Chapter 9: Intercultural Communication Ethics

I really liked how this chapter explained intercultural communication ethics.  I think the examples they provided were especially clear.  I like how the textbook brought in the concept of individualism and the role it plays in cultural context.  The textbook says: "Most members of an individualistic culture assume that each communicator engages in an action or idea autonomously." (161)  This is so very true.  When I traveled to Mexico several years ago on a humanitarian trip, to help build houses, I was struck by the fact that the people were so laid back and open.  They were extremely friendly and often asked questions that were very personal.  I felt they truly cared to know me as an individual, they were not merely asking me questions as a fake nicety, like we often do in the United States.  They were also more inclined to take the time to help each other out.  For example, one of the Hispanic construction site leaders told us that in his free time, he volunteered his services to local churches and businesses to repair their roofs.  Embarrassingly enough, an American student in our group asked him what he got in return.  He shrugged his shoulders and said: "I'm able to do it, so why not?"  It was astounding to think that someone would so willingly give both their time, efforts, and sometimes his own money (to purchase some of the building materials needed) to a cause simply to help out his community.  I feel this sense of "giving back" was prevalent in that community in a way that was very foreign to someone from an individualistic culture.  I also noticed that the people were less bound to specific times, or social formalities.  I was often invited into the homes of people I had just met to share a meal with them.  This just doesn't happen in the United States, because we are too concerned about our time as well as the time of the other, and we are much more comfortable following social formalities.  You'd probably invite someone out for coffee before you'd invite them into your home to share a meal.  I would definitely say my experience in Mexico was a culture shock!

I also like how the book discusses the inarticulate and "watching the hands."  When I thought about American culture, it is difficult to articulate what "being American" actually means.  Most of us grew up in this culture, yet how do we explain all the nuances of our culture?  We are all familiar with the norms our culture dictates, yet I can't really explain the whys.  The book says: "culture lives in the doing, not in book knowledge." (168).  I think this was a good point.  We can't really explain all the things that make up the culture we have grown up in.  Simply by living in our culture, we have "learned" the norms and expectations.  We don't typically read books explaining the culture we grew up in, because we've learned it through first hand experience, which also makes it more difficult to articulate to an outsider.