Intercultural Communication

Intercultural communication is an important part of life and is in effect at all times, yet it is something that I haven't seen talked about beyond academic settings. After reading both papers, it has come to my attention that I have been listening wrong, as well as some of the different barriers that can obstruct my intentions.

One of the things that stuck out to me in the first reading was the question, "Does the release of a statement of diversity truly lead to the decrease of racist practices within an organization?" (P.4) Personally, I don't think they do. In the business world, everything is about money. And in their eyes, people are just dollars. Now I don't believe there is a complete disregard for different cultures and diversity but when companies make statements, I am willing to argue that it is only for the benefit of their pockets. I believe this goes for people that act as businesses as well. I.e., influencers, models, actresses, etc. Ultimately, a company cannot speak for the individuals that work within them. For example, Chick-fil-a and Cookout are both Christian organizations, but that does not mean that those that work on the ground level are Christians. To dive deeper into Chick-fil-a, in the past they have supported organizations that are against the LGBTQ+ community, but that doesn't mean that the workers on the ground level hold those same views. To bring this back to intercultural communication, these companies and organizations are not really listening to what these communities are saying. It has become a trend to hop on rather than a conversation to have and real steps to take.

As addressed in the same reading, even listening actively can be extremely complicated because it isn't as simple as saying what you mean. We can learn all the social cues for a different culture and still have barriers because every individual has lived experience that differs from those in their own culture. In the academic journal Intercultural Communication: A Current Perspective, Milton J. Bennett stated that "issues of intercultural understanding are embedded in other complex questions." (Bennett,1998) He then proceeds to list and address those questions. It is imperative that we ask questions to learn and grow in our communication but we must also be ready to be uncomfortable with the answers to those questions.

After reading the Harvard Business Review, I found that I have not been a good listener. I am guilty of talking about my experiences in an attempt to relate and show the person that they are not alone in their feelings. When ultimately that is taking away from them and what they are trying to say.

Bennett, M. (1998) "Intercultural Communication:"A Current Perspective