Cross Cultural Communication
I think cross cultural communication is interesting and that I have already learnt a lot from this course. Culture encompasses so much of who we are and how we react to different situations. There is the conscious part of culture, with things like literature and music, and unconscious, like how we interact socially and what our perceptions of time is. Culture is not static but always changing. Today there is many different ways for cultures to interact, as we live in a sort of global village where you can get connected to any part of the world.
Businesses also have cooperations cross-culturally, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, with different perceptions of time and work. I think it is important to have an understanding and try to be adaptable if you want to work in different cultures. I think that it can be more rewarding, but also more challenging to work in a culturally diversified group than a homogenous cultural group. You get more different points of view when you work with people from a different background then your own.
I think religion and history do have a big effect on our cultural identity. Common moral values can be derived from religion and historical events can be what bind people together. I think that when you have a shared past you also have a common ground to interpret the world. Both large and small events in history can influence people in different ways. To understand a culture, I think it is important to also have knowledge about the history. The question is whether generalizations about a culture can ease the communication between different groups. I think it is important not to be to stereotypical in these generalizations and also understand that there are so many nuances in a culture that can be difficult for outsiders to pick up on. I think that you can never actually learn a culture until you can experience it firsthand yourself. But it can be good to have some knowledge beforehand so that you don’t make a serious cultural transgression.
I think the categorization of cultures in “achievement cultures” and “relations cultures” is interesting. It shows how we value different aspects of life. This can also cause complications in cross cultural cooperations, where one part puts an emphasis on relationship building and the other part puts an emphasis on the work being done. Both sides have specific advantages and disadvantages. I think it is important to have an open mind and compassion when dealing with people from different cultures, as you would wish that they would have an understanding for your culture.
Comments
Hi Jonna,
I totally agree that with you that cross cultural is important because the world is comprised of different people with different cultures, traditions, beliefs, Religions, ethnicities, but it is through communication and interactions where we get to know about other people. We can't all be the same and I think that is what makes the earth a beautiful place. I have personally benefited from the Video conferences with Orebro and Upsalla because I was able to learn something new about the other students from Sweden, Germany, and France. And likewise, They also learned something from me and my collegues in the Fruit Salad group. Communication is a powerful tool that brings people together.
Posted by: Mbali Mphande | December 3, 2007 03:01 AM