Topic > Main imperatives of intercultural communication

IndexThe peace imperativeThe ethical imperativePracticing self-reflexivityLearning about othersListening to the voice of othersDeveloping a sense of social justiceThe technological imperativeTechnology and human communicationApplication of the economic imperativeSiobhan:Chanel:ConclusionCommunication helps share meaning between different types of people, where they encode and decode messages. These messages can be verbal or non-verbal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Intercultural communication is when communication occurs between individuals of different cultures from around the world. Intercultural communication can be seen as complex due to the fact that different cultures do not encode and decode messages in the same way. In our daily intercultural encounters through personal experience and observation. Furthermore, our rapidly changing world, influenced by religion, gender, education and migration, brings us into contact with different cultures and co-cultures. Much of the tensions and challenges are connected to the dynamics of superficial and deep culture, differences in values ​​and beliefs, stereotypes and prejudices are influenced by our worldview, environment and various media. There are 6 imperatives, which are important to understand intercultural communication. We will critically discuss the demographic, technological, economic and ethical imperatives of peace. The Peace Imperative The first imperative we will examine is the peace imperative. The peace imperative asks: “Can individuals of different genders, ages, ethnicities, races, languages ​​and religions coexist peacefully on the planet?” Peace is an important component for intercultural communication as cultures critically influence how we communicate. Learning about people, finding norms and similarities, and appreciating the differences between us will help achieve more peace and help us all coexist, which is the ultimate goal of the peace imperative. When we find norms, we tend to relate more to a person and respect them. However, having different cultures and backgrounds will give each of us our own identity and cultural identity. Throughout history, conflict between genders, races, ethnicities, etc., has been an immense problem around the world. It has led to many wars, power conflicts and power imbalances. For example, South Africa. South Africa has a rich history of cultural conflicts that were prominent in the apartheid years. As a country with 11 official languages ​​and a diverse population, peace between citizens was complicated, as it required mutual understanding and norms between cultures. There are many other examples and cases where people with different cultural backgrounds did not live peacefully together, such as Cyprus and Türkiye. However, I believe that humans are not animals and should not struggle to survive. When we strive and work for harmony between cultures and try to understand each other, it is possible to live peacefully together. In this way we can find peace through understanding. We saw this in 1994, when apartheid laws were abolished and people of different races in South Africa were considered equal. The study of intercultural communication with respect to the imperative of peace is extremely important since we live in a world with millions of different people who differ from the person in front of them. Be able to communicate and establish a relationship with people of different races, cultures, etc. diversity is almost a must to ensure a peaceful life in which humans can live and functionTogether. “If we don't have a certain degree of peace, there will be a continuous struggle for power and this will ultimately make coexistence impossible.” The Ethical Imperative “Ethics denotes the general and systematic study of what should be the reasons and principles for right and wrong human behavior.” Ethics can be described as principles that are culture-bound and indicate guidelines for the behavior of individuals who are part of a certain group or culture. What is meant by culture-bound is that the individual's perspective is limited by belonging to a particular culture. Martin et al. states that “Cultural values ​​tell us what is “good” and what “should” be good.” The cultural values ​​and ethics we agree on are established by a person's morals. When we talk about morality we look at what kind of lesson or message we can import from a story or experience. When it comes to ethical judgment, it differs from cultural values ​​in that it focuses more on the intensity of what is right and wrong in human behavior. According to Johannesen et al. there are some standards that are used such as honesty, truthfulness and fairness to make a judgment about what is right and wrong. Ethical judgment is sometimes stated explicitly, when something is stated explicitly there is no room for confusion. An example of an explicitly stated ethical judgment is the Christian faith which has the Ten Commandments which state, in clear and detailed detail, what Christians see as right and wrong and live by it. Examples of what the Ten Commandments say or see as wrong are committing murder, stealing, and telling lies. Because the world is so large and has over a billion people with different races, cultures and beliefs, it is necessary to establish a universalist position. This is the position where rules are applied to things that most societies consider “wrong” such as murder, betrayal, or theft. All cultures in the world have the same rules or regulations to follow when it comes to any of the above "wrong" behavior on the part of an individual. But since all cultures believe in different things, a position of contradiction has been created. The relativist position is the judgment of cultural behavior seen in the context in which it took place. This means that the way the individual acted can be explained if you look at the situation in which it occurred. “Part of learning intercultural communication is learning about cultural patterns and identities, your own and those of others.” When you want to become an ethical student of culture there are four skills you need to master. You must practice self-reflexivity, learn about others, listen to the voices of others, and develop a sense of social justice. Practicing Self-ReflexivityWhen you study other cultures and their practices you also learn more about yourself. Before you can understand their culture, you must understand yourself and your position in society. Self-reflexivity is the process of looking at yourself in the mirror. It is important to reflect on your place in society, the social categories you fill, and what implications those categories entail. An example is jokes about Blagues Belges told by the French which can be seen as offensive, but it is different when the joke is told by a Belgian. Learning about others “The study of cultures is really the study of other people.” In South African tourism, "see and tell" is used, because tourists want to learn about South African cultures and go to traditional villages represented where the cultures are shown to tourists by performing dances and wedding shows. A better way to educate tourists is through “learn and explore”where tourists can engage in dialogue and ask for information on cultural realities. When they explore in their context, they learn more about the culture than when they are informed about it. “We wish to make clear the fact that differences in culture, ethnicity and gender are some of the most crucial areas that need to be if we are to provide some understanding of the need for ethical and mutually beneficial communication and interpersonal interactions in the decades to come.” Listening to the voice of othersWhen it comes to listening to the voice of others it is important to realize that two-way communication or dialogue is necessary. Listening to different experiences from people with different backgrounds can lead you to see the world differently. Effective intercultural understanding yes achieves through listening to each other. When people can relate to the experiences and knowledge of others, they find it easier to learn about other cultures. Developing a sense of social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges within a society. It is a responsibility that comes from gaining cross-cultural knowledge and insights. The study of intercultural communication leads to transformation in the individual and benefits society and larger cultural groups. We, as intercultural learners, have a responsibility to educate ourselves about cultural differences, intercultural conflicts, the impacts of stereotypes, and larger systems that can deny us any basic human rights, and apply our knowledge to the communities we interact with. To have a sense of social justice, it is necessary to recognize that oppression exists and that cultural differences in hierarchy exist. Cultural differences are not only interesting but can be privileged and establish rules for others to follow. The technological imperative According to Martin et al, Marshall McLuhan, who is called a “media guru,” used the term “global village” to define a world in which most communication technologies bring news and information even to areas most rural in the world. People are constantly connected. Whether it's via email, messaging, social media, television or radio, we know what's happening and can easily communicate with people around the world. Technology and Human Communication Due to our ever-changing communication regimes, it has changed the way we think about ourselves and how our intercultural relationships are formed. Cell phones have had a huge impact on our communication. We are “always on” and can be found very easily thanks to social media. When we are in person and not interacting, we can easily hide by drowning ourselves in our always-accompanying friend: our mobile device. Martin and colleagues describe it as avoiding communication with those around us and some may be afraid of mobile communication because it could cause a psychological “draining” problem. “Emptying” is described as the presence of bodies in a public space but communication does not take place. The Internet is said to include more than a billion websites. Nearly 75% of adults and 91% of teenagers in America use the Internet. Access and use depend on age, income, location, ethnicity and religion. English is a dominant language on the Internet, and many people who search in their native language (which may not be English) will not find what they are looking for, making the Internet inaccessible. To make the Internet more accessible, we must promote multilingualism on the World Wide Web. Global companies must be able to adapt to different languages,,.