Introduction to Communication-Cultural Sensitivity - Coursework Example

CULTURAL SENSITIVITY (Introduction to interpersonal communications) of (affiliation) Location of Date of submission:Estimated word count: 671 (of text only)Introduction – culture is defined roughly as “the way we do things here” and this kind of statement takes note of the fact that belonging to a certain race or ethnic group have common set of behaviors, beliefs, practices, values, and worldview. As such, this distinguishes this group of people from other groups but the reality today is that a country can host several ethnic groups at the same time who are living in close proximity with each other.

This requires cultural sensitivity and knowledge in order to avoid stereotypes due to ignorance and wrong perceptions. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had seen the need for people to live together in peace despite their differences and accept cultural diversity by advocating for “the science of human relationships.” This brief paper examines the value of cultural knowledge in fostering peace and goodwill. Discussion – the cultural theory of sociology and anthropology states that culture is the sum total of the way of life of a group of people; the individual inherits the social legacy of this group and is profoundly influenced by this cumulative legacy of experiences of prior generations (Kluckhohn 1985).

This legacy consists of the beliefs, values, and norms of the particular group and it may be hard or difficult for a person to deviate from this upbringing by doing something else which contradicts the wishes of the group to which he or she belongs. A clear understanding of this premise is necessary to connect with this individual through interpersonal communication. The anecdote I am narrating here is about a new kid who emigrated from the Far East. He hails from Japan and is distinctively Japanese in his manner of speaking, dress, and behavior.

However, he also speaks excellent English as he had been privately tutored while still in Japan as his parents were from the middle-class and could afford a tutor for a foreign language lesson. He seems friendly, outgoing, fun-loving, inquisitive, intelligent, and highly sensitive too. People from the Far East countries of China, Japan, Korea, and to a large extent also in other countries where Confucian values are prominent including Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have a humble and deferential attitude towards other people, especially of elders.

In this regard, I knew my new neighborhood friend will always defer to the wishes of his parents. It is inconceivable or unthinkable for him to go against their wishes, unlike most of American kids who instead value personal freedom and individuality to follow what they want in life. Most of the Asian countries and also countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are thought as high-context societies which means people from these places prefer polite language always or intentionally use ambiguity to convey a message in personal communication (Norales, 2006).

Low-context countries of Scandinavia, the United States of America, Germany, and most of Europe use direct language to sent a message which can be misinterpreted as uncouth, uneducated or discourteous by Asians and so I was extra careful when I suggested to him that we go see a movie that was showing at the local theater this coming weekend. His reply was a very non-committal way by saying he will just call me later if he could make it but I knew that he will probably ask his parents permission first before agreeing.

His body language was indicative of a preference to join me but his language said otherwise but considering his culture I understood. Conclusion – cultural sensitivity should be learned by everybody because the world of today is becoming more of a single global village in which people from all places live together. This is due to a number of factors like increasing immigration, regional conflicts that displace a lot of people, those seeking a new life, those pursuing higher or better educational opportunities, globalization of trade, service, finance, and commerce, and lastly, even climate change as people are forced to move to another country because of rising sea levels in their home country.

ReferencesKluckhohn, C. (1985). “Queer Customs.” In Clyde Kluckhohn (Ed.), Mirror for Man: The Relation of Anthropology to Modern Life (pp. 64-69). Tucson, AZ, USA: University of Arizona Press.Norales, F. O. (2006). Cross-cultural Communication: Concepts, Cases, and Challenges. Youngstown, NY, USA: Cambria Press.Due: July 16, 2014 @ 6:40 a.m.