Introduction to

Intercultural
Competence
Lustig Chapter 1 Notes
 The Demographic Imperative

Since 2000, over half of the

overall US population Multiracial demographic
Largest, most extensive
growth has been Latinos, within children is among
wave of cultural mixing
with another high rate of the fastest growing
growth in Asian Americans.

The percentage rate of

Minorities are becoming
Nation wide phenomenon immigrants are at a peak
majorities. Multicultural
of cultural diversity low in comparison to years
societies.
past.

This demographic change

requires an increase
emphasis on intercultural
competence.
 The Technological Imperative

Global Village: Consequences of mass media’s ability to bring events from

the far reaches of the globe, into peoples homes, thus shrinking the world.

Movement from one country and culture to another has become common
place.

Communication and interpersonal relationships with people thousands of

miles away is now possible because of technology.
 The Economic Imperative

The US workplace reflects the

There is now a global demographic population
marketplace because of global changes, meaning other
interdependence. cultures, views and opinions,
have to be considered.
 The Peace Imperative

There is a need not only to understand other cultures but also to appreciate other
cultures.

Hate crimes are at an all time high. People must learn their culture isn’t the end all and
they need to learn to live alongside many different cultures. It is not going to disappear.
 The Interpersonal Imperative

Because different people from different

cultures exist everywhere, there is an
Building of relationships outside of our
obligation and expectation that we
own cultures.
must learn to live and communicate
with the different cultures.
 A symbolic, interpretative,
Communication transactional, contextual
process in which people
create shared meaning.
Symbolic

• Symbol – a word, action or object that

stands for or represents a unit of meaning.
• Meaning – A perception, thought, or feeling
that a person experiences and might want
to communicate to others.
• The formation and combination of symbols
and meaning creates a message.
• Symbols are not always interpreted the
same way by all people. That is where the
hazard is.
 Communication is an interpretative process

Interpretative Outcome # 1 of the process is understanding.

• Participants have imposed similar or shared interpretations

about what the message actually means

Outcome #2 of the process is agreement

• Each participant understands the others interpretations

and shares a similar view.
• Not a requirement for communication
 Transactional
• All participants in the communication process work
together to create and sustain meanings that develop.
• Earliest views on communication described it as actional:
meaning there was a sense of persuasion, not
understanding. This view is not helpful in intercultural
competence
• Interactional communication requires feedback. Its
primary goal is for the sender to influence or control the
receiver. This view is still not very helpful in intercultural
competence.
• Transactional communication recognized the value that
communication can have as it improves ones knowledge,
seeks understanding, develop agreements, and negotiate
shared meaning. All participants are engaged at all times.
This is the most valuable perspective for intercultural
competence.
Communication Models Feedback

Message Message
Sender Reciever
Sender

Actional View of Communication Interactional View of Communication

Messages

Person 1 Person 2

Transactional View of Communication

 Communication is Contextual

1 2 3
The physical Context: Social Context: Widely shared Interpersonal Context:
Location; knowledge about expectations people hold to Expectations people have
physical context leads to be true about about others behaviors. Your
meanings of intended communication. communication differs based
communication. on your relationships.
 Communication as a process

At different stages, the

Communication same message can have
Communication isn’t
changes, develops, and very different meanings
static
evolves because of the change in
communication.
 A form of communication that involves a
small number of individuals who are
interacting exclusively with one another
Interpersonal and who therefore have the ability both
Communication to adapt their messages specifically for
those others and to obtain immediate
interpretations from them.
Interpersonal Communication

1 2
1. Small Number of people: person 2. Interacting exclusively with one
to person and a social bond exists another: Communication involves
between the people sensory functions and identifies
communicating. clear participants. With
Technology, it can be sustained
without face to face channels.
3 4
3. Adapted to Specific Others: 4. Immediate Interpretations:
Messages can be expressed to fit Interpretation is almost
the identified group of people that simultaneous with the message.
its being communicated with.
 • The top of the iceberg shows
the parts of intercultural
competence that people can
observer, while what is
underneath remains hidden
and takes longer to uncover.

