Intercultural communication free essay sample

Intercultural communication Our lecture started with well-known demographic facts about Belgium the population equals to 10,511,000, 15% of which are immigrants (1 In Belgium, Catholicism is the most widespread religion. There are also Moslems, Jews and Protestants. In general, people are open-minded about other religions and of course different nationalities. The cultural diversity is enriched by international and local immigration. In the last hundred years the most important immigrant groups were Jews who form a sizable community in Antwerp; Poles, who came after the fall of ommunism; Italians; North Africans and Turks. There are many recent immigrants from other countries in the European Union also. There are three regions in the federal state: Flanders in the north where the official language is Dutch; Wallonia in the south where French is the official language; and Brussels-Capital region where both languages are used. The smaller German-speaking community is in Wallonia. The regions and language communities enjoy autonomy in cultural and economic matters. We will write a custom essay sample on Intercultural communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are also a number of unofficial minority languages spoken here as well. In Belgium, a sensitive issue is the relations between Dutch and French peakers. One should avoid questions or comments on that topic. My conclusion after these facts is that Belgium is not a homogeneous country with one national identity. As such, it is therefore difficult to give a general overview that applies to all Belgians. Another interesting difference we can find in the fact that the Walloons (French speakers) have culture similar to French. For example Walloon food is influenced mainly by French cuisine, less than the Dutch. Dishes are with relatively large portions and excellent quality. Widespread opinion is that Belgian cuisine is characterized by German portions size and French finesse and quality. But sometimes it tends to be spicier and higher in calories than modern French food. At the same time they share Belgiums national passion for soccer and etc. Only in Brussels, the capital, do the two groups coexist. Brussels is one of the rare officially bilingual capitals of the world. The beer culture in Belgium is unique and the country offers its visitors over 400 different beers and consequently there are a lot of tours and opportunities for tasting available for lovers of the drink. There are beer festivals throughout the whole year. Interesting stereotype is that Belgium brings beer, chocolate and waffles to mind. It is easy to forget the rich history and architecture of this country. The national dish is mussels with French fries. Even Belgians claim that the French fries are their invention. Also they have important table manner- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating, which have a great importance in their culture. Belgium does not have a lot of heroes, but they are proud of the tennis players Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. All these facts lead me to think that it is difficult to know the Belgian Culture very well, but when you have such an opportunity you should not miss it. We also talked about the meaning of gestures in different cultures. Gestures are been used to replace words in many countries, and they are often specific for different cultures. Gestures may mean something complimentary in one culture, but something highly ottensive in another. Generally, there are no universal gestures. Nowadays with the influence of television and movies, some gestures have become more widely known and accepted in many countries. And in this intercultural world, if we want to succeed in international business and relationships, we should be aware of these differences, understand, respect and accept them. To many, these misunderstandings can still be quite offensive, not Just momentarily annoyances. Sometimes innocent actions can lead to very bad consequences. So before you travel, especially when it comes to exotic destinations or the trip is business directed and your career depends on it, you better get to know the habits and customs of the local people and be prepared so you know what behavior should to exhibit. I will give some examples like the sign for 0K (when your thumb and forefinger are making a circle). If you are an English- speaking it means good, French understands it as zero or worthless and Japanese ould read it as money. But you shouldnt show this to a Northern Greek. About 2000 years ago, ancient Greek vases have been found showing this gesture as an insult. And today it is still like this. Understanding the cultural differences is important to avoid misinterpretation of gestures and misunderstanding of the other persons feelings and intentions. Most Europeans like to stand physically close to the person whom they are having a conversation with, much closer than the Westerners. Consequently, Westerners think the Europeans are pushy while Europeans think the Westerners are reserved. Other interesting knowledge was about the cultural competence and different ways to enhance it. We should all be treated equally, no matter what culture we are. This could include learning about traditions, beliefs, meaning of words, phrases, gestures, customs, activities and rituals. Lots of different cultures have different languages and rituals. Cultural competence involves continually