Intercultural Communication

What this unit covers

The unit looks at how people from different cultural backgrounds understand and talk to each other. Many of the resources are mind maps, and they move from defining culture to adapting to life in a new one.

• Defining culture: the maps called What is Culture? and Unpacking culture set out culture as a learned meaning system, a set of knowledge, ideas, customs and traditions shared by a group.
• Frameworks: Hall's Conception of Culture covers high and low context, time, space and tempo, reasoning, verbal messages, social roles and interpersonal relations.
• Adjustment: Adaptation and Competence separates psychological adjustment from sociocultural adjustment, which is the ability to fit in and get tasks done.

Where to start

Begin with What is Culture? or Unpacking culture, so the basic terms are clear. Then open Cultural perspectives, which explains values, attitudes and beliefs, and notes that most cultural perspectives are tacit. After that, move to Hall's Conception of Culture and Interculturality.

Going further

Several maps compare regions and cultures, including Anglo and Latin cultures, India and Colombia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Chapter 7: Cultural Conceptions of Health & Illness applies the ideas to healthcare, with a focus on cultural competency.

Using quizzes, maps and flashcards together

1. Read a mind map slowly and say each branch aloud in your own words.
2. Take the Kraft ch.9 quiz, which asks how people observe, interpret and assign meaning.
3. Use the Intercultural Competence flashcards for Hofstede's Iceberg and Onion models, and the Acculturation deck for Berry's model and Bourhis's IAM.
4. Return to any map where an answer felt shaky.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the strand Anthropology in the Contemporary World, within Anthropology. Pick one map today and see how far it takes you, then make your own version.