Chapter 2

Communication in a Globalized World

Overview
This chapter explains the concepts of communication and globalization. It gives emphasis on the
importance or value of the different cultures of people in the society, as well as on the importance of
respect for individual differences and cultural diversity. In addition, it features variety of experiences of
people that one should respect. Being aware of such, one can distinguish oneself from others.

Objectives

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define globalization and explain its effects on communication.
2. Compare different concepts related to globalization (e.g., cultures and co-cultures, ethnocentrism
and cultural relativism).
3. Discuss the different groups that influence cultural identity.
4. Appreciate the impact of communication on society and the world.
5. Appreciate the impact of communication in connecting people with different cultural backgrounds.

A. Assess your personal preparedness to communicate effectively with people of different cultures. On the line,
write the number of your response.
1 - Agree
2 - Slightly agree
3 - Neither agree nor disagree
4 - Slightly disagree
5 - Disagree
_____ 1. I am aware that no culture is inferior or superior to my own.
_____ 2. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own.
_____ 3. I am knowledgeable of how to behave with persons of different cultures.
_____ 4. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups in our multicultural society.
_____ 5. I express my disagreement with another person of different culture with respect.
_____ 6. I enjoy communicating with persons unlike me as much as with persons like me.
_____ 7. I am aware that people communicate with others according to the rules of their culture.
_____ 8. I can tell when persons from other cultures do not understand me or are confused by my action.
_____ 9. I am aware that people of other cultures can express different emotions, including negative ones.
_____ 10. I can interact socially with people from different walks of life, including those from
minority groups.
2.1 Communication in a Multicultural Setting
People currently live in the age of globalization. Globalization is defined as the increasing economic,
political, and cultural integration and interdependence of diverse cultures—the worldwide integration of
humanity (Forey & Lockwood, 2010). In globalization, the likelihood of jobs and the way of living of people
from different parts of the world are possible.
Globalization requires people to pay attention to a related concept called diversity, the recognition and
valuing of difference encompassing such factors as age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, religion, education,
marital status, sexual orientation, and income. Digital technology has helped in erasing the notion of territorial
boundaries between countries, gradually eroding the idea of the term nation. People once considered as
strangers are now friends and co-workers, creating the need for people who are multiculturalists or people who
respect and engage with people from distinctly different cultures.

Effective communication and the ability to understand cultural differences are necessary skills. With that
in mind, answer these questions:
1. Are you prepared to communicate in a society that is a nation of minorities?
2. Do you have the understanding and sensitivity to interact in a global community in which other
persons may look, act, and think differently like you do?
3. Are you ready to embrace diversity?
Communicators who fail to realize that people from different cultures may not look, think, or act as they
themselves do may run the risk of being judged as insensitive, ignorant, or culturally confused (lacking an
understanding of cultural difference). The culturally confused pay a high price; cultural misunderstandings often
lead to lost opportunities, such as business transactions, and increased level of tension between people during
meetings and social gatherings.
Failing to develop insights into cultural nuances and differences can be costly. Recognizing and
responding to differences among cultures allow more meaningful relationships. At the same time, one needs to
be mindful that not everyone from a particular culture exhibits the same characteristics and communication
traits.
While society is becoming more culturally diverse, it is undeniable that people and institutions could
contribute to harsh and undesirable realities of cultural diversity. In a globalized environment, the ability to
communicate effectively is a great challenge. Even the two parties who use the same language to communicate
may still have miscommunication or misunderstanding because of their different ethnical and cultural
backgrounds. Understanding the impact of globalization in cross-cultural communication is imperative for the
organizations that aim to have a competitive advantage in the global market. Communication across cultural
boundaries is becoming very valuable for the society that is more globally connected.

2.2 Cultures and Co-Cultures

A culture is the system of knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors,

and artifacts that are acquired, shared, and used by its members during daily living.
Within a culture, there are co-cultures composed of members of the same general
With permission from co-author, culture who differ in certain ethnic or sociological ways from the parent culture.
Magno, JM)
African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Japanese Americans, the disabled, gays
and lesbians, cyberpunks, and the elderly are just some of the co-cultures
belonging to the same culture (Forey & Lockwood, 2010).
Co-cultural group members who use the strategy of cultural assimilation attempt to fit in or join with
members of the dominant culture. This may be in a form of not using one’s native language to be one with the
crowd of speakers of the dominant language (e.g., English). In comparison, members who use the strategy of
cultural accommodation attempt to maintain their cultural identity even while they try to establish
relationships with the members of the dominant culture. For instance, an overseas Filipino worker who has to
speak in English in the US but still speaks Cebuano at home and with fellow Filipinos.
On the other hand, when members of a co-culture resist interacting with members of the dominant
culture, they employ the strategy of resistance or separation. Members of co-cultures can practice passive,
assertive, or confrontational communication approaches in their efforts to accomplish their objectives relative to
the dominant culture.
Many countries have become overpopulated because of immigrants, and nowadays, their cultures have
become influenced by the groups of people who build the nations. This is also part of the national development.
Countries are developing and so is cultural diversity. No matter what culture people are part of, one thing is for
certain: it is subjected to changes. The anthropologist Cristina De Rossi said, “Culture appears to have become a
key in our interconnected world, which is made up of so many ethnically diverse societies, but also riddled by
conflicts associated with religion, ethnicity, ethical beliefs, and essentially, the elements which make up culture
(Zimmermann, 2017).”