developing your awareness of your own and others cultures. Often what is considered an appropriate behavior in one culture is inappropriate in another one. By increasing awareness of cultural differences and the breaking down of tereotypes and prejudices, we can help to develop tolerance and understanding between nations. During the lecture we discussed the iceberg model of culture. This comparison is because like iceberg, the culture has both visible and invisible parts. Elements of the culture which we can plainly see, such as food or clothes, are represented by the upper portion of the iceberg. Those elements which are not as obvious such as why someone eats or dresses the way they do are represented by the much larger portion of the iceberg underwater. l Communication in an international environment requires special training, consistent with the differences n national cultures. Each country has its own rules of behavior that determine the proper etiquette. Although foreigners are very tolerant of our mistakes and give them to ignorance they will be pleasantly surprised if one demonstrates some knowledge in this direction. This will cause them to respect him and show sympathy, and this can be a decisive factor in establishing long-term relationships. If you want to understand other cultures study them. This can be done not Just by reading about them, but also by participating in the customs and act according to the specific rules. Many people learn more than one culture, and managed to do well among them. When circumstances require people should be able to pass easily from one culture to another. Cultural ditterences are at the root ot many misunderstandings in communication between people of different nationalities. Members of a certain culture rarely see anything beyond their own and reasonable view of things. I think the most important thing when you have to deal with different culture is to overcome the cultural shock. At the beginning you are excited about all the new things around. But at the next moment you are disappointed and dissatisfied. In fact, it turns out that you do not know anything about the new culture. Finding things that you do not know is exhausting, though quite exciting. Disappointments are unavoidable, and unavoidable are the mistakes that you make in the beginning. After a little period of time you feel free to move in the other culture and learn not to have problems with the different beliefs, attitudes and values, and behavior, which they suggest. I knew almost nothing about Belgium before I moved here. I knew they had beer, chocolate and here is the home of the ELI, but I certainly couldnt name many famous Belgians r recite interesting events in Belgiums history. To this day I am still learning interesting facts about this little country. Belgium has a reputation for being a boring little country, but now we know the truth. There are plenty of interesting places and things to do in Belgium, and many Belgium attractions can be appreciated during the whole year. Weather will affect some of the things that you might want to do in Belgium, but that Just means that you can enjoy something else. With lots of good museums, shops, restaurants, cafes, and pubs to choose from across the country, theres never any reason to get bored on your stay in Belgium. One of the most interesting things is the wide variety of museums. Only in Brussels you can find around forty museums including the Museum of Modern Art and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium. There you can find collection of different artists, including the Flemish painters like Bruegel, van der WeiJden Rogir Robert Campillo, Anthony van Dyck, Jacob Yordans and Peter Paul Rubens. Also you can find the famous museum of the comics, where you can find a bunch of useful and interesting things and the museum of chocolate at the entrance the visitor feels like the house of Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Intercultural Communication free essay sample â€Å"Jim Crow was more than a series of rigid anti-black laws. It was a way of life† (What Was Jim Crow, 2012). After reading this article I learned that Jim Crow was basically the name of a racial social system that was used primarily in the southern states. This system consisted of many rules that black citizens were confined to follow. They also had guidelines that Blacks were supposed to abide by when merely conversing or in the presence of a white person. The article also went on to say, â€Å"Under Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second class citizens.† After doing some research, I believe that this system seemed to start after the end of the Reconstruction period, which started after the Civil War. During the Reconstruction period, there seemed to be not as much segregation between the two races. However, this soon came to an end, this was due to the fact that Whites believed they were losing their control, so something had to be done; and so began the Jim Crow laws. We will write a custom essay sample on Intercultural Communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Many Christian ministers and theologians taught that whites were the Chosen people, blacks were cursed to be servants, and God supported racial segregation† (What Was Jim Crow, 2012). This was another idea that seemed to pose as a possible origin of the Jim Crow Laws, the fact of religion. Religion is something that may always have influence over the occurrence of an