I. Culture: A learned meaning system

A. Surface-level culture: popular culture

1. The most surface-level artifacts or systems that have mass appeal

2. U.S. popular culture dominates globally (Nike, Coca-Cola, etc.)

B. Intermediate-level culture: symbols, meanings, and norms

1. Symbol: a sign, artifact, word(s), gesture, or nonverbal behavior that stands for or reflects something meaningful (e.g., language)

2. Meanings: interpretations that we attach to a symbol

3. Cultural norms: collective expectations of proper or improper behavior

C. Deep-level culture: traditions, beliefs, and values

1. Culturally shared traditions: includes myths, legends, ceremonies, and rituals passed on from one generation to the next

2. Culturally shared beliefs: fundamental assumptions or worldviews held dearly without question

3. Cultural values: priorities that guide “good” or “bad” behavior, “desirable” or “undesirable” practices, and “fair” or “unfair” actions.

a. Instrumental values: guidelines for conduct

b. Terminal values: preferable end goals

II. Understanding intercultural communication: a process model

A. An intercultural difference alertness model

1. “Mutual alertness” state: both are aware faux pas has been committed

2. “Mutual obliviousness” state: both are completely unaware of the problem

3. “One-sided attention” state: only Person A is aware of the intercultural mistake

4. “One-sided attention” state: Only Person B is aware of the intercultural mistake

B. Intercultural communication process: overall characteristics

1. Symbolic exchange: verbal and nonverbal symbols between a minimum of two individuals to accomplish shared meanings

a. Digital aspects: content information that we convey

b. Analogical aspects: “picturesque” or affective meanings

2. Process: interdependent nature of the intercultural encounter

a. Transactional: simultaneous encoding and decoding

b. Irreversible: same message can produce different impressions

3. Different cultural community: interacting group within a bounded unit who uphold shared traditions and way of life

4. Negotiate shared meanings: goal of having our message understood

5. Interactive situation: occurs in relational, psychological, and physical context

III. Practicing intercultural process thinking

A. Process consciousness: Underlying principles

1. Principle 1: often, mismatched expectations stem from cultural group membership differences

2. Principle 2: often, varying degrees of biased intergroup perceptions

3. Principle 3: simultaneous encoding and decoding of verbal and nonverbal messages likely to be misjudged

4. Principle 4: involves multiple goals: content, relational, identity

5. Principle 5: understanding and acceptance of diverse communication approaches and styles is called for

6. Principle 6: involves well-meaning culture bumps or clashes

7. Principle 7: takes place in a context (physical setting, etc.)

8. Principle 8: always takes place in embedded systems

IV. Intercultural toolkit: recaps and checkpoints

A flexible intercultural communicator:

A. Emphasizes a process-focused approach

B. Recognizes separate, ethnocentric realities that divide us

C. Is willing to suspend snapshot, evaluative judgments concerning differences

D. Can deal with ambiguities and paradoxes

E. Can communicate appropriately, effectively, adaptively, and creatively