Final Reflective Essay

Final Reflective Essay

Introduction

All our lives we have dealt with intercultural communication, whether it be consciously or unconsciously. Over the course of the past eight weeks, we have delved further and further into the different types of intercultural communication and how to deal with them. The purpose of this essay is to identify and explain interpersonal, collective and/or institutional discrimination, determines how the choices we make about popular culture influence the formation of our cultural identity, determine how might different attitudes toward work lead to intercultural communication conflicts, describe my plan to become more interculturally savvy in communication, and see if it is possible for two people to communicate effectively if they don't speak the same language and how.

Identify and explain interpersonal, collective and/or institutional discrimination.

The text book states, “The behavior that results from stereotyping or prejudice – overt actions to exclude, avoid, or distance oneself from other groups – is called discrimination” (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 60). Interpersonal discrimination is different from collective or institutional discrimination in that the only basis for interpersonal discrimination is a singular opinion. In institutionalized or collective discrimination, the body of a group is responsible for committing the discrimination. Unfortunately, the world is still dealing with discrimination on a daily basis. Discrimination can be examined from an interpersonal, collective, and/or institutional perspective.

I’ve always viewed discrimination as a way for people to feel safer. People inherently want to stick to what they know so that they may be able to stay more comfortable in the setting they are in. Throughout history, discrimination has been apart of the world we live in. It has brought hardships upon many ethnic groups as well as an isolationist attitude from many.

According to Martin and Nakayama (2011), In recent years, interpersonal racism seems to be much more subtle and indirect but still persistent. Institutionalized or collective discrimination – whereby individuals are systematically denied equal participation or rights in informal and formal ways – also persists. (pg. 61).
Many times people and/or groups justify their discrimination as part of their personal preferences, all the while they are actively attempting to shun the discriminated people.

How do the choices we make about popular culture influence the formation of our cultural identity?

The choices we make about popular culture are influence the formation of our cultural identity in that a group experience can be gained from partaking in the group activity. In today’s society it is very common to see people using pop culture to bond with each other. The “water cooler” show is a prime example.

According to Dillard (2010), A watercooler show is a TV show that people talk to each other about in social situations.

The term first appeared in the mid-1990s, describing the phenomenon of people gathering around watercoolers at work to talk about the previous night's episode of Seinfeld. (P. 37)
Pop culture is well described as being the media that make up a culture. It’s not necessary that the media is electronic, however in today’s day and age it certainly becoming more and more common. According to Betton (2010),
Certain cultures have been very consistent over the years in what they deem acceptable and right and may frown upon our forever changing trends. In their eyes we are forgetting the sacred ways of our forefathers and that is simply unforgivable. (P. 13)

It seems, however, that American culture has become familiar world wide. Our films and television shows play world wide and in many cases, out gross the domestic films for the given region. For example to two top grossing films of all time in Great Britain are Mamma Mia and Titanic both of which are American produced films. (Balm, 2009.) Popular culture changes and at all times we are just between cycles of one piece of pop culture to the next. Nothing gold can stay. (Frost, 1923).

How might different attitudes toward work lead to intercultural communication conflicts?

Everyone has their own work ethic and attitude toward work. Some view work as a source of income and only that. Others see jobs as a source of happiness. And others view the work environment as a place to learn and grow for greater opportunities. At your workplace, it is almost inevitable that one will find different views or opinions regarding religion, popular culture, the general world around them, etc. With the different takes on these subjects will come different attitudes towards conflict. In my experience, it has always been best to respect your co-workers thoughts and values as to avoid any cultural entanglements. I pride myself on not forcing my view or opinion on my co-workers, while still letting them know where I stand. There has been the occasional debate about a social or economic issue where the conversation has become heated. I tend to try to avoid these problems by not antagonizing the other person.
There is also the occasion of someone coming into the store where I work who does not speak English. I have a certain cliental that always wants me to help them because, even though we cannot communicate completely directly, I provide the time and patience needed to assist them as best I can. In the past I’ve employed the use of interpreters, on the phone translating, babelfish, which is an invaluable online program that allows one to translate entire paragraphs back and forth, as well as body language. I’ve found that speaking to and providing the customer with the proper respect always helps ease the conflict of the language barrier. According to Conan (1998),
The key to effective cross-cultural communication is knowledge. First, it is essential that
people understand the potential problems of cross-cultural communication, and make a
conscious effort to overcome these problems. Second, it is important to assume that one’s
efforts will not always be successful, and adjust one’s behavior appropriately. (Pg,1)

