Intercultural communication is becoming more and more essential in a globalized world. A couple of years ago, only international managers or diplomats needed to think about intercultural communication and its challenges. Today, this has changed and ordinary people from all over the world and different cultural backgrounds come into contact with each other on a regular base.
The different reasons, primarily driven by technology and globalization as well as the related challenges are presented in the following pages.
This paper presents different frameworks, which help to describe and understand the important elements and issues in intercultural communication. The presented models accept as a prerequisite that all individuals are being affected or interrelated by multiple cultures in various amounts and purposes. The Intercultural Communication Model, the Rainbow Model, A Contextual Model of Intercultural Communication as well as the recent Dimensional Value Framework will be presented and explained in this paper.
All of the four frameworks theorize the relationship between communication and culture while using different approaches and assumptions. As a first result it can be said, that there is no universal valid model on how to communicate in an intercultural context. All frameworks offer helpful guidance and recommendations on how to react within certain circumstances. Which model to use, depends on individual preferences and traceability of each and every one of us.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH PURPOSE
2. BASIC DEFINITIONS
2.1 Culture
2.2 Communication
2.3 Intercultural Communication
3. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
3.1 Needs for Intercultural Communication
3.2 Problems of Intercultural Communication
4. FRAMEWORKS OF THE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
4.1 Intercultural Communication Model
4.2 Rainbow Model
4.3 A Contextual Model of Intercultural Communication
4.4 Dimensional Value Framework
4.4.1 Interpretive Approach
4.4.2 Critical Approach
4.4.3 Communication Approach
5. CRITICAL REVIEW
6. CONCLUSION
Research Purpose and Themes
This paper aims to provide an academic insight into the field of intercultural communication by analyzing key theories and models that explain communicative processes across cultural boundaries, ultimately evaluating their practical applicability and identifying areas for future research.
- Evolution and fundamental definitions of culture and communication.
- Core needs and common challenges in intercultural interactions.
- Analysis of established frameworks: Intercultural Communication Model, Rainbow Model, Contextual Model, and Dimensional Value Framework.
- Critical evaluation of model applicability in global and academic contexts.
- Identification of research gaps regarding non-industrialized nations.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Intercultural Communication Model
In their Intercultural Communication Model, Samovar and Porter (1997) point out that as cultures differ from one another, the communication practices and behaviors of people will inevitably vary as a result of their different perceptions of the world. Intercultural communication can therefore be defined as the study of communication between people whose cultural awareness and symbol systems are sufficiently distinguished to modify their communication. They exemplify the process of how the meaning of a message changes when it is encoded by a person from one culture and decoded by a person from another culture. Possibly, this message will then be interpreted differently than it was intended. Their model indicates the possibility of misunderstandings which always exist in intercultural communication, especially if a huge difference within each culture can be identified.
The figure above shows three different cultures (A, B and C). While the cultures “A” and “B” are considered to be quite similar, culture “C” is somewhat different. It can be recognized that within each culture there is another form similar to the shape of the influencing parent culture. This form represents the person who has been constituted by the parent culture. Since people are all influenced differently by the parent culture (e.g. age, gender, class, race, etc.), the shape of the person is to some extent different from the parent culture. The arrows connecting the figures represent the production, transmission and interpretation of messages across cultures. So, for example, a message leaving culture “A” carries the content of this message as it is intended to culture “B”. However, this message changes when reaching culture “B”, because the new culture influences how this message has to be interpreted.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH PURPOSE: Establishes the importance of intercultural communication in a globalized world and outlines the paper's goal of reviewing major theoretical frameworks.
2. BASIC DEFINITIONS: Provides foundational definitions for the core concepts of culture, communication, and intercultural communication based on diverse academic sources.
3. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: Examines the practical requirements for intercultural interaction and identifies common communicative problems, such as misunderstandings and breakdown.
4. FRAMEWORKS OF THE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: Presents and analyzes four primary models: the Intercultural Communication Model, the Rainbow Model, the Contextual Model, and the Dimensional Value Framework.
5. CRITICAL REVIEW: Critically evaluates the discussed theoretical models, highlighting their overlaps and their practical relevance for modern managers and expatriates.
6. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings and emphasizes the need for further research, particularly focusing on non-industrialized cultures.
Keywords
Intercultural Communication, Globalization, Cultural Diversity, Communication Competence, Rainbow Model, Dimensional Value Framework, Misunderstanding, Cultural Context, Social Support, Intercultural Sensitivity, Communication Styles, Theory Review, Intercultural Awareness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental purpose of this research paper?
The paper aims to offer an academic overview of intercultural communication by defining key concepts and analyzing major theoretical frameworks used to understand communication across different cultures.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The work focuses on defining cultural interaction, identifying the causes of communication barriers, and exploring specific models such as the Rainbow Model and the Dimensional Value Framework.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to clarify the meaning and importance of intercultural communication, present dominant models, and provide a critical review of their applicability in today's global environment.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The paper employs an extensive literature review to map out academic discussions, analyze predominant theories, and provide a critical synthesis of existing models.
What topics are addressed in the main body?
The main body covers basic definitions, the necessity and challenges of intercultural exchange, detailed descriptions of four key theoretical frameworks, and a critical appraisal of these approaches.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Intercultural Communication, Cultural Diversity, Communication Competence, Rainbow Model, and Dimensional Value Framework.
How does the Rainbow Model define communicative competence?
The Rainbow Model incorporates ten specific components of competence, including foreign language ability, cultural distance awareness, self-awareness, motivation, and contextual relationship management.
Why does the author suggest future research should focus on non-industrialized countries?
The author argues that current models are primarily based on Western perspectives, which may be insufficient or inconsiderate when applied to the diverse cultural contexts of Asia, Africa, and other non-industrialized regions.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Swen Beyer (Autor:in), 2010, Intercultural Communication. A literature Review, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/153743
