Cultural differences impede effective communication

Everything we communicate is within the domain of culture. Culture plays significant role in creating communicative commonality. The meaning of the message, verbal or nonverbal, based on the communication participants’ cultural background, varies accordingly for each person. Unlike the people of same culture, people having different cultural backgrounds find it difficult to exchange their thoughts, ideas or information between each other. The greater the difference between the sender and receiver’s cultures is, the greater are the obstacles to successful communication. Thus, different factors like anxiety, assuming similarity instead of difference, ethnocentrism, stereotypes and prejudice as well as language problems brings dissimilarities in cultural behavior. These cultural differences decelerate the pace of intercultural communication.

In the process of communication, communicators' perception and assumption upon signifier and the signified are considered significant. Whilst the signifier is more stable, the signified varies between people and contexts due to which the way people communicate varies widely between, and even within cultures. Similarly, one aspect of communication style is the use of language that has always been perceived as a link between people. However, it can also constitute a barrier. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For instance, “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” (oppapers.com 2005) Furthermore, communication between cultures which do not share the same language is considerably more difficult. Paragraph and sentence structures are both language and culture specific; this suggests that context plays an important role in developing second language writing skills. Successful written communication across boundaries requires a considered approach. The kind of document considered appropriate in one culture may be considered inappropriate within another.

Similarity, It is impossible to understand the communication of people from other cultures if one is highly ethnocentric : that is, when one holds the belief that his/her culture is superior to others. Dominance of one culture over other is common in intercultural communication. A universal response to differences in cultures is: “of course they’re different, but we’re better.” Everyone considers her/his culture to be at the top. In most cases any group of people tend to see their own group and their culture as the best. As a result, they habitually, unconsciously and inevitably by using their own customs as the standards for judgments, assume their own values and practices to be superior to those of the rest of the world. Thus, another factor influencing effective intercultural communication is the ability or inability of communicators to understand other cultures.

Another Series of problems in cross cultural communication are Stereotypes and prejudices which often lie below the level of awareness. People learn stereotypes as a part of their culture, as Betty Wei and Elizabeth II (1953) point out general guidelines for the foreigners who visit HongKong should avoid wearing green hat under all circumstances. Because green hat in Chinese culture denote cuckold. “Never give time-pieces as present since 'clocks' in Chinese sounds the same as 'end' translated as 'death' and 'demise' (Betty Wei and Elizabeth II. 1953, p.105). Similarly, “In America if a person is given gift, he or she will usually open it and say “oh how beautiful it is! Thank you very much.” In china a person usually accepts a gift and says, “Thank you” and then leaves the gift aside, unopened.”(Tang, Yaping. 2005,p.38) Opening a present in front of everybody could humiliate the giver who might fear, regardless what pleasant noises one makes, that he/she dislikes the gift. Likewise, Intergroup anxiety has been shown to predict toward members of other cultures, immigrant groups, and racial and ethnic groups in a multicultural society. Intergroup prejudice is strongly associated with cross-cultural ineffectiveness, communication incompetence, and maladjustment. (William B. Gudykunst. 2003,117)

While communicating with the people of another culture one tries to act as if he/ she is already familiar to that culture and it has more similarities with the culture he/she is following. Based on this assumed similarity, one often acts inappropriately and ineffectively in intercultural situations

In 1997, a Danish woman left her 14-month-old baby girl in a stroller outside a Manhattan restaurant while she was inside. Other diners at the restaurant became concerned and called New York City Police. The woman was charged with endangering a child and was jailed for two nights. Her child was placed in foster care. The woman and the Danish consulate, explained that leaving children unattended outside cafés is common in Denmark while parents were eating inside. The Danish woman had assumed that Copenhagen is similar to New York, so that what is commonly done in Copenhagen is also commonly done in New York (http://english.dbw.cn).

The development in information technology: , Internet, fax, phone, etc. has made the world much narrower. It has brought the people of different culture and societies together and thus people need to communicate with different types of people anyway. While living in a new culture one may suffer from physical and emotional discomfort. The feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do things in a new environment, and not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate makes one totally isolated from the society. For instance, “ If the marriage is between a Chinese and a non-Chinese, the scene is strongly revealing. You will see the Chinese guests attacking the food, while the westerners-in on the booze” (Betty Wei and Elizabeth II. 1953, p.10)

In this way, the cultural differences bring strange feelings which develop misunderstanding between the communicators, lack commonality in the concept of assuming signifier and the signified and thus emerge misinterpretation of the message delivered. In order to overcome all these problems it is most essential to understand that there exist differences in the processes, ways and contexts in intercultural communication. One should readily accept the challenges as it is said “Do in Rome as the Romans do”. Thus, “By doing so, we can broaden our perspectives, promote personal growth, gain insight into the culture of origin through a contrast with other world views, and ultimately, successfully adapt to our new world” (Tang, Yaping. 2005. 39). In contrary, in one hand the growing access over information technology has made communication more easier and convenient whereas on the other hand it has increased misunderstandings. So in order to adapt to new environments, one should cope with a new information and learn new responses and skills accepting that cultural differences hinder the successful intercultural communication.

References :

1. Betty Wei and Elizabeth II. 1953, Culture Shock, a guide to customs and Ettiquette. Hongkong. Times Books International, Singapore,p. 101, 105)

2. Cfhquai1046 (2005). Problems In Intercultural Communication.

3. http://english.dbw.cn/system/2007/12/07/000029738_01.shtml

4. Tang, Yaping (2005) Polite but Thirsty. In Peter S. Gardner (ed). New Directions, Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking. CUP. 38-39

5. William B. Gudykunst. 2003. Sage. Cross-cultural and intercultural communication.117