Describe your plan to become more interculturally savvy in communication.

This course has provided me with several methods and techniques, which I can use to become more interculturally savvy. The best way I can think of to hone ones skills would be to practice. Everyone has their faults, and no one will ever be great at communicating all of the time. However, the more an individual takes the time to practice theses skills of listening and applying clear communication the better off they will be. The greatest resource that I intend to employ is the internet. The information super highway is chocked full of extremely valuable information regarding various cultures. If I’m ever travelling to a destination that is foreign to me, I always take the time to research it for myself. I don’t know of many situations I’ve found myself in where it hurt me to be more informed.

Is it possible for two people to communicate effectively if they don't speak the same language? How?

As I demonstrated before, I believe it is completely possible to communicate with one another when you don’t speak the same language, if it weren’t possible the world would be an extremely difficult place to live in. Probably the greatest example I can provide also happens to be an example of popular culture. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Darmok, Captain Picard translates the epic of Gilgamesh to an alien captain with whom he is marooned on a barren planet. The alien captain’s culture only communicates through allegory and he cannot understand Capt. Picard’s straightforward use of communication. Through this learning experience, Capt. Picard is able to avoid a war with the alien captains people and instead open the lines of communication. (Kolbe, 1991).

Conclusion/Overall Feeling About This Class

In conclusion, I personally feel that intercultural communication is a skill that is only going to become more and more important the smaller the world we live in becomes. This essay identified and explained interpersonal, collective and/or institutional discrimination, determined how the choices we make about popular culture influence the formation of our cultural identity, determined how might different attitudes toward work lead to intercultural communication conflicts, described my plan to become more interculturally savvy in communication, and observed if it is possible for two people to communicate effectively if they don't speak the same language and how.

I feel that this class will prove to be a great asset for me to recall in the years to come. This class may also prove to be a time that I will look back fondly upon and say to myself, “That was the moment I began to understand.” Thank you so much for the time and feedback both you, Mr. Howard, and my classmates have provided. It has been a pleasure to be in your class, and perhaps we will cross paths again. Once again, thank you for all that you’ve done, and God bless.

http://interculturalcommpage.blogspot.com/


References
Balm, I. (2009) American Global Pop Culture Phenomena E House.
Betton, E. (2010) Intercultural Communication Mitsiosho Press.
Conan, C. (1998) Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies Conflict Research Consortium.
Dillard, A. (2010) Pop Culture Phenomenon Harper-Collins Press.
Frost, R. (1923) New Hampshire Henry Holt Company.
Martin, J. N. and Nakayama, T. K. (2011) Experiencing Intercultural
Communication. 4th. New York: McGraw-Hill

Roddenberry, G (Producer) Kolbe, W. (Director) Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 2 Darmok. Paramount Pictures.

Gran Torino Film Analysis

Gran Torino Film Analysis
Introduction
From the beginning of time, man has had to deal with conflict. “One thing we can be sure of is that conflict is unavoidable. Conflicts are happening all around the world, as they always have, and at many different levels” (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 224). Conflicts are not exclusive to one part of the world or one race, but rather they are inherent to all mankind. This week’s writing assignment required that we view the film, Gran Torino starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. We are to observe and report our observations of the conflicts in the film as well as the pop culture elements presented by the piece.

