Intercultural Communication

Chapter 1 1

Introduction to Intercultural Communication

1.1 What is Intercultural Communication (IC)?
“Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies

communication across different cultures and social groups, or how
culture affects communication.” (Wikipedia)

“Intercultural communication is the study and practice of
communication across cultural contexts.” (Milton J. Bennett, Ph.D.
Intercultural Development Research Institute)

Intercultural communication—communication between people
of different cultures—cannot allow the easy assumption of similarity.
By definition, cultures are different in their languages, behavior
patterns, and values (Bennett,1998).

Thus, Intercultural Communication is communication between
people from different cultures and social groups, including individuals
with different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. It
seeks to understand the differences in how people from a variety of
cultures act, communicate, and see the world around them.

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

1.2 Cultural Iceberg 2

Culture can be separated into two general categories: "Big C"
culture and "Small c" culture. We all learned at least some "Big C"
culture in our language classes: Who are the great writers, artists, and
musicians? What are the lasting, famous works of art, music, and
literature? What are the great moments in this culture's history?

What about "Small c" knowledge, things such as the features of
daily life and social values?

A. “Big C” culture
“Big C” culture refers to that culture which is most visible.

Some visible forms of culture include:
• Holidays,
Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

• Art, 3

• Popular culture,

• Literature,

• Food

• Architecture
B. “Small c” culture
“Small c” culture, in contrast, in the more invisible type of

culture associated with a region, group of people, language, etc.
Some examples of little c culture include:

• Communication styles,
• Verbal and non-verbal language symbols,
• Cultural norms (what is proper and improper in social

interactions),
• How to behave,
• Myths and legends

The idea of the cultural iceberg: culture exists both above and
below the waterline. Above the water is The What: what we can see
with our eyes. The What lies beneath the surface of the water:
unmeasurable, hidden aspects of culture such as attitudes, beliefs,
expectations, values, and assumptions. The greater mass of culture
lies beneath, and we must make an effort to recognize and
understand it.

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

1.3 Context in Culture 4
Context, in a cultural sense, refers to the more understated

aspects of conversation and interaction. Some cultures expect people to
be very direct and explicit with their communication (or low context),
whereas others anticipate a preponderance of shared cultural values will
allow dialogue to be more indirect and subtle (or high context).

The terms "high-context culture" and "low-context culture" are
used to describe cultures based on how explicit the messages
exchanged are and how much the context means in specific situations.
The anthropologist Edward T. Hall first introduced these ideas in his
1976 book Beyond Culture. Messages exchanged in a high-context
culture, according to Hall, carry implicit meanings with more
information than they actually spoken parts, whereas messages
exchanged in a low-context culture have a clear meaning with nothing
implied beyond the words used.

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

A. High-context cultures 5

High-context cultures (including much of the Middle East,
Asia, Africa, and South America) are relational, collectivist, intuitive,
and contemplative. This means that people in these cultures emphasize
interpersonal relationships. Developing trust is an important first step
to any business transaction. According to Hall, these cultures are
collectivist, preferring group harmony and consensus to individual
achievement. And people in these cultures are less governed by reason
than by intuition or feelings. Words are not so important as context,
which might include the speaker’s tone of voice, facial expression,
gestures, posture—and even the person’s family history and status. A
Japanese manager explained his culture’s communication style to an
American: “We are a homogeneous people and don’t have to speak as
much as you do here. When we say one word, we understand ten, but
here you have to say ten to understand one.” High-context
communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Flowery
language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical.

B. Low-context cultures

Low-context cultures (including North America and much of
Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-
oriented. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and
directness. Solving a problem means lining up the facts and evaluating
one after another. Decisions are based on fact rather than intuition.
Discussions end with actions. And communicators are expected to be

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

straightforward, concise, and efficient in telling what action is 6
expected. To be absolutely clear, they strive to use precise words and
intend them to be taken literally. Explicit contracts conclude
negotiations. This is very different from communicators in high-
context cultures who depend less on language precision and legal
documents. High-context business people may even distrust contracts
and be offended by the lack of trust they suggest.

Once we understand how communication differs in high and
low context cultures, we will be able to appreciate these differences
and take steps to close the communication gap instead of becoming
trapped by cultural differences and causing misunderstanding and
unnecessary conflict

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

1.4 Importance of Intercultural Communication 7

Intercultural Communication it helps people understand each
other and avoid confusion. Let’s give this a bit more context by looking
at why Intercultural Communication is so important for many people
in the workplace.

