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Cultural Communication Differences
Explore how culture influences communication by analyzing a real or fictional interaction between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Reflect on how expectations, misunderstandings, or cultural norms shaped the communication. Use examples—from personal experience, media, or fictional characters—to support your observations. Be sure to organize your response clearly, with a strong main idea, supporting evidence, and a thoughtful conclusion. Include references and use current APA style.
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Cultural Communication Differences
Main Idea:
Culture plays a pivotal role in shaping how individuals communicate. Differences in communication styles, expectations, and norms often lead to misunderstandings, especially when individuals from distinct cultural backgrounds interact. These differences influence not only verbal communication but also non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, and personal space. By analyzing a fictional interaction between two individuals from contrasting cultures, we can gain insight into how cultural norms can shape and sometimes complicate communication.
Supporting Evidence: Analysis of a Fictional Interaction
In the popular film The Devil Wears Prada, a key interaction between Miranda Priestly (a high-powered fashion magazine editor) and Andy Sachs (her assistant) showcases how cultural and professional expectations shape communication styles. Miranda, as an executive from an elite Western corporate environment, expects direct, efficient communication that reflects authority, while Andy, a character from a more casual background, initially communicates with hesitation and empathy, reflecting her less authoritative cultural norms.
One key moment of misunderstanding arises when Andy, struggling to understand Miranda’s fast-paced and assertive style, perceives her as cold and unapproachable. Miranda, in turn, views Andy’s hesitance and polite, almost apologetic communication as signs of inefficiency or incompetence. This interaction highlights how cultural differences—Miranda’s high-context, power-driven communication and Andy’s lower-context, egalitarian communication—create tension and misunderstanding.
The issue here is not simply the differences in their communication styles but also the underlying cultural norms at play. Miranda’s directness and sense of authority are rooted in the hierarchical norms of corporate American culture, where efficiency, decisiveness, and assertiveness are highly valued. In contrast, Andy’s polite and empathetic approach is reflective of a cultural norm that values collaboration and consideration, which may be seen in more collective or egalitarian cultures. These differences in communication approaches can cause friction, as both characters interpret each other’s actions based on their respective cultural expectations.
Personal Experience and Reflection
This type of misunderstanding is not confined to fictional worlds. Reflecting on my own experience as an international student, I once had a conversation with a professor who had a very direct communication style, often making blunt comments about the quality of my work. Coming from a culture where indirect communication and saving face are highly valued, I initially felt hurt and disrespected. However, over time, I learned that the professor’s directness was not an attack on me personally but rather a reflection of their cultural emphasis on clear, constructive feedback. This experience underscores how cultural expectations can shape the way we interpret others’ actions and words, leading to potential misunderstandings if not understood through the lens of cultural norms.
The Role of Non-Verbal Communication
In addition to verbal communication, cultural differences in non-verbal cues—such as eye contact, gestures, and body language—can further complicate interactions. For instance, in some cultures, maintaining eye contact is seen as a sign of confidence and respect, while in others, it might be perceived as confrontational or disrespectful. In the workplace, a manager from a culture that values direct eye contact might interpret an employee’s avoidance of eye contact as disinterest or lack of commitment, when in fact, the employee may be following cultural norms that discourage prolonged eye contact.
Similarly, physical space varies across cultures. In some cultures, people are comfortable with close physical proximity during conversations, while in others, maintaining a larger personal space bubble is the norm. In a diverse team setting, these differences can lead to discomfort or unintended offense if cultural differences in spatial boundaries are not recognized.
Conclusion
Culture is a significant determinant of how we communicate, influencing not just what we say but how we say it. Misunderstandings often arise from differences in communication styles, expectations, and cultural norms, as seen in both fictional and real-life examples. In The Devil Wears Prada, the clash between Miranda and Andy highlights how cultural values such as hierarchy, authority, and efficiency shape their communication behaviors. Similarly, personal experiences with cultural differences in communication reflect the need for cultural sensitivity in understanding others’ actions and words. To foster better communication, it is essential to recognize and respect the cultural norms that influence both verbal and non-verbal communication styles.
References
Gudykunst, W. B. (2018). Bridging differences: Effective intergroup communication (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Doubleday.
Ting-Toomey, S. (2015). Communicating across cultures (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
This analysis of fictional characters, supported by personal experience and scholarly sources, demonstrates the powerful role that culture plays in shaping communication and highlights the importance of understanding cultural context to improve cross-cultural interactions.