Iceberg Communication
Analogy
 Culture and
Intercultural
Communication
Lustig & Koester Chapter 2 Notes
 “A learned set of shared
interpretations about beliefs,
values, norms, and social practices,
which affect the behaviors of a
relatively large group of people”
(Lustig & Koester, p.25).
 1. Culture is Learned: Culture is not related to genetics but
rather taught through behaviors, interactions, and
conversations between people.
2. Set of Shared Interpretations: Meanings of symbols is
shared between members of cultures, it is not simply an
individuals beliefs or interpretations of symbols.
3. Beliefs, Values, Norms, Social Practices:
Components • Beliefs – basic understanding of a group of people about
what the world is like and what is true vs. false.
of Culture • Values – what a group of people defines as good vs. bad
• Norms – the appropriate behaviors or expectations of a
group of people.
• Social Practices – the predictable behavior patterns
within members of a cultural group.
4. Affects on Behavior: culture is not driven by what people
are thinking, but rather by what they are doing.
5. Involves Large Groups of People: exists within large groups
of people.
Related Terms, Not Culture
Nation: not equivalent to culture. Nation refers to a government and set of legal
systems

Race: physical similarities shared between people.

Ethnicity: A term used to refer to a wide group of people who might share a
language, historical origins, religion, nation-state, and cultural system.

Subculture: a term used to describe racial and ethnic minority groups that share
both a common nation-state with other cultures.
Why Culture Differs
History effects cultures because
of the shared unique
experiences
Biology or the inherited
characteristics passed down
from a common ancestry can
effect culture.
Ecology or the external
environment effects culture and
the ways in which people can
interact with each other.
Institutional Networks or formal
organizations that exist within
cultural groups effect the
nature of the culture.
Technology and the use of
technology differs from place to
place, therefore effecting the
culture of groups of people
Interpersonal Communication
Patterns or the combination of
nonverbal and verbal
communication between
people within a cultural group
effect the nature of the culture.
“Occurs when large and important cultural differences create dissimilar
interpretations and expectations about how to communicate competently”
(Lustig & Koester).

Intercultural Communication
 • It is difficult to say at times whether
an interaction or relationship can be
described as intercultural
communication, rather defining
intercultural communication
happens on a scale.
• Communication between two
people can shift and become
less intercultural as time goes
on
• Overtime communication will
become less intercultural
between people as people
learn and understand the
differences between
communication.
• There will always be
differences in how two people

Continuum of Intercultural communicate, but the extent

of those differences varies.

Communication
 Intercultural – description of communication at one end of
the continuum or spectrum of communication. Takes place
when there are large differences or misunderstandings
between people.
Intracultural – description at the other end of the continuum
of communication and takes place when communication
between those that are similar culturally takes place.
Related
Terms Interracial and Interethnic communication is a part of the
bigger umbrella of intercultural communication

