Running head: FINAL REFLECTIVE ESSAY AND WEBPAGE SUBMISSION

Final Reflective Essay and Webpage Submission

Cynthia Darlene Lowe
June 27, 2015
COM-40164-Intercultural and International Communication
Ottawa University

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The worlds cultures differ in many and various ways, yet they share the same process of
transmitting meaning and feeling from person to person. I have learned a great deal in this
Intercultural and International Course through Ottawa University. I feel this course has set the
foundation as I continue to press forward in obtaining a Degree in Communication.
Communication is a multidimensional process consisting of a series of happenings that do
not have a beginning, an end, or a fixed chain of events according to Klopf and McCroskey
(2007). Living in a world where we are in contact with a variety of different people makes it
essential and vital to the reason and rationale to why effective communication is important. It
also shows us the great role communication plays in our daily lives and in intercultural
communication.
Intercultural communication occurs when people of different cultural backgrounds
interact, but it is necessary to understand the root words which are culture and communication,
that represent the first two building blocks, Martin and Nakayama (2014).
Culture is often considered the core concept in intercultural communication. One
characteristic of culture is that we may not think about it very much. The authors of our text,
Martin and Nakayama (2014), said it best, Often we cannot identify our own cultural
backgrounds and assumptions until we encounter people from other cultures, which gives us a
frame of reference.
Culture has been defined in many ways. We define culture as learned patterns of
perception, values, and behaviors, shared by a group of people that are dynamic and
heterogeneous, and to add, it also involves emotions and feelings, Martin and Nakayama (2014).
Culture is learned. All human beings share some universal habits and tendencies; we all eat, seek
shelter, and share some motivations to be loved and to protect ourselves. When we move into

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new cultures, we learn new cultural patterns. Culture involves perception and values. Our
cultural experiences influence every phase of the perception process and ultimately determine
how we make sense of the world and how we respond to the people, places, and things in it.
When we are in our own cultural surroundings we feel a sense of familiarity and a certain level
of comfort in the space, behavior, and actions of others.
Another important part of Martin and Nakayama (2014) definition of culture is that
cultural patterns are shared. These cultural patterns of perceptions and beliefs are developed
through interactions with different group of individuals; at home, in the neighborhood, at school,
in youth groups, at college, and so on. Culture becomes a group experience because it is shared
with people who live in and experience the same social environments. One last important feature
of culture is that it is dynamic, changing, and can often be a source of conflict among different
groups. It is important to recognize that cultural patterns are not rigid and homogeneous but are
dynamic and heterogeneous. If you live in a heterogeneous society, you have a unique
experience of learning about different cultures. You become more tolerant to people of the world.
When you visit a new country which has many people living in your society, you do not feel like
an alien in that new country.
Discrimination is the treatment or consideration of or making a distinction in favor of or
against a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing
belongs rather than an individual merit, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination. It is
always important to avoid discrimination situations, especially in the workplace and business.
Interpersonal discrimination can occur on the job. In the multicultural workplace typical
of doing business in a global economy, cultural barriers to communication can be noted. Besides
the obvious, difficulty in understanding people whose language are different, there are other

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factors that challenge people who are trying to work harmoniously with others of a different
background. People from different parts of the world have a different frame of reference, and
they may display emotions differently and display different behaviors, Penn (n.d.).
According to Martin and Nakayama (2014) popular culture at the end of the 20th century,
is the key site for the formation of identities, for the ways in which we make sense of the world,
and locate ourselves within it. The authors also state that, in order to maintain our identities, as
well as to reshape them, we often turn to popular culture. At times, we seek out cultural texts, at
other times we try to avoid certain texts.
Maintaining professionalism in the workplace is always important. Having a positive
attitude and remaining open minded, and not to giving in to conflicting situations make good
employees. Few people would dare utter an offensive slur in the workplace, but discrimination
can lurk in a more insidious, structural form that goes unnoticed by managers. You may have
women and visible minorities present at your workplace, but perhaps few of them make it to
influential positions. Small businesses can nip implicit discrimination in the bud by providing
support and equal opportunities to all employees. Base promotions and pay decisions on
objective criteria, such as sales numbers or performance review statistics (whenever possible).
Assign new hires supportive mentors, and question yourself whenever you offer a certain
employee special opportunities. Ask yourself why giving privileges to a select few are justified,
Reinhart (n.d.).
I believe it is possible to communicate with one another when you dont speak the same
language. As my mother often times would say, Where there is a will, there is definitely a
way. If it was not possible the world would be a difficult place to live in. I work in a health
care facility, and we have communication board for example for those who suffer from aphasia,

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(the inability to speak at all but can yet read and/or write). Also, communicating with those who
speak another language, using a list of words that can be effectively communicated in some
form. Besides this way of attempting to communicate, I have learned is to be patient, friendly,
share a smile, to be able to communicate I speak English, and to carry a pen and paper and try to
draw a figure to demonstrate what I am trying to communicate.
Intercultural communication skills are crucial for success. In this increasingly
interconnected and intercultural world, good communication skills are more important than ever.
Since I have started my career advancement at Ottawa University I have discovered just how
important it is.
As I conclude, I would like to share with you an excellent article that I came across by
McMahon ((2011), Your Intercultural Communication Skills/ 5 Ways to Improve. In the article
the author indicate that there are certain skills that individuals need to have to succeed in this
growing intercultural world. The five core ways that she indicated was; be aware of your own cu,
be a learner, get curious, listen and observe, and experience different cultures regularly. I
personally would like to implement these ways to improve and become more aware of how I
interact with the variety of different individuals that I encounter on a daily basis.

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Reference
Penn, S. (n.d.). Cultural Communication Barriers in the Workplace. Houston Chronicles.
Discrimination (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 26, 2015
from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination.
Klopf, D. and McCroskey, J. (2007). Intercultural Communication Encounters. Boston, MA:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Martin, J. and Nakayama, T. (2014). Intercultural Communication, 5th edition. Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill.
Reinhart, C. (n.d.). Types of Intercultural Issues in the Workplace. Houston Chronicles.
McMahon, L. (2011). Your Intercultural Communication Skills/5 Ways to Improve. English and
Cultural Tutoring Services.