people than with those from other cultural backgrounds. However, any type of negotiation may take more time because both cultures are headstrong and opinionated. Communication between these two cultures is honest, direct, and realistic. These attributes can hinder communication progress if those involved in the communication does not understand the culture. However, with good understanding of the culture, adjustments may be necessary to gain a higher level of successful communication. United States Foreign Policy and Creation of Israel The United States foreign policy and the creation of Israel is a topic discussed by many and continues to be the topic of many studies. Many written communications were read and interpreted to decide on many issues during the creation of Israel. Diplomacy is at the forefront of the talks understanding that the cultural differences directly affect decisions lined with perceptions and bias. Core belief systems were in question within interest groups and hindered timeline decisions. The Israeli mindset of themselves is tough survivors making many believe entitled. The United States foreign policy on Israel relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to an unusual partnership that links a small but militarily powerful Israel, dependent on the United States for its economic and military strength, with the United States superpower trying to balance competing interests in the region (Congressional Research Service, 2002). Israel received economic and military grants, refugee settlement assistance ad other aid (Congressional Research Service, 2002). Everyone is not happy with the amount of aid that Israel receives (Congressional Research Service, 2002). Many say that the United States shows bias toward Israel with the objective of improved relations with various Arab states at the forefront of the agenda and caring about little else. However, others believe a democratic Israel is a strategic ally and through good relations the United States presence in the Middle East is strong. Taxonomies and Theories Specific conceptual taxonomies useful for understanding the differences in culture exist. Edward Hall, Geert Hofstede, and GLOBE, a group of researchers, developed the three main taxonomies. Hall says that cultures differ in the extent to which their primary message patterns are high context or low context (Lustig & Koester, p. 125, 2010). Hofstede says that seven dimensions exist along which cultures vary. GLOBE takes many of the previously described ideas and adds that nine dimensions of culture exist and differentiates cultural practices from cultural values (Lustig & Koester, Chapter 5, 2010). In communicating the results desired within the United States foreign policy with Israel the United States had to adapt and integrate with those involved in the talks from other cultures. For the issues to be resolved, understanding the America is a low context culture is important. Hall is the theorist who would do well to help resolve issues in the example above. Because America is low context the discussions may be long because the message must be simple and clear for better understanding, blame others for failures, and take time to read nonverbal as well as verbal communication. However, America also tends to be flexible and open to change so long as it is beneficial to their desired results. In this case outcome is more important than time. Conclusion In conclusion, cultural patterns are shared beliefs, values, norms, and social practices that stabilize over time and lead to similar behaviors within similar situation. These patterns provide a basic set of standards that direct people think and act. Understanding the cultural pattern of the people one is interacting with can lead to successful communication. Successful communication can lead to timely cost effective results. Intercultural communication occurs when people interact with at least one person from a different culture and this type of interaction happens every day. Communication within different cultures can be slow of fast depending on how the message is received and interpreted. Security is nonexistent during communication with people of other cultures. Comfort and confidence people from the same cultural background is gone. Intercultural communication is extremely important when communicating with those from other cultures because confusion can lead to unsuccessful results, especially during communications with other countries to establish foreign policies. The example above shows how negotiations are necessary and understanding more than one cultural difference affects how other are also affected. Understanding communication devises like communication foundations and taxonomies between two or more cultures helps deliver a clear message achieving clear understanding from the recipient. References Congressional Research Service. (2002). Almanac of policy issues. Retrieved from http://www.policyalmanac.org/world/archive/crs_israeli-us_relations.shtml Lustig, M. W., & Koester, J. (2010). Intercultural competence. Interpersonal communication across cultures (6th ed.). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx'assetdataid=c7192574-7fdc-486a-aff0-230c10ed35eb&assetmetaid=d1fec739-da41-4927-8962-902f0ba5ddb6.