Cross-cultural Communication takes place when

communication for understanding or comparison between
cultures takes place.
 Intercultural
Communication
Competence
Lustig & Koester, Chapter 3
Metaphors of U.S Cultural
Diversity
• Melting Pot: A mix, fuse and blend of many different cultures.
• Tributaries: There are a lot of smaller cultures that ultimately flow
into a larger culture. Cultures within a culture that create one
culture while ultimately still highlighting the smaller cultures within
it.
• Rainbow: People from different cultures that live together in
peaceful harmony
• Tapestry Metaphor: Each thread is representative of a culture or
person within the U.S. There are many different threads within the
tapestry, but they come together to form a beautiful culture where
the differences are seen within the beauty of the greater culture.
• Garden Salad: Continuously changing; smaller distinct array of
cultures that are blended to create another larger culture.
“Competent communication is interaction that
is perceived as effective in fulfilling certain
rewarding objectives in a way that is also
appropriate to the context which the
interaction occurs in” (Lustig & Koester, 2013,
p.61).
Components of
Intercultural Competence
1. Appropriate and Effective:
• Behaviors are proper and are what is expected given the
circumstances of the communication
• The communication also results in the desired outcome
2. Knowledge
• Information about the people, context, and social norms in which
one is communicating with
• This is vital in order to appropriately and effectively
communicate
• General information – such as knowledge that cultures differ
• Specific Information – knowledge that leads to understanding of
a specific culture.
Components of
Intercultural Competence
3. Motivations:
• Set of emotional associations that people
have when communicating
• Feelings and intentions for communicating
4. Skills:
• Actual performance of behaviors regarded
as appropriate and effective in
communicating.
BASICs Overview
• Display of Respect: The ability to show respect and positive regard for other
people and their cultures
• Orientation to Knowledge: The recognition that individuals experiences
shape what they know
• Empathy: The capacity to behave as though you understand the world as
others do.
• Interaction Management: Skills regulating conversations and taking turns
• Task Role Behavior: Behaviors that involve the initiation of ideas related to
mediation
• Tolerance for Ambiguity: The ability to react to new and ambiguous
situations with little visible discomfort
• Interaction Posture: The ability to respond to others in descriptive,
nonevaluative, and nonjudgmental ways.
 Display of Respect: Lebanese find the way to display utmost respect is by display the elders no
matter what social class they come from.

Orientation of Knowledge: The Lebanese people want to know about the individual they are talking
to on a personal level, therefore there is a sense of accepting many different world views or
knowledge of truth, though they will not waiver from their own understanding of truth.

Empathy: Display of emotions is extremely common within communication in Lebanon. This means
not only do they care deeply during conversations but at time can quickly become angered, this will
dissipate quickly though.

BASICs in Interaction Management: Conversations in Lebanon are eloquent yet animated at the same time.
Conversations go back and forth for long periods of time.

Lebanon Task Role Behavior: Relationships are far more important than the task, therefore before focusing on
the task the Lebanese will spend time caring for and about the others in the room.

Relational Role Behavior: Relationships are key to the Lebanese culture, therefore take time to get to
know a great deal about those around you.

Tolerance for Ambiguity: communication is very indirect in Lebanon and it would be considered rude
to directly communicate with others.

Interaction Posture: Display of emotions in Lebanon are extremely common. One will know through
tone of voice and body language the expression of emotions that another has.
Cultural Patterns &
Communication
Foundations
Lustig & Koester, Chapter 4 Notes
 Affect perceptions of competence

These are the aspects of communication, such as shared

beliefs, values, norms and social practices that are shared
between a culture. They play an important role in learning
Cultural to communicate effectively across culture.

Patterns
Shape judgements that one may have

Not consciously taught, but rather observed and

experienced over time.
 What one believes as truth

Central beliefs: A cultures fundamental teachings of truth and

Beliefs expectations.

Peripheral Beliefs: personal tastes or beliefs that one holds.

There are also universal beliefs that all
Beliefs are unconsciously held and assumed.
cultures hold, such as the world being round
 Values

1 2 3
What a culture defines as good Different values within cultures A culture also sees different
and bad, right or wrong, fair or hold different weights of values as positive or negative,
unfair, just or unjust, beautiful or importance. This is the intensity which is known as the valence of
ugly, clean or dirty, valuable or of a value. a value.
worthless, appropriate or
inappropriate, and kind or cruel.
Norms

EXPECTATIONS OF APPROPRIATE EXIST FOR A WIDE RANGE OF THIS IS WHAT DETERMINES WHAT
BEHAVIOR THAT IS SHARED BEHAVIORS IS THE RIGHT BEHAVIOR IN A
WITHIN A CULTURE. CULTURE
Social Practices
• Predictable behaviors that are shared between people within a
culture.
• Can be formal or informal: Informal refers to social practices
within a culture that involve daily task, where as formal
practices are more structured around rituals, ceremonies or
structured routines.
Cultural Patterns in Lebanon
Component of Cultural Pattern Lebanon

