Communicating
Differently with People from Different Groups and Cultures
Concerning cultural
diversity and communicating with children, families, colleagues, community
members whether from different cultures, racial or ethnic groups, socioeconomic
class, religious beliefs, political affiliations, sexual orientations, or varying
abilities all should be within the context of mutual respect and cooperation. Effective communication skills involve
actively listening to build understanding and expressing oneself to be
understood—no one communication style works with everyone. “In order to avoid quarrels and distress with
the neighbor, a person of a different ethnic background, gender or age one must
achieve competency in inter-cultural communications” (Vuckovic, 2008, p.
47). It is so important to communicate
in a thoughtful and accepting manner and strive to see information from
another’s perspective. According to
Vuckovic (2008) perception is “the way in which an individual receives and
actively samples information from the surrounding environment” (p. 49).
One strategy in
communicating differently with diverse groups is to carefully observe both
verbal and nonverbal actions and behaviors.
“Listen carefully to the tone of voice, tempo of speech, and the
intensity of the physical and emotional undertones of the gestures” (Swim &
Watson, 2011, p. 178). Touch, eye
contact, personal space are most often linguistic conventions that are
culturally based and it is important to learn how culture influences
communication to develop a rapport and greater understanding of others. The second strategy I would implement is to know
the strengths and areas of need in communicating with children, families,
colleagues, and others that may need additional support. Our area has a very high rate of poverty and
I will include community resources regularly as part of our communication. “Although we may not intend anything negative,
sometimes we unintentionally offend someone through more subtle use and misuse
of language” (Beebe & Beebe, 2011, p. 89).
Therefore, the third strategy would be to take into consideration the sexual
orientation, religious convictions and political affiliations of others
although they may differ from our own beliefs and values we must conduct all interactions
and communications within the context of respect and skilled disagreement.
References
Beebe,
S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal
communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon
Swim, T. J., & Watson, L.
(2011). Infants and toddlers: Curriculum
and teaching (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning
Vuckovic, A. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: A foundation of communicative action. Multicultural
Education and Technology Journal, 2(1), 47–59.
Druesilla,
ReplyDeleteI really like the strategies you chose. I, too, mentioned the need to be aware of verbal and non-verbal behaviors in order to gain a better understanding of the person's communication style. Before this class, I had never really thought about how much we can learn about communication by simply observing. I also agree with knowing the person's strengths and weaknesses. This helps us to adapt our communication to the appropriate level. In regard to your last suggested strategy, I also think it is important not to make assumptions about other people's communication styles. Instead, we need to gain accurate information about them. Thanks for sharing!