Communication

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Intercultural Communication
Seminar for Arhus University October 2005
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Program
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• Introduction
• The personality of the office
• Understanding international students
• Who is the person in the picture?

• People communicate, cultures dont

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THE PERSONALITY
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• Representation of our culture?
• Your worst student!
• From which perspective could he/she be right?Why
  would he/she perceive this?

• People communicate, cultures dont

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Personality
Culture
Understanding International Students
Expectations
Language
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Personality
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• Gender
• Personal learning history
• Family
• Society

• People communicate, cultures dont

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LANGUAGE
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• Fluency
• Accent, pitch syntax
• Speech patterns
• Communication style

• People communicate, cultures dont

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EXPECTATIONS
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• Socialization
• Previous international experience
• Motivation
• Preparation for study abroad

• People communicate, cultures dont

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CULTURE
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values
norms
Individuality Power Uncertainty Justice
Protocol Decision-making
Context Information flow Time
style
People communicate, cultures dont
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Communication styles
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Cultural characteristics

• Deal focussed
• Informal
• Rigid time
• Reserved
• Direct

• Relationship focussed
• Formal
• Fluid time
• Expressive
• Indirect

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person in the picture
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• Who is the person on the picture?
• What can you say about his or her profession?

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person on the picture
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Profession Life

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person on the picture
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Profession Life

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person on the picture
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Profession Life

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person on the picture
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Profession Life

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person on the picture
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Profession Life

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The person on the picture
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Profession Life

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The culture prism
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• Image of Self
• Individual Social group
• Independent Dependent
• Guilt Shame
• Influence (Locus of control)
• External Internal
• Motivation
• Productivity Quality
• Calculation Connected

personality

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The culture prism
C
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• Leadership
• Vertical Horizontal
• Attributed Attained
• Coping with uncertainty
• Flexible Rigid
• Privacy
• Open Closed
• Intimate Distant

values

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The culture prism
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• Time
• Endless Scarce
• Takes its course Control
• Multi-tasking Singular tasks
• Past present future oriented

values

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The culture prism
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values

• Relationships
• Personal Task oriented
• Longterm Short term
• Harmony Competitive

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The culture prism
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• Problem solving
• Theory Data
• Absolute Relative
• Analytical Holistic
• Uniformity
• Standard Unique
• Objectivity Subjectivity

norms

• People communicate, cultures dont

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The culture prism
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• Communication
• Explicit Implicit
• Lineair Circular
• Formal Informal
• Emotions
• Expressive Controlled

style

• People communicate, cultures dont

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WORLD VIEW
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• Perceived relationship with nature, institutions
  other people
• Influenced by experience with attitude towards
  diversity

• People communicate, cultures dont

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ATTITUDES AND WORLD VIEW
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• Low awareness and expecting similarity
• Ethnocentrism .
• High awareness and assuming cultural pluralism
• Realising relative validity

• People communicate, cultures dont

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RESPONSES TO DIVERSITY
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Traditional cultural dominant or ethnocentric
responses
Low awareness
Culturally diverse population
Pluralism cultural parallel responses
Inclusive cultural integrative solutions
High awareness
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In an increasingly globalized and interdependent
world, where encountering cultural difference can
scarcely be avoided, the ability to enter into a
tolerant and respectful dialogue is a vital skill
for nations, communities, and individuals. In
this context, higher education institutions have
an important role to play. Disciplines, teaching
methods, student skills, and knowledge itself can
be deepened and strengthened through an
intercultural dialogue approach.
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• International Association of Universities (IAU)

People communicate, cultures dont