Cultural Conflicts
In the film, Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is a bigot. He has the underlying problem of dealing with his bigotry. Walt, like so many racist people, is multifaceted. Meaning all racist people are not necessarily “bad” people, just as not all non racist people are “good” people. For instance, in the film Walt observes the character Sue (Bee Vang) being harassed by a group of African Americans on the street. Walt sees this injustice and stops to pick up Sue to make sure she comes to no harm. Through this chance encounter, Walt begins to slowly see Sue as not just an oriental girl, but as a girl. I would describe this conflict as interpersonal in nature, mainly because it deals with Walt’s own battles and personal demons.
Also presented in the film are the warring gangs of the city. Each gang has the notion that they are better than the other, strictly due to their race. They bully and violently threaten the lives of each other, including their own family, in order to command respect and show their dominance of their area. Seemingly, the only justification for these conflicts is due to the gangs misunderstanding of each others ethnicity due to stereotyping (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 234).
Finally, in the film Thao and Walt develop a friendship through a set of unfortunate events. Over the course of the development of this friendship, Walt and Thao attempt to “rub off on each other.” Walt and Thao have trouble identifying with the each other because of the age barrier, rather than the race barrier. Walt tries to show Thao how, for lack of a better term, the “good ole’ boys” speak to each other. Walt takes Thao to the barber shop where insults and racist remarks are the norm. They don’t mean any ill will toward each other; this is simply how they talk. Personally, I feel this is due to a difference in values rather than culture in general. In my personal experience, a friend of mine when I was in high school used to greet every buddy of his with, “Hey you son of a bitch” just before he gave you a high five or shook your hand. It was simply the way he talked. He didn’t hold the same value on the meaning of what he was saying as those that may have been around him.

Popular Culture
In Gran Torino, I feel there are several examples of pop culture. The first example is the use of the church. The church in the film represents redemption and hope for Walt. I would define the church as pop culture because it is made popular by the people through the appeal of the church. (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 202)
The second example would be the use of racial slurs. The terms “gook”, “spook”, and many others litter the films dialogue. The slurs are used both with negative connotations and as terms of endearment. The main offender of the piece, Walt, slowly grows to stop using the terms, almost to the point that he stops completely. I defined this as pop culture because of the wide spread use of these terms. The use of the terms rarely is generated by the group of people they are used to describe. Many people who were alive during segregation and in the immediate years after don’t think twice about referring to someone of another ethnicity as “colored” or some other equally archaic term.

Ending: Gran Torino
I found the ending of the film to be quite noble in nature. Walt gives his life so that the Hmong gang will be seen for what it is. Walt has completed his character arc of growing from a racist to a citizen of the world. The ending brought an end to all the aforementioned cultural conflicts. Was it the best way the situation could have been handled? I can’t honestly answer that question completely. I personally feel that what Walt did was brave and noble, but would I have been able to do the same thing, would I have had the gall to take all the steps he did? I don’t know. For example, being an amateur Titanic historian, I’ve often hoped that I could have been brave enough to step back and allow the women and children into the boats, but until one is faced with that very problem, it is purely conjecture. Character is what comes out when no one is looking and there is no time to react. I would hope that I would measure up. Personally I would think that there would be enough evidence to get the police in on the act, without having to sacrifice Walt. Sue’s rape would have left DNA evidence. The bullets from the guns could have been traced in theory. I would probably have let the situation cool as much as possible, then seen what action needed to be taken. According to Conan (1998):
The key to effective cross-cultural communication is knowledge. First, it is essential that
people understand the potential problems of cross-cultural communication, and make a
conscious effort to overcome these problems. Second, it is important to assume that one’s
efforts will not always be successful, and adjust one’s behavior appropriately. (Pg,1)

Overall Feelings/Conclusion
I personally loved the film. I found it to be a jewel of the cinema. My father-in-law actually purchased this film for me a couple of years ago. We haven’t had the time to sit down and watch it together, so in doing this assignment we made the time. I don’t know that there was much of anything that I disliked about the film. I found the actions of the characters and the language used necessary to make the point that the filmmakers were trying to make. The character I found myself identifying with the most was actually Thao. All my life I’ve actually been pretty passive. I’ve been pressured into doing things I’m not proud of, but mostly I would consider myself a good person. Thao just wants to be happy. He’s not looking for trouble, in fact, trouble finds him. Overall, I cannot express my gratitude for this assignment. It allowed me to, not only take a break from normal weekly class protocol, but also make the time to finally sit down and enjoy this film.