event. However, I don’t believe that this idea comes with as much support as the idea of Whites fearing the demise of their power. I believe that the reason these laws gained so much momentum was due to the fact that for years after the Civil War, racial mixing was allowed and seemed to be a common event. â€Å"The U.S. officially ended slavery with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. There were various proposals to grant freed black slaves compensation, or at least assistance in establishing themselves as free citizens† (Reconstruction, 2008). I think that Whites were angry about the way that things were happening and that they felt that their power was being undermined. So when the Jim Crow laws started up, the Whites had their vengeance and they wanted to take the power back. â€Å"Virtues are civic to the extent that they contribute to, and strengthen, the communal good† (Segregation and Civic Virtue, 2012). Segregation is usually thought to be an obstruction of the peace for a group of people. However, it can also be seen and expressed as a fact of strength. When doing some research I found a  couple of examples of the virtues of segregation in a community, â€Å"Obvious examples might include the building and maintenance of parks, schools, community centers, and libraries† (Segregation and Civic Virtue, 2012). These examples go to show that segregation may actually have some positive externalities on a community. Segregation can cause a community to be more verbal and communicate more on issues that would ultimately boost the morale of a community. There was one other sort of virtue that I found came about due to this era, and that was the Harlem Renaissance. This period was when group of gifted black authors published literature of their experiences during this rough time. These works of art would end up sticking with us, and continue to influence modern literature today. I don’t personally believe that there was much mutual respect between the races during this era. There may have been some respect present, but it was not the same by any means. I believe there were few, but some, Whites that respected the black race due to the treatment they had been put through. I also believe that some of the Blacks respected few of the Whites, mainly because of the rank of their status or the positions they held. However, these are two different views on respect and it seems to me that they are not based on mutual terms. The lack of mutual respect is something that I believe could be blamed for the hindrance of intercultural communication at this time. This also has to do with the fact that white people determined that Blacks were like children. They did not treat them with the same respect that you would treat another adult. This sort of treatment greatly affected the communication between Blacks and whites; Blacks were not considered to have valuable input and therefore their opinions were not taken into consideration. Blacks were treated as children and this is one of the sole reasons I think there was a large barrier to communication. After doing some research, I learned that Blacks would become spies in the Civil Rights Movement. According to State of Siege, â€Å"They paid money to black Mississippians to infiltrate the meetings of civil rights activists† (Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, 2013). I believe that this quote is reason enough to explain why some Blacks held these kinds of positions. At this point many African American’s were going through tough times and were not given many job opportunities, there was a limited source of income and they knew they had to take advantage of each opportunity. This time in  our history can be looked upon to greatly define our nation. It shows how we have overcome a lot of struggles through our lifetime yet we still have our imperfections. The Jim Crow laws created a staggeringly large barrier when it came to communication between Blacks and Whites. Another factor that seemed to add to this miscommunication was the Citizen’s Council, which was basically just a large group of organized Whites that opposed civil rights. These are two of the reasons I believe that intercultural communication was lacking at this time; the Jim Crow Laws and the Citizen’s Council both showed a group of people who opposed the integration of Blacks and Whites. The people in this council and those who supported the Jim Crow Laws didn’t want to try and make opportunities for all men equal. They didn’t want to communicate with a group of people that was different than they were or of a different culture; I think that this led the way for others not wanting to change the way things were sooner. It took some period of time but I think the barrier was finally pushed aside and integration was in sight. References Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (2012). What was jim crow? Retrieved from http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm Traces of the Trade (2008). Reconstruction, jim crow, and the civil rights era. Retrieved   from http://www.tracesofthetrade.org/guides-and-materials/historical/reconstruction-jim-crow-and-the-civil-rights-era/ Merry, M. (2012). Educational theory. Segregation and civic virtue, 61, 465-484. Retrieved from ttp://www.academia.edu/1842134/Segregation_and_Civic_Virtue Ellis, K. Smith, S. (2013). State of siege: Mississippi whites and the civil rights movement. The mississippi state sovereignty commission. American RadioWorks.