Cultural Communications Blog by Gabby Tucker

 Chapter 11 Characteristics of Intercultural Conflict  Cultures often have conflicts colliding with each other without the other culture being aware of conflict . That is a lot to think about. Let's break it down. My friend from Mexico said Americans are too open and upfront about issues and how they feel. I understand why she says that, but she is lumping us all together and racial profiling. When I tell her that she misunderstands me, she will think I am upset with her and don't like her when, in fact, we are just discussing issues across our cultures. How do you get around this? Communicating has been key for me when I start to feel like something is wrong. She will often not even tell me she is upset so as to not make it worse. And I never even see the issue of what she is talking about. This intercultural conflict  can go around and around in circles. Clear as mud.  I have also been in a nail salon where all the staff speak their native tongue. Is this rude? Yes...

 Chapter 12  What the Future Holds and Forgiveness The past is the future, and the future is the past. Or history repeats itself. Have you heard those phrases before? What does that even mean?  We live in an unpredictable world with many cultures, beliefs, and morals. Not one person is the same. Every person on this planet would look at one situation and view it differently. We all have different beliefs, largely due to our familial upbringing. Nothing is predictable, which is scary to most. Our economy can change in an instant. Terrorist attacks can happen at random. The coronavirus can take out a good chunk of humans. Accidents can happen. The list goes on. When issues arise, what do you do? Do you help, do you get mad, do you blame, do you get even or better yet, do you forgive? Forgiveness is hard. Think back. Someone has wronged you. You were upset and deeply hurt. Or something tragic happened.  How did it make you feel? Did you want to harm the person? Did you ...

 Chapter 9  The Power of Pop Culture Pop culture or popular culture is everywhere. Why is it everywhere? Because it is popular. Anything in the media or social media, from movies to music, is considered pop culture. It is often controversial and dramatized. People complain that children are exposed to too many things and have no boundaries. Are they right? That is a matter of opinion.  Pop culture is worldwide. However, US pop culture is more prominent internationally than vice versa. U.S. Americans aren't as exposed to populate culture outside of the United States.   Popular culture is not a high culture ; it is now considered the former low culture .  Pop culture has four characteristics: 1) It is produced by culture industries 2) it differs from folk culture . 3) it is everywhere, and 4) it fills a social function.  It is not social media. Sure, social media helps to influence pop culture but it is not pop culture in itself.  Pop culture can be a ...

 Chapter 10 Benefits and Challenges of Intercultural Relationships A benefit of intercultural relationships is that they help one see and understand the differences better. Hearing issues or complex things someone from another race is subjected to helps me understand and put things into perspective. The open forum and the examples help me realize when I need to see another viewpoint. I don't want to live a sheltered life. I know I have many privileges, others don't, and there are others around me who are more privileged than myself. We are all raised differently, but to understand what another person goes through is challenging. In order to understand, I think communication is key.  Relational learning is good as long as it is done with sincerity and kindness. I often get nervous speaking to another race about racial situations that are negatively affecting all of us. I don't want it to come out as a blame game and a yelling match. I love to speak with the understanding w...

 Chapter 8  Types of Migrant Groups After reading this portion of the chapter about migrant types, I understood the differences. The four types of migrant groups and whether they are voluntary or involuntary help to break it down. Sojourners are those who leave for a period of time in a voluntary capacity. I almost studied abroad in Amsterdam, so I would have been considered a sojourner if that had happened. An immigrant is the other type of voluntary migration , but this one is long-term.  Both of these scenarios seem to be on the happy side of migration and would possibly be something people would look forward to.  The involuntary migration humbles me in many ways. I cannot imagine having to leave my home for a long or short time without my consent or desire. In 2019, an estimated 71 million people worldwide were forced to flee their homes. I cannot even wrap my head around that number. That is just crazy.  Hearing the immigration stories is eye-opening ...

 Chapter 6 Moving Between Languages When I moved to Colorado in the 6th grade, it was a unique experience. Many people were bilingual or multilingual in our ski resort town. Where I came from, it wasn't as prevalent in the Midwest as in Colorado. In fact, many schools in Colorado started teaching Spanish in the First grade. Many people were bilingual or multilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Many would speak Spanish when we went into a grocery store or restaurant. Once, in Glenwood Springs, we entered a Burget King, and every person in the restaurant spoke Spanish. Everyone at the tables, the people in line, and the people who were ordering their food all spoke Spanish. I wanted to learn Spanish and tried, but I didn't pick it up easily. I didn't have a driving force behind it, like going on a vacation to Mexico. So it was just another thing to learn to me in school. Everyone else was far more advanced since they had been learning it for an additional 5 years.  ...

