Cultural Diversity

This was an interesting article. I always thought of different cultures as people from different countries, but a different culture could be as simple as someone from a totally different background than me. I am a white Southern female, but a person raised in the Bronx could be considered a different culture than me because of the differences in our beliefs and values. That being said, one example of applying the guidelines of intercultural communication would be at my job. I work for a major insurance company that is headquartered in my hometown, but we also have offices in Japan. Recently, some representatives from the Japan office came to visit our office and sat with some of my co-workers. Since I work from home, I wasn't able to take advantage of this opportunity, but it got me thinking about how I would have been able to interact with them. The Japanese culture is very different from the American culture. Be aware of differing social values- Americans typically value the self more than the whole. Japanese culture is more collectivist, valuing the whole more than the self. Be aware of differing status symbols and how to demonstrate them- The Japanese greatly believe in hierarchy. Everybody has a place. Respect is shown by the highest status being served first and the seating in meetings is arranged according to the "rank" of each person. If I were to have interacted with the Japanese representatives, I would have had to make sure to show the respect the individual was due. Be aware of decision making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently- The Japanese will not directly decline a request. If I were to have asked one of the Japanese representatives to go to lunch and they replied "It is under consideration" or "I will think about it," that most likely would mean no. Group decisions are also important to the Japanese culture. Be aware of concepts of time: not all people like to see time as money- In Japanese business etiquette, it is considered respectful to be punctual for appointments and appointments are crucial. Impromptu meetings are not appreciated. This would go with the American concept of "time is money" because punctuality is (or should be) important in American business etiquette. Be aware of personal space: people from different cultures have different 'comfort zones'- Americans have a very large comfort zone. I personally get uncomfortable when a stranger stands even relatively close to me. The Japanese do not have this concept of personal space, so I would have had to be understanding if the representative stood or sat a little closer to me than I was comfortable with. Be aware of cultural context: people from certain cultures (called 'high-context cultures) rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning. People from low-context cultures like the USA rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning to convey meaning- The Japanese express a lot through nonverbal communication. To them, closing their eyes is a sign that they are listening, to Americans, it is a sign that we are bored. I would have had to study up on the different nonverbal cues and known what to expect and be understanding of these differences. Be aware of body language: learn the basic differences in the way people supplement their words with body movement- This goes along with the cultural context discussed previously. Be aware of different etiquette rules or manners: what is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another- Japanese etiquette is very different from American etiquette. The Japanese are much more formal than we are, and I would have had to know and understand this had I interacted with the Japanese representatives. Be aware of legal and ethical behavior- The Japanese do not see contracts as final binding agreements. This would be very important to know when conducting business with a Japanese company. Be aware of language barriers: English is the most prevalent language in international business, but it's a mistake to assume that everyone understands it.- This one speaks for itself. There would obviously be a language barrier in communicating with anyone whose first language was not English. References http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247 http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/japan-country-profiles.html

Media Technologies

Media technologies are rapidly evolving. I can remember when the internet and cell phones were just becoming popular and the preferred method of communication was still a phone call. Now we have email on our cell phones and we are almost never out of touch with the outside world. I can think of several different types of media technologies that are widely used today, but I will focus on social networks, instant messaging services, television, and print media.

Social networks are becoming very popular very quickly. They provide users with access to millions of people. I use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family members who are spread across the world. The audience for social networking sites is very large and diverse. Everyone from teenagers to grandparents use sites such as Facebook and Myspace to keep in contact with friends and loved ones.

Instant messaging services seem to be losing steam as a form of communication media. I still use Yahoo messenger to talk to my husband while he is deployed and we use web cams to see each other. The audience for instant messaging services would be anyone who can or wants to communicate online instead of over the phone or in person. Instant messaging is also easier than email and provides less cluttered inboxes.

Television remains one of the largest forms of media. It provides entertainment, news, and advertisements for people all over the globe. The audience for television is very diverse, depending on the programming being viewed.

Print media seems to be losing as much steam as instant messaging services. There are those who say the newspaper is a dying form of media. I prefer to sit down with a newspaper rather than read it online myself, but for others it is easier to read online. Print media also has a very diverse audience. It depends on the content of the media as to what the audience would be.

Week One Assignment

Purpose-

The purpose of this blog is to inform of the benefits of communication, the skills needed to be a good communicator, and how to build these skills.

Design-

The design of any blog is important. A poorly designed web page or document will distract the reader and prevent the reader from continuing on the page. I plan to use a simple design that will not overwhelm the viewer but will draw the viewer in.

Content-

Content is important because a web page or blog should not have several different types of content. The contents of my blog will be the assignments required by this class.

Audience-

The audience should be considered in any communications whether verbal or written. If communication does not reach the intended audience, the message will not be received well. The audience for my blog will be my Communication Studies Capstone class and instructor.

Welcome

Hi all! Welcome to my blog. I look forward to updating and editing as our capstone class permits. I hope you all enjoy and I hope we can all learn something from each other during this class!