A. Intercultural Communication and Teamwork
Many of today’s companies and organizations are

multicultural. Employees come from around the world. This is not only
the case with global and international brands but also domestic
companies and organizations (including the Third Sector) which have
culturally diverse employees. Learning to communicate and work with
people from different cultures is essential if these organizations want
to be successful. So, in this regard, Intercultural Communication is
important because it helps teamwork.

B. Intercultural Communication and the Military
Believe it or not, many militaries spend a lot of money on

teaching their troops Intercultural Communication. Why? Because
Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

when they spend time in foreign countries, they must learn to adapt 8
their communication style in order to ingratiate themselves with the
locals, or at least, in order to gain intelligence. In the USA, for example,
the Army, Navy and Marine Corps (plus others) all offer training in
Intercultural Communication or similar. In this context, Intercultural
Communication is important as it could be the difference between life
or death.

C. Intercultural Communication and Healthcare

Another field in which Intercultural Communication can mean
life or death is in healthcare. Doctors, nurses and medical professionals
are now given training in Cultural Competence in order to improve
healthcare for all patients. An ignorance of someone’s culture and how
they communicate can lead to poor care, misdiagnosis and potential
damage to health. For example, if a doctor doesn’t understand that in
some cultures the elderly won’t divulge intimate details in front of
family members, that Doctor is not going to get the information they
need when a son or daughter brings in an elderly parent. They need to
understand this and ask the child to leave so a private conversation can
be had. So, in this example, Intercultural Communication is important
as it ensures good care.

D. Intercultural Communication and Teaching

For teaching professionals working in multicultural schools,
learning about Intercultural Communication is essential as it otherwise
can lead to discrimination, bias and alienation of children from

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

different backgrounds. Some cultures teach their kids to be quiet and 9
respect authority, others to be expressive and challenge ideas. Some
cultures wait to be asked to speak, others speak when they have
something to say. The point is, as a teacher if you don’t understand the
different ways your students communicate, you can make some bad
judgement calls. In the context of school and education, Intercultural
Communication is important because it prevents bad teaching.

E. Intercultural Communication and Marketing/Advertising

A final example of the importance of Intercultural
Communication is the marketing and advertising industry. A failure to
understand differences in communication around the world can lead to
all sorts of marketing fails and PR disasters. A lack of awareness over
cultural issues can even lead to claims of cultural appropriation and
similar. Today the industry is much more culture-savvy, understanding
that to run a successful ad or marketing campaign, it has to be in tune
with the target audience and their values. So, in this regard,
Intercultural Communication is important because it helps brands reach
their audiences.

So, as you can see, Intercultural Communication is important for
lots of reasons; probably too many to count. Pretty much every side of
modern-day life needs some awareness of Intercultural
Communication, whether that’s for tourists travelling abroad on
vacation, businesspeople negotiating a merger or a lecturer with
students from around the world.

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

Let’s check your understanding 10
Exercise 1 Ture / False
1………. An English anthropologist Edward T. Hall developed a
metric for measuring communication differences across cultures by
using high context and low context.
2………High context and low context cultures can help us
understand factors that either impair or facilitate communication
between people from different cultural backgrounds.
3………Messages exchanged in a low-context culture carry
implicit meanings that contain more information than the actual
spoken parts.
4………In a high-context culture, messages have a clear
meaning with nothing implied beyond the words used.
5………A failure to understand differences in communication
around the world can lead to all sorts of marketing fails and PR
disasters.
6. ………An ignorance of someone’s culture and how they
communicate can lead to poor care.
7………. Architecture is considered as “Small c” culture.
8……… Communication styles is considered as “Big C” culture

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

Exercise 2 Look at this picture and answer the following 11
questions.

1) Which countries have low-context cultures?
2) Which countries have high-context cultures?

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

3)What are the low-context culture's communication styles? 12
4)What are the high-context culture's communication styles?
5) What are the communication styles of the people in your country?

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom

References 13

Bennett, M. J. (1998). Intercultural communication: A current
perspective. Basic concepts of intercultural communication: Selected readings,
1, 1-34.

https://stc.uws.edu.au/pwe/Assets/hall_hofstede.htm
https://c3consulting.dk/en/about-c3-consulting/cultural-models-and-tools/low-and-
high-context-communication
http://tomodachistem.rice.edu/resources/intercultural-communication-skills/
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/high-context-
culture#5M2Z1bBSSNOrAuKuP00v2x
https://www.commisceo-global.com/blog/what-is-intercultural-communication-and-
why-is-it-important#C1
https://erasmusmyway.wordpress.com/2017/05/19/big-c-culture-little-c-culture/

Intercultural Communication - Chaisri Sriprom