References
Conan, C. (1998) Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies Conflict Research Consortium.
Eastwood, C., Gerber, B., Lorenz, R. (Producers), & Eastwood, C. (Director). (2008). Gran Torino [ Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Martin, Judith N. and Thomas K. Nakayama. Experiencing Intercultural
Communication. 4th. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Identity Reflection

The identity I have chosen to represent myself in this paper is that of being a father. This is an identity that I recently discovered just how important it is to me. Honestly it was not until I was responding to a discussion post for this class that I realized that this is a defining identity for me. Being a father was always something I planned on doing. I had thought about it when I was younger. I used to wonder what my wife would be like, what my career would be like, as well as what my children would be like. Many would believe that this is a characteristic of a girl, but I’ve always wondered about my future. Palmer (2002) wrote, “The father of a child can develop the bond during the pregnancy of his partner, feeling attachment to the developing child. Research indicates that this may have some biological basis.” I believe this to be a true statement. I have been blessed with two children, one living and one with the lord, as well as one on the way. My wife and I actually became pregnant on our wedding night, believe it or not, so really I went from being a bachelor to being a father very, very quickly, much too quick for my taste. Regarding fathers Parachin (2008) writes, “They take seriously their role as spiritual teachers and mentors for their children. They are not ashamed to say ‘I love you,’ nor do they hesitate to shower their children with physical expressions of love”

As I stated before I just recently became aware of this defining me. After the loss of my second child, I began a tailspin of sorts into the man I have become today. Words that would have described me would be aimless, lazy, or perhaps apathetic to my future. The time since her passing has been full of heart ache, tears, and self discovery, which has led me right to this keyboard, typing this paper. I admit to having problems balancing all the different aspects of being a father. Between work, friends, and any other project I may be working on, it has become extremely difficult for me to find the time to complete any given task. For example: This past week I was unable to complete and submit my assignments from week three during the tornado and subsequent power/communication outage. Monday I was stuck at work for ten hours before finally coming home to find the internet still down. Tuesday was my third wedding anniversary, which I had planned on taking my wife and son to Joplin to eat, obviously that didn’t happen. Wednesday, the internet was back on; however, I got stuck at work again until 9:00. I had to scramble and claw my way to complete the discussion posts for my classes. Thursday, I was finally able to complete and submit last week’s assignment. Friday, I attended a funeral of a family friend, worked, went straight from work to a rehearsal for the wedding of my best friend, and proceeded to get sucked into taking care of the last minute preparations for the wedding. Saturday, I spent all day fulfilling my obligations as best man, finally collapsing and getting some much needed sleep. Sunday, I woke up and proceeded to Joplin, MO to be a part of the peace rally, memorial service, and listen to President Obama speak in person, finally finishing the day by doing homework. I will refer to this week in the coming years as: the week from hell.
Obviously this was an exceptionally emotional and hectic/busy week, but my point is at no point was I able to fulfill my obligations as a parent to my son. It pains my heart to think that during these formative times he’s missing out on being with his father. I have no intentions of not being with my son but life has made it extremely difficult to spend any real time with him. When I first became a father, I went through a depression of sorts. I wanted no part of the responsibility. I suppose I went through this because of my unhappiness at the time with my wife and what had become of my life. Some of the advantages of being a father are getting to be with my family. Feeling the love and support of hearing that little voice say, “Daddy!” I get to see my son grow and learn. I love being a father with all my heart, but for me the only real disadvantage is with regards to my daughter. I have been through an emotional time coming to grips with the fact that my daughter, Emmy, who passed away, will never have the opportunity to grow old, read books, watch movies, or fall in love. She will never build a life, and I’ll never get to walk my little girl down the aisle. I don’t feel, as some would, that the disadvantages of being a parent mean that I cannot do whatever I want, whenever I want. Most of the things I enjoy doing I do at home anyway.

