intercultuarl communication
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CHAPTER 4
Barriers to Intercultural
Communication
What You Can Learn From This Chapter
Ethnographic and cultural approaches to understanding intercultural communication How barriers impede intercultural communication
Examples of barriers found in a case study of China and the United States
T
his chapter begins a series of chapters focused on recognizing and avoiding breakdowns in intercultural communication. In this chapter, you’ll read about ethnographic and cultural approaches and then examine anxiety, assuming similarity instead of difference, and ethnocentrism as barriers to effective intercultural communication.
ETHNOGRAPHIC AND CULTURAL APPROACHES
Read the following court transcript (Liberman, 1981) and assess how successful you think the communication was:
Magistrate:
Can you read and write?
Defendant:
Yes.
71
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Chapter 4
Magistrate: Can you sign your name?
Defendant:
Yes.
Magistrate: Did you say you cannot read?
Defendant:
Hm.
Magistrate: Can you read or not?!
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate: [Reads statement.] Do you recall making that statement?
Defendant:
Yes.
Magistrate: Is there anything else you want to add to the statement?
Defendant:
[No answer.]
Magistrate: Did you want to say anything else!?
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate: Is there anything in the statement you want to change?
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate:
[Reads a second statement.] Do you recall making that statement?
Defendant:
Yes.
Magistrate: Do you wish to add to the statement?
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate: Do you want to alter the statement in any way?
Defendant:
[Slight nod.]
Magistrate: What do you want to alter?
Defendant:
[No answer.]
Magistrate: Do you want to change the statement?
Defendant:
No.
04-Jandt_Text.qxd
6/21/03 5:54 PM
Page 73
Barriers to
6/21/03 5:54 PM
Page 71
CHAPTER 4
Barriers to Intercultural
Communication
What You Can Learn From This Chapter
Ethnographic and cultural approaches to understanding intercultural communication How barriers impede intercultural communication
Examples of barriers found in a case study of China and the United States
T
his chapter begins a series of chapters focused on recognizing and avoiding breakdowns in intercultural communication. In this chapter, you’ll read about ethnographic and cultural approaches and then examine anxiety, assuming similarity instead of difference, and ethnocentrism as barriers to effective intercultural communication.
ETHNOGRAPHIC AND CULTURAL APPROACHES
Read the following court transcript (Liberman, 1981) and assess how successful you think the communication was:
Magistrate:
Can you read and write?
Defendant:
Yes.
71
04-Jandt_Text.qxd
72
6/21/03 5:54 PM
Page 72
Chapter 4
Magistrate: Can you sign your name?
Defendant:
Yes.
Magistrate: Did you say you cannot read?
Defendant:
Hm.
Magistrate: Can you read or not?!
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate: [Reads statement.] Do you recall making that statement?
Defendant:
Yes.
Magistrate: Is there anything else you want to add to the statement?
Defendant:
[No answer.]
Magistrate: Did you want to say anything else!?
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate: Is there anything in the statement you want to change?
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate:
[Reads a second statement.] Do you recall making that statement?
Defendant:
Yes.
Magistrate: Do you wish to add to the statement?
Defendant:
No.
Magistrate: Do you want to alter the statement in any way?
Defendant:
[Slight nod.]
Magistrate: What do you want to alter?
Defendant:
[No answer.]
Magistrate: Do you want to change the statement?
Defendant:
No.
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Page 73
Barriers to