This document discusses intercultural communication and provides strategies to improve it. Intercultural communication is the exchange of information between culturally different individuals. It discusses reasons to study intercultural communication like increasing globalization and diversity. Some challenges to intercultural communication include ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, stereotyping, and prejudice. The document also outlines characteristics of individualistic vs collectivist cultures and time orientation differences. Key strategies to improve intercultural skills include self-assessment, practicing supportive behaviors, developing cultural sensitivity, avoiding stereotypes and ethnocentrism.

1. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
By
Rashid Ali Khuhro

2. • Intercultural Communication
The exchange of information between individuals
who are unalike culturally.
• Culture
A unique combination of rituals, religious beliefs,
ways of thinking, and ways of behaving that unify
a group of people.
• Co-culture
A group that exists within a larger, dominant
culture but differs from the dominant culture in
some significant characteristic.

3. Reason to Study Inter-cultural Communication
• Communication with people from other
cultures and co-cultures is increasingly
common.
• Intercultural communication is money
• Our curiosity about others.
• The convergence of technologies.
• Influx of foreign born immigrants, aliens, and
refugees.

4. • The Goals of Co-Cultural Communication
• Assimilation Goal
The marginalized group attempts to fit in with the
dominant group.
• Accommodation Goal
The marginalized group manages to keep co-cultural
identity while striving for positive relationships with
the dominant culture.
• Separation Goal
The marginalized group relates as exclusively as
possible with its own group and as little as possible
with the dominant group.

5. What Are Some Intercultural Communication
Problems?
• Ethnocentrism
The belief that your own group or culture is superior to other
groups or cultures.
• Cultural Relativism
The belief that another culture should be judged
by its own context rather than measured against your culture.
• Stereotyping
A stereotype is “a generalization about some group of people
that oversimplifies their culture.”
• Prejudice
A negative attitude toward a group of people just because
they are who they are

6. Some Characteristics of Different Cultures
• Individualistic Cultures
Cultures that value individual freedom, choice,
uniqueness, and independence.
• Collectivist Cultures
Cultures that value the group over the individual.
• Uncertainty-Accepting Cultures
Cultures that tolerate ambiguity, uncertainty, and
diversity.
• Uncertainty-Rejecting Cultures
Cultures that have difficulty with ambiguity,
uncertainty, and diversity.

7. • Implicit-rule culture
A culture in which information and cultural rules are
implied and already known to the participants.
• M-time
The monochronic time schedule, which
compartmentalizes time to meet personal needs,
separates task and social dimensions, and points to the
future.
• P-time
The polychronic time schedule, which views time as
“contextually based and relationally oriented.”

10. Strategies for Improving Intercultural
Communication
1. Conduct a personal self-assessment. How do
your own attitudes toward different cultures and
co-cultures influence your communication with
them? One of the first steps toward improving your
intercultural communication skills is an honest
assessment of your own communication style,
beliefs, and prejudices.
2. Practice supportive communication behaviors.
Supportive behaviors, such as empathy, encourage
success in intercultural exchanges; defensive
behaviors tend to hamper effectiveness.

11. 3. Develop sensitivity toward diversity. One healthy
communication perspective holds that you can learn
something from all people. Diverse populations provide
ample opportunity for learning. Take the time to learn
about other cultures and co-cultures before a
communication situation, but don’t forget that you will
also learn about others simply by taking a risk and talking
to someone who is different from you. Challenge yourself.
You may be surprised by what you learn.
4. Avoid stereotypes. Cultural generalizations go only so
far; avoid making assumptions about another’s culture,
and get to know individuals for themselves.
5. Avoid ethnocentrism. You may know your own culture
the best, but that familiarity does not make your culture
superior to all others. You will learn more about the
strengths and weaknesses of your own culture by
learning more about other cultures.