BARRIERS TO INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

µ  Ethnographic and Cultural Approach

Noting every activity, observe, and evaluation. For example, if we want to know about Americans’ culture we have to live there for maybe some months or a year.

µ  The Cultural Approach

A cultural approach attempts to develop an ideal personification of the culture, and then that ideal is used to explain the actions of individuals in the culture. For example, it would be important to know that the Aboriginal people began arriving on the Australian continent 40,000 years before North and South America were inhabited and that it was not until 1788 that 11 ships carrying a cargo of human prisoners to begin a new British colony by taking control of the land.

µ  The Barriers in Intercultural Communication

-          Anxiety

For example, if we talk to foreigners and we just keep silent. That is on of the example of anxiety.

-          Assuming similarity instead of difference

We assume that when we are in the other country we act like when we are in our country. For example, in our country, we drive a car in the left lane, but maybe in some of European countries we must drive in the right lane.

µ  Ethnocentrism

-          the view that one particular ethnic group is somehow superior to all others.

-          the view that a particular ethnic group’s system of beliefs and values is morally superior to all others.  

µ  Prejudice

- is a preconceived belief, opinion, or judgment toward a group of people characterized by their race, social class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability or religion.

- it is not good for communication.

- usually negative opinion.

µ  Stereotypes

is a commonly held public belief about specific social groups, or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups, based on some prior assumptions. For example, the same behavior or trait being repeatedly observed by multiple witnesses over an extended period of time. Stereotypes could be positive or negative.

µ  Intercultural Communication Barriers in China and US

Reason à the lack of knowledge about China and its history in the US.