Ways of Communicating

·         Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

I do feel that I communicate differently with people of different cultures but it is not based on ethnicity, but more about social situations.  I don’t speak to people differently because of their cultures because the same way I speak to my African American friends, I speak the same way to friends who are Caucasian and Latino.  I know people of diverse cultures both on and off the job who I interact with quite often and we get together in social situations.  Many of them I met while attending school and not only do we interact as adults but also through our children. We have found that we have a lot in common and that is what draws us closer together.  The area where the difference occurs is on the job or in a professional capacity.  The communication that I have with diverse cultures on the job is of a more professional that personal nature because of the setting and the occasion in which the communication is taking place. 

·         If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

I realize that when I am working, I communicate differently with those on the job and when I am at conferences or presenting at a conference.  On the other hand when I am among friends off the job or in a social gathering of close friends and family, I communicate differently.  Vuckovic, (2008, p.54) also found that when we produce a response in a social communication, we are influenced by our culture, perceptions, social role, identities and our personality. I feel that I’m not as careful or concerned about the way I speak or what I say in social situations as I am on the job.  I like to be myself regardless of where I am and I always want to be the kind of person who is approachable to anyone I know or meet, but I am aware of the different hats that I wear both on and off the job. 

When I am communicating with diverse cultures in a professional manner I must always be cognizant of the family background, traditions, and most of all their cultural beliefs.  My role professionally and personally each influences my social identity and how I am viewed by others with whom I interact with daily.  Vuckovic (2008) noted that our personal and social identities influence all our communication behavior, even though one may predominate in a particular situation.

Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

I feel that becoming other-oriented which is the process of focusing on others rather than yourself is a process which would enable me to be a more effective communicator.  This process includes social decentering – taking into account the other person’s thoughts, values, background, and overall perspective; empathy – an emotional reaction that is similar to the one being experienced by the other person and the last one of adapting my communication – which is to adjust your behavior to others to accommodate differences and expectations. (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).

References:

 Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to

            others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Vuckovic, A. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: A foundation of communicative action.

Multicultural Education and Technology Journal, 2(1), 47–59.