Farewell

Since this is going to be my last entry in this communication blog, I will like to end it with something that is very relevant to multi-cultural Singapore. During the lecture on intercultural communication, I learnt about the attitudinal barriers to intercultural communication such as stereotypes, prejudices, ethnocentrism etc. The article below by Neil Payne is an extension to intercultural communication as it provides readers with information on how to overcome the barriers to intercultural communication. Read further to become one step closer to living harmoniously in Singapore.

Breaking the Barriers of Intercultural Communication by Neil Payne

We live in an increasingly complex world. One element of this complexity is the mixing of different cultures, languages and faiths. Within the business world intercultural communication is vital for success. Effective communication between colleagues from different cultural backgrounds ensures a team is working harmoniously.The six steps to intercultural communication are basic pointers that all working in intercultural teams should be aware of to ensure culture becomes a vehicle for positive advancement rather than a barrier.

1. Break Assumptions
Everyone makes or has assumptions about others. Assumptions are beliefs rather than objective truth and are usually influenced by a number of subjective factors.For intercultural communication to truly work, people need to assess their assumptions and ask themselves why they hold those ideas or beliefs. By doing so and even openly examining them with others, the initial barrier to intercultural communication is overcome.

2. Empathise
In order to come to appreciate and understand people from different cultures, empathy is vital. Through putting yourself in someone else's shoes you come to see or appreciate their point of view.

3. Involve
Involving others in tasks or decision making empowers and builds strong relationships. Using intercultural diversity is in essence a more creative approach to problem solving as it incorporates different points of view.

4. Discourage Herd Mentality
Herd mentality refers to a closed and one dimensional approach. Such a way of thinking curbs creativity, innovation and advancement as people are restricted in how to think, approach and engage with people or challenges.Intercultural communication can only flourish and therefore contribute if people are encouraged to think as individuals, bring their cultural influences to the table and share ideas that may be outside the box.

5. Shun Insensitive Behaviour
People can and do behave in culturally insensitive ways. By attacking someone's person, you attack their culture and therefore their dignity. This can only be divisive.Intercultural communication is based upon people thinking through words and actions to ensure they do not act inappropriately. When insensitive behaviour is witnessed it is the responsibility of all to shun it and ensure it remains unacceptable.

6. Be Wise
Wisdom is not called wisdom for nothing. People need to be aware how to interact with people with respect and knowledge. Intercultural communication is essentially founded upon wisdom, i.e. showing maturity of thought and action in dealing with people. Through thinking things out and have background knowledge to intercultural differences much of the communication problems witnessed within business could be avoided.

According to Geert Hofstede, culture is the "collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another...includes systems of values and values are among the building blocks of culture."

Some people are guilty of having stereotypes or prejudices against certain groups of people, but some people just cannot help but feel a sense of biasness towards other groups of people especially when you are living in a country comprising of different cultures like Singapore. Why these people are behaving this way can be due to culture shock, stepping out of our comfort zone and ethnocentrism which are attitudinal barriers to intercultural communication.

Like mentioned in the article above, ways to break barriers to intercultural communication include being wise and empathetic and getting involved. People may argue that the solutions given by expert, Neil Payne, is cliche. "It is like stating the obvious," some people may add. Nevertheless, it is easier said than done. I believe that most people are aware of at least one of the ways to break barriers to intercultural communication stated above, but they do not put it into practice as they simply cannot be bothered or the behavior is not reinforced.

Moreover, in a considerably high context culture like Singapore (and other Asian countries), we do not have to engage in verbal communication to show that we are biased; our body language and facial expressions can say a thousand words on our prejudices.

Personally, my favourite solutions from the list are numbers 1, 4 and 5. Besides being the top 3 most "cheem" solutions, I think 2 out of 3 of the solutions (1 and 4) can also be applied to me. Let's be frank here, I assume and I'm guilty of following the herd mentality sometimes. Hey, I'm human.

Let's work together, NOT

Since we are currently working on our communication project which requires lots of group communication, I guess this entry is pretty relevant as it sums up everything so nicely. It is useful in making readers understand the concept of group communication (more like ineffective group communication, you will know why later) and the different roles we play when working in a group although we may not be aware of them. I also believe that we learn better when illustrated with videos because humans are visual creatures and just by reading the notes and textbooks (which are merely words, boring!) do not necessarily mean that we understand. So, we need such tools to reinforce what we have learnt in lectures, to comprehend the concepts further, and not forgetting, to spice up our learning experience!


(Taken from youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A099HY2EsW4)

This video is actually about the negative roles in group communication, which we do not specifically learn in lectures. Having said that, I think this video is still appropriate as it provides an alternative perspective to group communication outside of classroom, which unfortunately is the negative side. However, ironically, this problem is exactly what some groups are facing right now.