Beliefs The culture in Lebanon is largely conservative and places a high amount of
respect on their traditions. It is a largely Arab population, and both the Islamic
and Christian roots of its history are seen in what they hold as truth in the
country.
Values In Lebanon, the core values include: honor, sincerity, integrity, hospitality,
sensitivity, adaptability and wariness.
Norms Relationships play a key role in the culture of Lebanon. Take time to get to
know the people around you, when invited into a home, it is respectful to
accept that invitation, expect that conversations will be gesture filled and that
very little direct communication will take place.
Social Practices Offer sympathy to those around you, be open about yourself and your life, act
by your word, time is not punctual in Lebanon, the left hand is considered
unclean, and physical contact is common among people in Lebanon.
 Activity
• On the continuum of being-becoming-doing
Orientation: • Answers the following questions: Is it important
How people to be engaged in activities in order to be a good
view human member of ones culture? Can and should people
change the circumstances of their lives? Is work
actions and the different from play? Which is more important,
expression of work or play? Is life a series of problems to be
solved or simply a collection of events to be
Orientations self through
activities
experienced?

of Cultural
Patterns • Social Hierarchy
Social Relations: • The importance of formality
How people in a • The Number of groups one may identify with
• Appropriate behavior between females and
culture organize males
themselves. • The tendency for people to be direct or indirect
in communication
 Self-Orientation: How
peoples identities are • Are people inherently good or bad
formed, are changed, • Do people make decisions based on self or
and what motivates for the good of others.
individuals actions • What makes a person valued or cherished
within a culture

Orientations World Orientation: this

orientation focuses on • Is the physical and spiritual world one and

of Cultural the relation between

people and the
physical and spiritual
the same or are they different
• Where do humans fit within the physical
and spiritual world
Patterns worlds.

• Are people more important or is the task

Time Orientation: How more important
people conceptualize
• Fast-paced vs slow paced
time
• The meaning of being on time
Orientation
Activity Orientation
Social Relations Orientation
Self-Orientation
World Orientation
Time Orientation
Host Culture
The Lebanese hold high the relationships of people. Work and
play overlaps because in order to work well, you must take the
time to get to know people deeply. Its not just about doing a
task.
Social classes are highly considered in Lebanon and all respect
goes to those in a higher class or of higher age than one
another. However, people from different classes are still in
relation with one another.
Lebanon is a very moral and respectful country. A person is
valued and cherished when they spend time caring for the
individuals around them, rather than being self center.
Part of the historical aspect of Lebanon is rooted in the
religions of its cultures. Lebanese people understand there is a
separation between the world they are in now and what
comes after death, however they also believe that what they
do now will affect what is next. Therefore, they place high
value on morality.
Time is not punctual in Lebanon. Most people run late to
meetings and meetings are normally started by relational
conversations.
My Culture
People in America place a high value on working
hard while at work and playing later. It is more
about doing and getting things done than just
existing.
Socially, there is far less focus on a social
hierarchy in America. People communicate and
spend time in relation with males and females.
The value is in direct communication.
America is very individualistic by nature. Decisions
are made by what is best for the person not
necessarily for others.
Though many believe in some sort of God, the
spiritual morality and drive is much less apparent
in todays American Culture. However, people still
hold the value of morality to a high standard.
Tasks are highly coveted and important in
America. Time moves quickly and punctuality is a
sign of respect.

Learning the cultural patterns and
orientations that a culture is defined by,
we can begin to demonstrate cultural
competence and communicate effectively
within a culture other than our own
Intercultural Competence
“For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them” Ephesians 2:10.
• The Lord created each person uniquely and
creatively. Within that He also created cultures of
similarity and difference. But within those
differences we must remember that they are still the
Lords workmanship and therefore worthy to take the
time to get to know.
Cultural Patterns and
Communication:
Taxonomies
Lustig & Koester Chapter 5 Notes
Hall’s High and Low Context Cultural Taxonomy
• High Context: Meaning is implied
through gestures, surroundings, and
contextual clues
• Low Context: Meaning is precise and
explicit in code.
• Another way to think about high
context and low context cultures
is that High context cultures often
use indirect messages and low
context cultures often use direct
messages.
• High Context cultures seek to
convey harmony while
communicating, where as low
context cultures seeks to convey
exact meaning.
 Hall’s High and Low Context Cultural Taxonomy