This identity of being a father has not really influenced me too much as my lifestyle hasn’t really changed when compared to before I became a father so I don’t really feel that I have significantly changed my habits at life or at home. To that same end, how I communicate with people hasn’t really changed when compared to before. I do however feel that my school work has felt the impact of my fatherly duties. I am unable to spend as much time working on any given project or assignment as I would normally like to take. I have been able to set aside Wednesdays and Sundays as days that I can work on school work, but this is becoming increasingly difficult as the school work demands more time be taken. With that in mind I am faced with the choice of how to juggle these to separate yet equally important aspects of the current state of my life.

In general, I have observed that others who are not fathers do not fully understand the time and effort one has to make to maintain a good solid foundation for your child. When I am unable to attend an event hosted by a friend due to having to take care of my child, they don’t always understand. However, I will make this choice every time it is presented to me. Johnson (2011) writes, “A child with a nonresident father is 54 percent more likely to be poorer than his or her father. Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.” Even though I am present in the home, I feel that my son can still suffer the effects of my absence.

References
Johnson, A. J. (2011) Straight No Chaser Fathers Inc.
Palmer, L. F. (2002) Bonding Matters: The Chemistry of Attachment Attachment Parenting International News
Parachin, V. M, (2008) Seven Lessons to Becoming a Better Father Unity Magazine

Historical Examination

Why would it be important to examine the role of history in Intercultural Communication?

History plays an extremely important role in fully understanding intercultural communication. (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg 68). With all the different cultures in the world, it is imperative to respect that everyone’s culture differs from person to person or country to country. One’s personal history speaks volumes of information about why they are the way they are, as well as helpful indicators about their personality and proper ways of communicating with them.

Working with people everyday in my job (assistant manager for a U.S. Cellular store), it is always a good idea to try to relate to the history of the people I’m speaking to or trying to help. If I have a better understanding of my customers history, I can better help the customer in many ways. It allows me to see what it is that they are trying to say. I couldn’t tell you how many people I’ve helped that use cell phone terminology interchangeably. For instance, customers will refer to their plan and contract interchangeably. It is up to me to interpret what it is that they are trying to tell me. I also service many Hispanic customers through both body language and listening carefully to what they are telling me. Many times words in Spanish are very similar to, if not exactly the same as, words in English.

What are hidden histories and how might hidden histories affect intercultural interactions?

Hidden histories are events of the past that are not common knowledge or, in most cases, people are not taught about them. In a lot of cases, these histories do not reflect well upon the group that is suppressing the story. In other cases, it is a product of pop culture influencing people’s perception of history. For example, everyone knows the story of how Christopher Columbus sought out the new world to prove the world was round. The problem is that this story is simply not true. It was invented by Washington Irving for a novel he wrote in the early 1800’s. It has been suggested that if the legend is more interesting than the truth, print the legend (Wuhl, 2008).

The downside of hidden histories are that there are more of them than we will probably ever discover. All history is based upon what the people who survived said happened. In most cases, they are not written down, but are passed along orally from one generation the next (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 70). It is extremely important to be aware of these hidden histories so that we can learn from our mistakes and open the communication lines between our cultures to help finally get by our differences, whether they be racial or directly cultural differences.

Compare and contrast family histories with national histories.

A person is exposed to many different cultures throughout their life. With each of these cultures, they bring their history along with them. Family histories have much in common with national histories as they both rely on the use of communication. In most cases, they are not written down, but are passed along orally from one generation the next (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 70). If one generation did not pass on their specific tales of traditions and events, then many of these histories would be lost to time and forgotten altogether. Each national and family history is unique to the cultural members of their environment and may differ from one country or family to another.

