This paper examines how cultural differences influence intercultural relations. This will be discussed based on theories of culture, intercultural communication and illustrated by examples. Firstly, the concept of culture will be discussed, and different concepts are presented, in order to see the change of the perception of culture in history. Afterwards, intercultural relations will be defined and in order to see the traps one risks to fall in when working intercultural, a national perception of culture will be described.
Subsequently, the concept of essentialism, othering, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism and stereotyping will be examined, to demonstrate how negative their impact is on intercultural relations. As another big part of intercultural relations, the importance of intercultural communication will be discussed.
The concepts presented are finally illustrated by two examples. Firstly, by the study of Ifversen and Thunø, which analyses the influence of cultural differences and the perception of culture when working intercultural. In particular, the cultural differences of the concepts of face and respect are examined and the results of the study will be presented and interpreted. Secondly, the text of Kalin will be displayed, which highlights intercultural problems in the asylum search. The focus here is on the cultural relativity of concepts and different time perceptions.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. What is culture?
3. Intercultural relations
4. Esssentialism
5. Othering
6. Stereotyping
7. Intercultural communication
8. Non-verbal communication
9. Ifversen and Thunø
10. Respect and Status
11. Face and Politeness
12. Kaelin Text Troubled Communication
13. Cultural relativity of Notions
14. Time perception
15. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the complex influence of cultural differences on intercultural relations, arguing that how culture is perceived—whether as a static or dynamic construct—profoundly impacts professional and legal interactions. The research aims to move beyond essentialist views and demonstrate how cultural awareness and communication skills can transform potential obstacles into collaborative advantages.
- The evolution of cultural concepts from static nationality-based models to dynamic, fluid identities.
- The role of essentialism, othering, and stereotyping in creating barriers to equitable interaction.
- The impact of intercultural communication and context on interpersonal understanding.
- Case studies on global leadership teams and asylum-seeking processes to illustrate cultural relativity in practice.
Extract from the Book
Esssentialism
We are naturally attracted to people, “who share a similar language, culture and way of being and we may unconsciously or consciously shy away from those who do not belong to our ingroup” (Jackson 2014: 158). As a reaction to things that are different to us, we categorise in order to cope with the big amount of information we are faced with everyday. Based on experienced group patterns, we therefore draw conclusions about the behaviour of individuals, which can easily lead to essentialism.
Essentialism is the position that the attributes and behaviour of socially defined groups can be determined and explained by reference to cultural and/or biological characteristics believed to be inherent to the group. As an ideology, essentialism rests on two assumptions: (1) that groups can be clearly delimited; and (2) that group members are more or less alike. (Bucholtz 2003: 400, from Jackson 2014: 158)
Essentialism presents individual behaviour as fully defined, and as a result of the culture to which one belongs. Since it is mostly national-bound, it does not allow people to leave the culture assigned to them, which leads to feelings of inadequacy and exclusion (Holliday 2010: 4). Nevertheless, the term is still used to define cultures, even in science, for example by Hofstede (2001). He established a model, where characteristics of the ‘notional culture’, such as power-distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity and long-term/short-term orientation, are described and compared between countries (ibid.: 29). Even though this model is essentialising, which he himself admits and is highly criticised in academia, the model is still used to educate people about international interaction (Holiday 4).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the context of globalization and outlines the research objective to examine how cultural perceptions influence intercultural relations.
What is culture?: Traces the historical development of cultural concepts from static national definitions to dynamic, social constructs.
Intercultural relations: Explores the semantic roots of 'intercultural' and introduces the initial traps of essentialism in international contexts.
Esssentialism: Defines the problematic ideology that assumes groups are clearly delimited and that members possess inherent, static attributes.
Othering: Analyzes the process of dividing social groups into 'us' and 'them', often leading to in-group favoritism and negative stereotyping.
Stereotyping: Discusses the persistence of preconceived notions about social groups and the difficulty of altering these ingrained mental patterns.
Intercultural communication: Examines communication as the primary mechanism through which cultural differences manifest in relationships.
Non-verbal communication: Highlights the powerful, though often non-universal, role of non-verbal signals in interpersonal interaction.
Ifversen and Thunø: Presents a case study on global leadership teams, contrasting essentialist versus dynamic management approaches.
Respect and Status: Illustrates how differing national interpretations of hierarchy can lead to ethnocentric biases in professional settings.
Face and Politeness: Analyzes the cultural variance in 'face' concepts, such as the Chinese distinction between 'Lian' and 'Mianzi'.
Kaelin Text Troubled Communication: Investigates cross-cultural misunderstandings within the high-stakes environment of the Swiss asylum process.
Cultural relativity of Notions: Demonstrates how mismatched conceptual frameworks lead to misunderstandings during legal hearings.
Time perception: Explains how differing perceptions, such as monochronic versus polychronic time, impact the interpretation of events.
Conclusion: Synthesizes findings to conclude that cultural differences are not inherently obstructive but depend on the management and perspective of the individuals involved.
Keywords
Intercultural relations, Essentialism, Othering, Stereotyping, Intercultural communication, Cultural relativity, Ethnocentrism, Global leadership, Face and Politeness, Asylum process, Time perception, Cultural awareness, Identity, Social construction, In-group favoritism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper examines how cultural differences influence intercultural relations, specifically exploring how perceptions of culture shape communication and cooperation in diverse environments.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
Key themes include the evolution of the cultural concept, the dangers of essentialism and stereotyping, the role of communication, and the practical application of these theories in leadership and legal contexts.
What is the main objective of the research?
The objective is to demonstrate that cultural differences need not be barriers; instead, by adopting a non-essentialist, culturally relativistic view, individuals can leverage these differences as assets.
Which scientific methods are primarily used?
The work utilizes a theoretical analysis of existing cultural studies combined with a descriptive analysis of two key case studies: global leadership teams and the asylum-seeking process.
What does the main body of the work address?
It covers theoretical frameworks regarding 'Othering' and communication, followed by the practical application of these concepts in business management and state bureaucracy.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Essentialism, intercultural relations, cultural relativity, othering, and intercultural communication are among the most central terms used throughout the study.
How does the author define 'Essentialism' in this context?
Essentialism is defined as the ideological belief that social groups can be clearly delimited and that their members possess inherent, unchanging attributes, which often leads to negative social outcomes.
What do the examples of the asylum process illustrate?
They illustrate how a lack of consciousness regarding the 'cultural relativity of notions' can lead to life-altering misunderstandings between officials and asylum seekers, particularly regarding the concept of the self and time perception.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2020, Intercultural relations and communication at work. How do cultural differences influence intercultural relations?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/910408