• In a high context culture, it is easy to

tell who is apart of the culture and
who is a foreigner. Rituals and cultural
behaviors play an important role in the
acceptance into the culture.
• Low Context cultures are governed by
time
• High context cultures are governed by
people and relationships.
Characteristics
of High and
Low Context
Cultures
Characteristics
of High and
Low Context
Cultures
 Hofstede’s Cultural Taxonomy

• Based on the idea of people have carrying a mental program that is developed
during childhood and then reinforced by the culture that surrounds them.
• Within this Taxonomy Hofstede identifies five dimensions of culture:
• Power distance: The level at which social class systems affect a culture. For low
power distance cultures, people are trying to minimizing social inequalities,
where as for high power distance cultures there is a protection given to the
natural hierarchy of social classes.
• Uncertainty Avoidance: cultures differ in the way in which they adapt to
uncertainty in their cultures. Some are not bothered by ambiguity and change,
where as other fear the idea of change within their culture. This can create
barriers when communicating across cultures, making others seem either too
structured or unwilling to conform.
 Hofstede’s Cultural Taxonomy
• Individualism vs. Collectivism: Cultures, in general, tend to either be
group oriented and focused on relationships above all else or they are
individualistic cultures, looking out for the good of themselves first and
then others second.
• One can identify individualism by the common use of I and me, where as
Collectivism cultures more frequently use, we and us.
• Cultures marked by individualism also tend to be focused on privacy, self, and
independence
• Masculinity vs Femininity: Cultures vary along a dimension that either
encourages behaviors that promote masculinity and femininity or
valuing life choices and less focus on the idea of gender roles.
• Time Orientation: In Hofstede’s Cultural taxonomy the idea of time
orientation is the way in which people view time, not based on
relationships and tasks, but rather through short-term and long-term
views on time. This can be displayed through an eagerness to see quick
results or experience of quick change for short- term-oriented
countries, or through the value in elders and persistence in life
circumstances that long-term-oriented cultures have.
• Indulgence versus Restraint: Cultures also tend to be defined by
whether the people seek and value pleasure and enjoyment over self-
discipline and self-control.
Hofstede’s Cultural Taxonomy
 • Schwartz approaches culture with the idea that there
are common problems that each culture faces that they
must come to a conclusion on.
• Schwartz identifies three different problems that
cultures must resolve
• Autonomy versus Embeddedness: A culture must
determine if they view one another as part of one group
Schwartz’s and therefore people should blend in, or as unique
individuals encouraged to their unique preferences and
Cultural capabilities
• Egalitarianism versus Hierarchy: A culture must also
Taxonomy determine if all people are social equal or if there is
more desire to maintain a hierarchical social class
system.
• Harmony versus Mastery: A culture, finally, determines
their relation in comparison to nature. Harmony cultures
view the social and natural world as one, where as
mastery cultures view nature as something to be ruled
over.
Schwartz’s
Cultural
Taxonomy
 Globe Cultural Taxonomy:

• This Taxonomy builds on the work done by previous researchers and produces nine different characteristics of a culture.
1. Power Distance: the degree in which people believe in social equality versus valuing the hierarchy social class system.
2. Uncertainty Avoidance: The extent in which cultures strive to avoid uncertainty and rely on social norms.
3. In Group Collectivism: The pride and loyalty that one expresses.
4. Institutional Collectivism: The extent in which people practice collective actions and collective distribution of resources.
5. Gender Egalitarianism: The process of relying on gender roles or minimizing the gender role differences that exist.
6. Assertiveness: The degree in which people are assertive and confrontational rather than ambiguous.
7. Performance Orientation: The value that one places on performance within a task.
8. Future Orientation: The degree to which people plan for and look forward to the future.
9. Humane Orientation: The degree in which a culture strives for fairness, friendliness, and generosity.
Cultural Application to Lebanon
Characteristic
Power Distance Lebanon is a culture that highly values the social class system. It is strongly rooted in its hierarchical
societal norms that regulate the interactions between people.
Uncertainty Lebanese people hold cultural norms to a high standard and therefore expect that people would uphold
Avoidance the appropriate cultural behaviors.
In Group Loyalty to family members is an important part of the Lebanese culture. There is an unspoken
Collectivism understanding that one should not shame the family name they have been given.
Institutional Because of the weight that the class system plays in Lebanon, resources are not distributed with equity in
Collectivism Lebanon. Rather resources are given and provided based on the social class of your family.
Gender In terms of Gender Egalitarianism, Lebanon would most likely fall around the middle. There are still rules
Egalitarianism and regulations for what it means to be a man or a women, however women are not necessarily looked
down upon in Lebanon.
Assertiveness The Lebanese speak very indirectly, concerned more about the relationship with others than about
communicating directly.
Performance The relationship with people will always outweigh the importance of task in Lebanon.
Orientation
Future Culture in Lebanon is rooted in its ancestral roots and the Arab culture. Therefore, people in Lebanon
Orientation tend to be more long term focused rather than short term focused, not looking to make quick changes.
Humane Lebanon is a culture that seeks to be respectful to all people. They are on neither of the extremes of the
Orientation Humane orientation, but rather a place of safety and respect for all.
 Cultural Identity
and Cultural Biases
Lustig & Koester Chapter 6 Notes
 • “Refers to one’s sense of belonging to a
particular culture or ethnic group. It is
formed in a process that results from
Cultural membership in a particular culture and
it involves learning about and
Identity accepting the traditions, heritage,
language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics,
thinking patters, and social structures
of a culture” (Lustig & Koester, p. 130).
 Social Identity & Personal Identity

Social Identity: This is another form of

identity that humans develop. It is
the identity and the characteristics Personal Identity is unique to the
formed by the people that they person and comes out of the unique
surround themselves and socialize characteristics, abilities, and
with. For example, the identity of a personalities that one has.
baseball player differs from that of a
musician.
 Formation of Cultural Identity
• There are different stages in which identity is formed and developed in an individual.
• Unexamined cultural identity: this typically takes place at a younger age, when the idea and
understanding of the differences that exist is not apparent. This also exists when one just takes
advantage of the cultural heritage, they have been raised up in.
• Cultural Identity Search: this is the process of exploring and questioning one’s culture. During
this time people are eager to learn about culture and ask questions about the culture they have
been raised in. There may be an emotional factor during this stage..
• Cultural Identity Achievement: when you have confidence and acceptance in who you are.
 • When one is defined by their culture and shares a
cultural identity, they begin to form cultural biases.
• A cultural Bias is when one begins to become so
comfortable with the culture that they are in, that
they do not interact with other cultures or consider
other cultures perspectives.
Cultural Biases • A culture shares experiences and shared meaning of
communication, it is much easier and comfortable
to only share and interact with people that view life
in the same lens. However, we must fight against
this, because ultimately no culture is greater than
another; cultures are simply different.
 Social Categorizing
• The three different ways in which all humans process
information.
• Cognitively: the physical process of the brain processing the
information that is imputed. Over time, this information is
organized, categorized, and connections are made to make
meaning of what the brain intakes.
• Ethnocentrism: This is the preferred way in which one
should act, and it is perceived by other members of the
culture. This is a learned belief that highlights and
exaggerates cultural differences.
• Stereotyping: From the perceptions that people observe
and learn, generalizations are then made. When
generalizations are made, this is called a stereotype. All
cultures have stereotypes that they are defined by and that
others use to describe them.
 • Prejudice: This is a negative attitude that one has towards
other people, based on faulty stereotypes.
• We must be cautious of the stereotypes that we
carry and evaluate the truth behind them. Carrying
and believing a stereotype that is not true of others
can be hurtful.
• Discrimination: this is not just an attitude of negativity or
Negatives of dislike of people, but it is also the behaviors associated
with disliking people. This can be unequal treatment of
Culture people, gender roles, and segregation.
• Racism: The process of characterizing people who are
different from us, by their physical traits.
• In becoming Interculturally competent, we must
refrain from identifying people by physical traits and
assuming that they are apart of a particular culture
because of the physical traits they may have.
Biblical Applications
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the
secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw
my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be”
- Psalm 139: 13-16
- The Lord made all of mankind fearfully and wonderfully. Our differences are
wonderful to the Lord and something that should be celebrated not shamed.
 Nonverbal
Intercultural
Communication
Lustig & Koester Chapter 8 Notes
 The ways in which people communicate without words,
Nonverbal including all forms of communication other than linguistic
communication
Communication
 Nonverbal Characteristics