Some people would look at the histories of families and nations without seeing the many differences between the two. For one thing, a national history is generally taught in schools and text books much more broadly than a family history is (one exception might be the Kennedy family or the royal family of England). It is comprised of events and endeavors of varying importance. Many people, within the nation, learn of their national history through school books and historical narratives. On the flip side, family histories are interwoven with the national histories. People are able to connect with family history in a deep and profound way.

How is the history of gays and lesbians relevant to intercultural communication?

“Sexual orientation histories emphasize the significance of sexuality in understanding the past and the present, yet these histories are often overlooked or silenced” (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg 77). I would tend to agree with this sentiment. Actor Rock Hudson was shocked the world by coming out of the closet, as he was widely perceived to be a “mans man.” (Monroe, 1995, pg. 97.)

It was only fairly recent in history that members of the gay and lesbian culture have been able to live out loud so to speak. For example, the show Glee with its racy plot lines and thought provoking topics would have never made the air in the 1970’s. (Stoner, 2011, pg 13). Within intercultural communication, a person is very likely to work with someone of a differing sexual orientation on a regular basis. I feel the more a person knows about a culture, including gay and lesbian culture, the more accepting and understanding can be found for the people. Understanding a group of people does not mean one has to agree with the people.

How can we negotiate histories in interactions?

We give ourselves the opportunity to understand the world and its people by striving to learn about other cultures histories. For example: I have taken several trips to Mexico on cruises. Now, while I realize the areas I visit are designed to cater to traveling Americans, I’ve also been given the opportunity to travel away from these ports, deeper into Mexico, to experience the true Mexico first hand. I have always had the assumption that, until I have seen it with my own two eyes, I shouldn’t just take for granted that the picture of a country presented to me by the media is correct.

It is impossible to fully take in an entire country and its many facets in the space of time that a television program can provide for it. I was able to communicate with the native people and had many good conversations about life and the ideals that they have where they come from. “The desire to escape history is significant in what it tells us about how our own culture negotiates its relation to the past and how we view the relation of other nations and cultures to their pasts” (Martin and Nakayama, 2011, pg. 75).
My blog can be found at: http://interculturalcommpage.blogspot.com/.

References
Martin, J. N. and Nakayama, T. K. (2011) Experiencing Intercultural Communication. 4th. New York: McGraw-Hill
Monroe, Q. (1995) Like a Rock. Free Press
Stoner, K. (2011) Gleeful. Miami News Record.
Wuhl, R. (2007) Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl. NYU

My Cultural Collage

This collage represents the culture that I have been most exposed to. In 1987 I became enamored with probably the biggest pop culture influences on my life Star Trek, Star Wars, Superman, and The Wizard of Oz. I grew up in the small town of Miami, OK. My mother was extremely over protective of me, so the aforementioned films/television shows were like my best friends in a way. I owe a large amount of my morals and ethical beliefs to those shows. I began going to school in Commerce, OK in 1997. Later, I played football for the Commerce Tigers where we were blessed with quite a high level of success. My wife, Kristy, and I had a son in Feb. 2009.I joined the Miami Little Theatre in 2009 where I currently hold a position on the board of directors as a member and the historian. We perform our shows at our small towns "diamond in the rough", The Coleman Theatre. In 2010 I had the privilege of being cast as The Cowardly Lion in Miami Little Theatre's production of The Wizard of Oz. My wife gave birth prematurely to our second child with a week and a half left until the production. Emmy Grace was born on Sept. 7th, 2010 during an emergency C-Section. Emmy had a condition called fetal hydrops. I spent my days waking up, driving to Tulsa, OK (an hour+ drive from Miami, OK.), staying there as long as I could, driving back, performing the show, sleeping, and doing it all again the following day. The production wrapped on Sept. 19th and was a resounding success. Emmy Grace died Sept. 23rd.