Interplay Ch 2, Culture and Interpersonal Communication

       Chapter 2 was a guide to learning the do's an don'ts of intercultural communication. We live in a very diverse area and I think it is important we are aware of our own culture but more importantly others. Being able to have the patients and mindfulness to try and communicate with someone of a different culture is very important because it also helps us to be more aware of our own actions and behaviors. This chapter gives us the necessary tools to approach others of different cultures or even people in our own culture (age, gender, sex, socioeconomic status etc.) and successfully communicate.
       The text offers 5 categories to develop intercultural communication competence. Motivation and attitude, tolerance for ambiguity, open-mindedness, knowledge and skill, and lastly patience and observation. These tools are a set of guidelines which can translate into valuable skills for communicating with others from different cultures. Through learning to accept others and their cultural backgrounds I have gained the ability to censor myself and behavior with people in my own community. These tools have helped me develop a better set of communication skills and improve how I perceive a potential communication difficulty and accept the challenge with open arms. It can be a struggle to figure out how to behave in front of others, and it can even be upsetting when neither person understands. I think communication competence should be widely implemented to everyone and maybe there wouldn't be so many disagreements.
    The part of the chapter that caught me was the idea of power distance, which describes the degree to which members of society accept unequal distribution of power. My high school had a very large Chinese and Korean population and I got to know many of them very well because I took a lot of the same classes. After getting to know them I realized the way they treated their parents and figures of authority was in very high regard. I would call many of my teachers I liked by their first names, but many of my Asian friends were always very formal in the way they talked to adults. Most surprisingly was their relationship with their parents. Their parents had very high expectation of them and whatever their parents said was final, even the classes they took. Compared to the rest of us who barely listened to half the things our parents were telling us. In ways it was a culture shock because I didn't understand why they were so obedient to their parents and authoritative figures. At that time I had visited Singapore and Korea a few years prior so it was interesting to see how even though they were in America the cultural background was still highly respected and learned. We are all a little bit different, and it is important to accept those differences and learn something new.

-Morgan