Minorities and the Criminal Justice System

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Minorities and the Criminal Justice System

• Cross Cultural Communication

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What is Culture

• Beliefs, values, patterns of thinking, behavior
  and everyday customs that have been passed on
  from generation to generation (Shusta, p. 19)

• Or a group or community with which we share
  common experiences that shape the way we
  understand the world.

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What is Culture

• It includes groups that we are born into, such as
  gender, race, or national origin. It also
  includes groups we join or become part of
• For example, we can acquire a new culture by
  moving to a new region, by a change in our
  economic status, or by becoming disabled.

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Communication

• Process by which information is exchanged and
  understood by two or more people, usually with
  the intent to motivate or influence behavior
• Means to share, not "to speak" or "to write"

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Communications Model
Sender
The Person who sends the message
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Communications Model
Sender
Encode
To select symbols with which to compose a message
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Communications Model
Sender
Encode
Channel
The carrier or form of communication
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Communications Model
Sender
Encode
Channel
Decode
Decoding or translating the message sent is the
task of the receiver!
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Communications Model
Sender
Encode
Channel
Decode
Receiver
The Person who receives the message
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Communications Model
Sender
Encode
Transmit
Decode
Receiver
Feedback
A response by the receiver to the senders
communication
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But, Wait, theres more!
A response by the receiver to the senders
communication
Feedback
Sender
Encode
Transmit
Decode
Receiver
Encode
Transmit
Decode
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And More
Noise
Any barrier to communication
Sender
Encode
Transmit
Decode
Receiver
Encode
Transmit
Decode
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Culture and Communications

• Messages are constructed from culture, or
  beliefs, values, patterns of thinking, behavior
  and everyday customs that have been passed on
  from generation to generation (Shusta, P. 97)
• Both the sender and the receiver use their
  cultural perceptions of encode and decode
  messages.

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A little more about perception

• Perception Process used to sort out the
  environment
• Perceptual selectivity objects/stimuli are
  screened in or out and then selected
• - Certain stimuli catch our attention
• - We tend to see what we want to see.

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Perception and Communication

• Cultural organization Categorizing according to
  our Cultural frame of reference
• Stereotyping is the most common form of
  perceptual organization
• Words can mean different things to different
  people.

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Nonverbal Communication

• Defined as actions, behaviors and intonation
  rather than words

• Facial expression
• Voice
• Mannerisms
• Posture
• Dress
• Sometimes more believable and forceful

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What is Cross Cultural Communications?
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High-context and Low-context Communication

• The degree to which senders and receivers rely on
  factors other than explicit speech to convey
  their messages

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Context

• all the factors which systematically determine
  the form, meaning, appropriateness or translation
  of linguistic expressions. One can distinguish
  between linguistic context (provided by the
  preceding utterances or text) and non-linguistic
  context (including shared assumptions and
  information). (Arnold, D).

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Understanding the Difference

• Low-context communication
• My words speak for themselves,"
• Prefer to be less direct, relying on what is
  implied by the communication.

• High-context communication
• Prefer indirect messages from others
• Verbal and nonverbal cues help me understand the
  meaning

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Different Context Different Meaning

• Im sorry.
• What did you say?
• Im fine.

• Others?

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Low Context communicating with High Context

• nonverbal messages and gestures may be as
  important as what is said
• status and identity may be communicated
  nonverbally and require appropriate
  acknowledgement
• face-saving and tact may be important, and need
  to be balanced with the desire to communicate
  fully and frankly
• building a good relationship can contribute to
  effectiveness over time and
• indirect routes and creative thinking are
  important alternatives to problem-solving when
  blocks are encountered. (LeBarron, M.)

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High Context communicating with Low Context

• things can be taken at face value rather than as
  representative of layers of meaning
• roles and functions may be decoupled from status
  and identity
• efficiency and effectiveness may be served by a
  sustained focus on tasks
• direct questions and observations are not
  necessarily meant to offend, but to clarify and
  advance shared goals and
• indirect cues may not be enough to get the
  other's attention (LeBarron, M.)

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References

• Arnold, D. , et al., (1995) Machine translation
  an introductory guide http//www.essex.ac.uk/lingu
  istics/clmt/MTbook/HTML/book.html
• Shusta, R., et al., (2005), Multicultural Law
  Enforcement. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River,
  NJ
• LeBarron, M.(2003) Communication tools for
  understanding cultural differences.
  http//www.beyondintractability.org/m/communicatio
  n_tools.jsp