Multichanneld: can Multifunctional: Can

occur in a variety of fulfill several goals of Enacted Enacted
ways and communication Spontaneously Subconsciously
simultaneously simultaneously

They Convey People process

Most are continuous
meanings in subtle nonverbal messages
and natural
and covert ways with less awareness
 Same body parts are used for nonverbal
expressions

Nonverbal Channels are used to convey similar

information
Universal Nonverbal messages accompany verbal
Nonverbal communication
Communication
The motives for using nonverbal communication
are similar across cultures

Nonverbal messages are used to coordinate and

control a range of contexts and relationships
 Cultural Variations
Repertoire: Certain movements,
body positions, postures, vocal
intonations, gestures, spatial
requirements and even dances
are specific to cultures.
All cultures display rules in
Cultures differ in the ways that
nonverbal communication such
they interpret nonverbal
as when it is required, preferred,
communication. Interpretations
permitted or prohibited. Rules
can be random, idiosyncratic or
also allow understanding as to
unique to relationship, or shared
what intensity of a behavior is
across groups of people.
acceptable.
 Provide Information: As in verbal communication, this is the primary function
of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is most useful to
convey global meanings and emotions.
Managing impressions: what does one look like or what does their
appearance say about them.

Nonverbal Expressing Emotions: through facial expressions and tone of voice

Functions
Regulating interactions: nonverbal codes help to maintain the back-and-forth
sequencing of conversations

Conveying relationship messages: Interpersonal relationships are developed

and sustained through nonverbal codes.
 Physical Appearance

Physical appearance can include:

This is one of the first cues that we body shape, size, type, facial
use when interacting with people. features, height, weight, skin color,
and eye color

Physical appearance expresses one’s

Within physical appearance we also personal identity, cultural identity,
notice body modifications or body social affiliations, preferences,
adornments moods, status, attractiveness,
relationships and much more.
Environment
• Encompasses the physical features or
characteristics of our surroundings.
• Characteristics that effect an environment are,
the formality or sense of politeness that is
required, the warmth or friendliness of people
within the environment, the opportunity for
privacy, its familiarity, constraint or feelings of
being stuck in the setting, and spatial
arrangements within the environment.
• Engaging or recognizing these characteristics
help to show how to act and communicate
within different contexts.
Body Movements
Kinesics: the study of body movements including gestures, head movements, facial expressions, eye behavior, and
other physical displays that can be used for communication.

Emblems: symbols that convey meaning through nonverbal communication channels

Illustrators: Accompany verbal communication and are used to reinforce or emphasize what is being said.

Affect Displays: facial or body movements, most often used to display emotions.

Regulators: help to keep communication moving. Cultural Specific.

