The Art and Science of Communication: Tools for Effective Communication in the Workplace

Chapter 7. Intercultural Communication

"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with pain."

—James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son

WE CAN ALL GET ALONG!

The highest art and science of Human Communication is Intercultural Communication. This step is a culmination of all the communication skills and knowledge we have discussed in this book thus far. Arriving at this step means that you have traveled up the Communication Staircase, acquiring knowledge and skills that have prepared you to confidently and comfortably communicate across cultures. Intercultural Communication is communication between individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds whose diversity of symbol systems and cultural perspectives influences the communication exchange. It is also referred to as cross-cultural communication. We use the word "culture" in its broadest definition to encompass people who share values, attitudes, beliefs, customs, and a symbol system that differentiates them from other groups. This includes but is not limited to religion, sex, gender, age, disability, ethnicity, class, and other groupings that can be distinguished as a culture. Intercultural Communication is a specialized arena of communication founded by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall. His early works included intense sociocultural studies of various cultural groups, including the Hopi Indians, and of the importance language ...