 Chapter 5  Cross-Cultural Perspectives People's identities carry much individual weight when looking at "who we are" or our identity. In many cultures, the family dynamic is a strong and unbreakable bond where the influence of the family is quite prevalent. Many families in Mexican, American, Asian, and African societies are taught to bond within the family first and then with others later. Creating that bond and sense of self, also called familial identity . The family's opinions influence that person's life, and decisions are made with that influence as a factor.  Individualized identity is more self-reliant than familial identity. The person doesn't look for information or approval from others. They are independent in their thinking and decision-making process. The pressure of being independent and making singular decisions reflects this identity. Spiritual identity is another dimension of our identity. The beautiful thing is we are not the same. Many in...

 Chapter 7 What Nonverbal Behavior Communicates Often, I have people walk up to me in the store and ask questions or ask for help. People will even randomly say hi. I laugh about it all the time, but when I think about it, I am curious as to why random people feel comfortable doing that. My mom says it is because I don't have a "resting b!tch face" and I look friendly. I am approachable, so people approach me all the time. This nonverbal behavior communicates I am a friendly person.  When speaking to others, my body is more open, I have good eye contact, and when facing them, I show interest. If I was not interested, I would be looking around, and fidgeting trying to escape. All of these things go into play when you think about nonverbal communication . Nonverbal communication can be very important for people to know and to understand.  Fun ctions of nonverbal communication . (n.d.). Getuplearn. https://getuplearn.com/blog/tag/functions-of-nonverbal-communication/ Marti...

 Chapter 4 From History to Histories The past can influence today but should not be the only factor in how we live and communicate. Politics and family life experiences help to shape the past and what is brought to the present. Many books are written about history, but we must remember that not all historical information is accurate, and some of the information could be skewed by a different perception.  Furthermore, not all history is in books or written down, so even though it shaped that person, it is not documented. Another way history is shaped is altered history , which is a beast. Individuals don't realize how much history books in schools have been altered to benefit a certain viewpoint. In my freshman year of college, I learned the truth about Christopher Columbus coming to the Americas and all of the bad he did. But our textbooks say and show us otherwise. This is not just happening in the United States but also in many other countries.  The last history I wante...

 Chapter 3  The Relationship Between Communication and Power Power influences daily conversations in almost every setting; many people do not realize it as they communicate. Teachers to students, leadership to staff, and police officers to civilians are all examples of the power and how it can influence communication. When I think back, I was nervous speaking with teachers or anyone in authority. When I get pulled over, my heart rate is sky-high, and my communication with the officer differs. Most will not even realize it is happening.  Many people in power influence others with their way of thinking. As Mark Orbe, a communication scholar, describes it, there are two main dimensions of the group-related approach: people with privilege influence their way of thinking. Some primary dimensions are age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Secondary dimensions include educational background, geographic location, marital status, and socioeconomic status. Second...

 Chapter 2 The Interpretive Approach I have always enjoyed people-watching. Whether in my car, sitting at a stop light, or eating in a restaurant, I like to observe others and their behavior. The goal of the interpretive approach is to understand and describe human behavior, which reminds me of the observing I do. Ethnographers of communication study communication patterns and how they are influenced by culture. Reality is constructed by humans, with communication being subjective and unpredictable.  The research is quite interesting. It uses field studies and participant observations . This qualitative research type observes the meaning of behavior rather than using a numbers or measurable approach. This approach can be subjective to one's own observation, so some may not view this as a viable research outcome. Are you a facts or numbers person? This interpretive approach is probably not your first go-to when doing a research study. I like the interpretive approach becau...

 Chapter 1 The Technological Imperative Do you remember when we didn't have a cell phone attached to us? Have you always had a phone at your leisure? I don't remember when we didn't have a phone with us pretty much all of the time. I was born in 2000 so when I was growing up a cell phone was pretty much a normal thing for my parents to carry. Sure, they have come a long way since then, but there was never a time I don't remember one.  Human communication is rampant, and it is lacking. I know that doesn't make much sense but think about it. Human communication is vast, and there are many ways to communicate and communicate quickly, with many platforms to choose from to interact with friends, family, and strangers. However, the flip side to this is that we lose that face-to-face interaction.  Therefore, communication can be misinterpreted due to only texting or posting on a Facebook post. I must admit, I enjoy seeing what everyone is doing to keep up, but is that bec...