Intercultural communication. Creative Writing Essay
You are welcome to use whatever materials you have to complete this exam, but please complete the exam alone (no partners). Be sure that all answers are written in paragraph form with complete sentences. Do not answer questions with bullet points. Please copy and paste the full text of the question selected and type your answer below. Your responses should be 12-point, Times New Roman font and single-spaced.
Below (and in the attached word document) you will see two sets of questions. Questions in the first set are worth 10 points each, while questions in the second set are worth 15 points each. You must select four questions from each group (you should answer 8 essay questions total).
Set #1 - Pick 4 questions (4 x 10 = 40 points)（Write one paragraph for each question,7-10 sentences each paragraph）
1. Do you think there are universal human values? If so, what are they? Is the belief in universal human values ethnocentric?
2. Explain how the homogeneity of a population can be related to the concept of high- and low-context cultures.
3. What do you think are the most critical elements of intercultural communication competence?
4. Briefly explain three steps you can take to develop your competence as both consumer and producer of popular culture.
5. What do you believe is the most significant U.S. cultural pattern in the intercultural communication context? Why?
6. How does the fact that we are no longer physically isolated impact intercultural communication? Why does this matter?
7. Briefly explain the key aspects of macro-, micro-, and mesoframe analysis of intercultural conflict. Discuss why it is important to address all three frames when addressing conflicts.
Set #2 - Pick 4 questions (4 x 15 = 60 points) （Write two paragraphs for each question,7-10 sentences each paragraph）
8. Reflecting on our discussions of nonverbal communication, radicalization, and terrorism, do you think the European Union should totally ban the use of the swastika symbol?
9. “Identity politics” refers to political positions taken on the basis of self-identified groups such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other culture or group. Do identity politics pose a challenge to nation state identity? Why or why not?
10. How could countries use predictors of an immigrant’s success in acculturation in immigration policies or in facilitating acculturation? How would the countries determine what those predictors would be?
11. What is the relationship between colonialism and globalization? What are the similarities, and what are the differences? Using concrete examples, discuss how the legacy of colonialism impacts the process of globalization today.
12. In what ways is globalization changing our experiences of cultural space? What does it mean when corporations, such as Starbucks and McDonald’s, develop stores around the world, creating physical spaces that are exactly the same?
13. COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the world (a controversial, yet brave statement) and countries have taken different approaches to managing the virus. Cultural expectations and political tensions have guided public health efforts, but which of Hofstede's cultural dimensions do you think have had the greatest influence on successful management of the virus? Discuss 3 of the cultural dimensions and why you think it is relevant to managing COVID-19 (e.g., collectivism/individualism, power distance, masculinity/femininity).
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INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
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PART 1
1 Do you think there are universal human values? If so, what are they? Is the belief in universal human values ethnocentric?
Yes. All humans, irrespective of their religion, cultures, race, ethnic background, age, sexual orientation, etc., seem to agree on basic principles. Humanity believes that everyone should be the recipient of those principles. For example, do not harm others (being kind), do not lie/cheat (be honest), do not enslave others (show compassion and care). Additionally, all humans seek to ensure their community is peaceful, and justice prevails, freedom, equality, etc. All these principles are common in all communities and societies around the world. Their values birthed universal civil rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a reflection of the values humanity holds dear. The universal civil rights are anchored on what humanity agrees on and perceive as unalienable. The belief in universal human values is not ethnocentric. All people, irrespective of their backgrounds, seem to value similar things in life.
2 Explain how the homogeneity of a population can be related to the concept of high- and low-context cultures.
Merriam Online dictionary defines homogeneity as ‘the quality or state of being of a similar kind or of having a uniform structure or composition throughout the quality or state of being homogeneous’ CITATION Mer \l 1033 (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Leeds Hurwitz, as cited by Jandt, defines, ‘cultures in which little of the meaning is determined by the context because the message is encoded in the explicit code are labeled low context. Cultures in which less has to be said or written because more of the meaning is in the physical environment or already shared by people are labeled high context’ CITATION Fre18 \l 1033 (Jandt, 2018). As per these definitions, a highly homogenous population is likely to be a high-context culture. The people tend to be indirect or implicit and more likely to use intermediaries as the meaning of their messages is contextual. Thus, the higher the homogeneity, the more likely the culture would be high-context and vice versa.
3 What do you believe is the most significant U.S. cultural pattern in the intercultural communication context? Why?
One of the most prevalent patterns of US cultural and language pattern is highlighted by speakers of English and Spanish. While these two languages are not native to the country, their distribution is a testament to the history of the nation. Spanish speakers line the southern and western states while mostly English-speaking nations line the east coast and northern states. This is largely due to the fact that southern states are closer to Mexico, which speaks Spanish and historically belonged to Spanish colonizers. The east and north are largely influenced by their colonizers, the British. To the north, America borders another English-speaking country, Canada. Therefore, the cultural pattern of the US, as analyzed through a number of language speakers per certain number of people, show that the south and west is largely inhabited by Spanish speaking people, and the east and north is largely inhabited by English speakers.
4 How does the fact that we are no longer physically isolated impact intercultural communication? Why does this matter?
Globalization and technological advancement have shrunk the world. One of the major effects of these elements is that more dominant languages have continued to dominate and grow. For example, while the English language is native to the United Kingdom, it is the largest language in the world present in all continents. The language has become a medium for communication for different people from different ethnic backgrounds around the world. Many cultures that do not use English as their native language use it for communication. For example, in Africa, some countries, especially those who were colonized by the British, have many different ethnic communities, but they use English to communicate across cultures and native languages. English is even taught in schools and used as the country’s official language. Therefore, humanity’s connectedness will continue to set the ground for some cultures and languages to become assimilated into others and possibly lead to their extinction.
PART 2
8. Reflecting on our discussions of nonverbal communication, radicalization, and terrorism, do you think the European Union should totally ban the use of the swastika symbol?
The swastika symbol represents a very dark period in the history of the European continent. It was a symbol used by a group of people that attempted eugenics on a continental scale. The swastika was the official symbol of the Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler. Under Hitler’s leadership of the party and the country, he attempted to create a pure Aryan race, which led him to kill millions of people from a different ethnic backgrounds. Any individual using the sign today in any way, including quenelle, is perceived to share the ideologies held by the Nazi Party. Such an individual is usually promoting anti-Semitism, racism, and nationalism.
Though Nazi Germany was defeated in World War II, the symbol usage has endured to the 21st century largely due to free speech. People today largely use it as a symbol of anti-establishment. The people who challenge and are against the existing order of the authorities use it to show their disdain, and since it i...