Adaptors: a body movement that is a reaction to an individuals physical or psychological state, such as itching.
Adaptors are usually mindless and unintentional.
 • All cultures are organized in some spatial
pattern that reveals the character of the
people within the culture.
• Personal Space is cultural specific
• Colder Climates use larger spaces for
communication, where as warm climate
cultures tend to communicate close in
Personal Space proximity.
• If we are not aware of the climate of the
culture we are in and our culture is not of
the same climate, we can be hindered by
our cultural norms.
• Personal space helps define how far or
close you should stand to another person
when communicating
Personal Space
• Cultures have differences in territoriality
• Territoriality is the need to protect and
defend a particular spatial area
• Cultures differ in the degree of territoriality
that its members exhibit, it can differ in the
range of spaces in which they are territorial,
and they differ in responses to invasion of
territory.
• Display of territory can be marked
informally or formally, depending on the
setting.
 • The most basic component of
human communication
• Touch indicated ones affection
for another person, is a sign of
playfulness between people,
can be used to control others,
is used for ritual purposes like
shaking hands, and can be
used in task-related activities.
• Cultures differ in the
appropriateness and settings
of touch, preference to the
** In some countries this is a sign of friendship, where as in amount of touching, and
America we would think that these two are dating. where people can be touched.

Touch
 Voice

Nonverbal Communication can Vocalic Meanings: refers to the Vocalic Qualities include: pitch, rate There are many differences in
correspond to noise or sounds that many qualities of the voice in of talking, rhythm of conversation, vocalic behaviors across cultures
people make when communicating. correspondence with words that and volume. that we must be aware of in order
create meaning. to communicate effectively.
Time
• Time Orientations: the value of importance people
place on the passage of time.
• Some cultures place a value on the past and
keeping rituals or traditions within the culture,
while others place an emphasis on the present
and encourage spontaneity or immediacy, and
others place importance to the future and have
a high value in accomplishing things so that
tomorrow is better.
 • Time Systems: Rules that are used to arrange sets of
experiences in meaningful ways:
1. Technical Time: precise, scientific measurements
of time. Not often to be used by a culture
2. Formal Time: People value time and therefore
place importance on using time wisely.
3. Informal Time: People value experiences over
time, therefore showing up on time is not of value
or importance.
Time 4. Monochromic time: Valuing completion of one
task before moving onto the next. Time is
segmented into precise, small units.
5. Polychronic Time System: Things are completed
simultaneously. Keeping on schedule is nearly
impossible in these cultures.
• Interculturally competent individuals are aware of the
differences between different cultures and their view on
time and are able to adapt when needed.
 • Rules are norms of nonverbal communication
are both culture-specific and outside of
conscious awareness
• No set of behaviors is universally correct. What
may be right in one culture is wrong in another.
• In order to be interculturally competent we
Intercultural must monitor our emotional reactions in
comparison to those around us, observe those
Competence around us and the gestures being made,
evaluate generalizations that you may have
and observe to see if those generalizations are
accurate, and recognize specific patterns in
cultures
• Remember that it takes time to be culturally
competent within each culture.
 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each
one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member,
God created where would the body be?20 As it is, there are many
parts,[a] yet one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I
uniqueness have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I
have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the
body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on
among the those parts of the body that we think less honorable we
bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are
body and treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more
presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed
across the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked
it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the
cultures for members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one
member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is
His glory. honored, all rejoice together.
- 1 Corinthians 12: 18-26
Effect of Code
Usage
Lustig & Koester Chapter 9 Notes
 Organizations of
Messages
• Cultures organize the structure of their messages differently
• The organizational pattern for the U.S. English is linear; there
is a clear series of steps or progressions that move toward a
goal or idea.
• Speaker Responsible Language: The speaker is expected to
provide structure and therefore much of the specific meaning
of the statements. Speaker is responsible for conveying
meaning.
• Listener Responsible Language: The speakers need to
indicate only indirectly what they are discussing and what
they want the listener to know when the conversation is over.
The listener is responsible for putting the pieces together to
create meaning.
The preferred ways to persuade others are called the culture’s persuasive style.

People from different cultures have different ways of coming to conclusions or what
people might find as rational. These are known as alternative logics or etho-logics.

One difference in Persuasive styles is the way in which evidence is obtained.

• Some prefer evidence to be physical or eyewitness testimony

• Other believe evidence to be emotional based, human behaviors and motivations.

Persuasive Style