Firstly, let us define group. A group is "a collection of individuals who, as a result of interacting with one another over time, become interdependent, developing shared patterns of behaviour and collective identity". These four characteristics in bold are stated clearly at the beginning of the video. There are also five people in the group which is the optimum group size.

From the video, there are five different negative roles in the group:

1) The Irresponsible - The group member shows very unprofessional behaviour
2) The Joker - Uses humour and horseplay to divert group from task
3) The Dominator - Refuses to allow others to express their opinions and dominates discussion
4) The Defeatist - When a member's participation is not valued, he/she is discouraged and refrains from voicing his/her opinions
5) The Playboy - Fails to take the group seriously, spends time playing around and mocks serious behaviour

Honestly, I would not categorise 2 and 5 as negative roles in group communication. In fact, i would categorise them under maintenance roles as both behaviours enchance the social climate of the group. 2 and 5 are somewhat like energisers in the group. Although both behaviours distract other group members from the task at hand, there is always the orienter, whose job is to refocus the group and divert their attention back to the subject matter. An orienter is a task role who help the group accomplish its tasks. Likewise, 4 is not exactly negative. An encourager of the group will encourage the defeatist to voice out his/her ideas if any, reassuring him/her that he/she does not have to worry about what other group members think. Probably, the defeatist is shy and have not really adjusted to the group yet.

When working in a group, we complement one another. Our strengths may be other group members' weaknesses, and vice versa. That is what makes us unique. Thus, we must learn to accept each others' differences and establish effective group communication with the combination of behaviours in our group.

Do you guys fall into any of the categories listed above? ;)

Pink Ribbon

(Taken from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5m7nB_LvNg)

As some of you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. That means women above the age of forty is strongly encouraged to get their breasts checked by going for a mammogram. I find this video appropriate because firstly, we are in the month of October and secondly, besides the fact that it is informative, it is also applicable to anybody. It may not be applicable to you per say but can be applicable to somebody related to you, like your mother, sister, grandmother, auntie, relative and so on. Do you know that every one in four women is diagnosed with breast cancer?

In my opinion, this clip sends a strong and convincing message to all those watching. This is so because of logos, the logical content of the speech and lexis, the style and delivery of speech. Actress Elizabeth Hurley, who appears in the video above, is the spokeswoman for the Breast Cancer Awareness program. She talks about the importance of going for a mammogram regularly so that breast cancer can be detected early (logos). Her tone is assertive and firm (lexis) during her speech especially the part where she says many people are misinformed about breast cancer. She also engages in effective verbal communication by using specific and flexible language.

I think this video is effective in persuading women to get their breasts checked as it uses pathos to appeal to viewers' emotions. Most women, who watch this video, will be fearful and want to pick up the phone and book for a mammogram appointment.

I like to end this entry with my favourite line from the video, " If breast cancer is detected early, it is 98% curable". So, please get your mother, sister, auntie, anybody to go for a breast checkup now! There is still hope!

L.O.V.E

The clip below told the forbidden love story between a rich young girl, Gook Young Ran and a poor older man, Lee Dong Chul whom Young Ran affectionately referred to Ahjusshi in the clip which meant "mister". However, their pure blossoming love was stifled by Young Ran's father who ran an illegal casino business, as Dong Chul was working for him as his right hand man. Young Ran had always been very open and clear about her feelings for him, telling him she loved him, but he never once said that he loved her back. It was not that he didn't feel the same way; it was just that he promised Mr Gook that he would never fall for his daughter.

Starting from 0.24 to 6.28:
This scene took place when Dong Chul and Young Ran ran away together and managed to spend some quality time away from Young Ran's father. However, their lovey dovey moments didn't last long as Young Ran's father came looking for them at the end of the clip. Nevertheless, during the short time they spent together, Dong Chul finally reciprocated her feelings by saying the 3 magical words to her. The scene was intense, yet sweet at the same time. Judging from Young Ran's facial expressions and body language (non-verbal cues), it must had meant alot to her when he confessed after waiting a long time to hear those words. Watch the clip below to feel loved!


(Taken from the Korean drama, East of Eden Ep 23, courtesy of youtube.com)

The video above can be categorised under Stage 3: Intensifying of the Knapp Model of Relational Development, where the pair comes together to declare their love for each other.
There is also ample of physical contact:
1) When Dong Chul piggybacks Young Ran and walks along the beach
2) When Young Ran hugs Dong Chul passionately when he tells her he loves her
3) When Dong Chul hugs back and strokes her hair affectionately

Although I have watched this clip many times, I still go "Awww..." everytime I watched this. Love is powerful. Just by mentioning the word love, I cannot help but have this warm, fuzzy, tingling feeling in my tummy. Love it!