2.3 Intercultural Communication

Whenever cultural variability influences the nature and the effects of

communication, intercultural communication is at work. It is concerned
with the process of interpreting and sharing meanings with individuals
from different cultures. Aside from the language, intercultural
communication gives emphasis on social attributes, thought patterns, and
cultures of different groups of people. When cultures are diverse, people deal
with others with different values or behavioral norms, so it is important to
know and accept these differences and diversities. If people want Participants during the Cebu to process
different influences of culture and communicate with each other International TESOL Conference, in a very
2011
desirable and meaningful way, diversity must be embraced.
With permission from co-author,
Intercultural communication comprises several forms. Magno, JM) Among its
many variations are interracial communication, which occurs when interactants are of different races;
interethnic communication, which occurs when the communicating parties have different ethnic origins;
international communication, which occurs between persons representing political structures; and
intercultural communication, which includes all forms of communication among members of the same racial,
ethnic, or other co-cultural groups.
Ethnocentrism, the tendency to see one’s own culture as superior to others’, is a key characteristic of
failed intercultural communication efforts (Forey & Lockwood, 2010). The ethnocentric persons experience
extreme anxiety when they mingle and deal with people from other cultural backgrounds. On the other hand,
cultural relativism is the opposite of ethnocentrism. One attempts to understand the behavior of other groups
based on the context in which the behavior occurs rather than from own frame of reference (Forey &
Lockwood, 2010).

2.4 Cultural Diversity

 Cultural diversity is the existence of various cultural or ethnic groups within a society. Also, it is the
term used for discussing the importance of respecting other people’s cultures. It is said that globalization will
have negative effects on different cultures in the world. Aside from the obvious cultural differences such as
language, custom, and tradition, there are significant variations in organizing the society together with the
people’s beliefs in morality and the ways on how to nurture their environment.

2.5 Reducing the Strangeness of Strangers

There are many instances when people feel the sense of not belonging, of being out of place or not
fitting in; in other words, of being strange. This feeling occurs when a person interacts with a stranger. More
specifically, a person may feel awkward when meeting someone who has a different culture.
While intercultural communication is unavoidable, it can be effective and
successful for others. The reason of this is clear: not everyone tries hard to
understand or to be understood by the people from different cultures.
For an effective and healthy intercultural communication, people need to
https://creativecommons.org/
Creative Commons, 2018 conduct themselves in a manner designed to reduce the strangeness of strangers by
acquiring more knowledge on cultural diversity, by learning to cope with
uncertainty, and by developing an appreciation on how increasing one’s cultural sensitivity positively affects
one’s communication competence (Chase and Shamo, 2013). There is a need to step forward in developing
intercultural communication and lessen any culture-related misunderstandings through acceptance of the reality
that ideally, no culture should be claimed as superior to any other culture.

2.6 Exploring Cultural Dialectics

The variables used to distinguish cultures are the following:

1. Individualism versus collectivism

The cultural dimension of individualism versus collectivism reveals how people define
themselves in their relationship with others. Individualistic cultures, such as those of Great Britain,
the United States, Canada, France, and Germany stress individual goals, whereas collectivistic
cultures represented by many Arab, African, Asian, and Latin American countries give precedence
to group goals.
2. High context versus low context
Cultures vary in communication style. Cultures with high-context communication systems
are tradition-bound; their cultural traditions shape the behavior and lifestyle of group members,
causing them to appear to be overly polite and indirect in relating to others. In contrast, cultures with
low-context communication systems generally encourage members to exhibit a more direct
communication style.
3. High power distance versus low power distance
Power distance measures the extent to which individuals are willing to accept power
differences. Individuals from high power distance cultures, such as Saudi Arabia, India, and
Malaysia, view power as a fact of life and are apt to stress its coercive or referent nature. In
contrast, individuals from low power distance cultures, such as Israel, Sweden, and the United
 States, believe power should be used only when it is legitimate; thus, they are apt to employ expert
or legitimate power.
4. Masculine versus feminine culture
Cultures differ in their attitudes toward gender roles. In highly masculine cultures, members
value male aggressiveness, strength, and material symbols of success. In highly feminine cultures,
members value relationships, tenderness in members of both sexes, and a high quality of life.

2.7 Identifying the Impact of Stereotypes and Prejudice

Stereotypes are people’s perceived mental images or representations that

they associate with others. These serve as “shortcuts,” whether positive or
negative, that guide one’s dealings and judgment on others. When used to view
people who belong to different cultures, stereotypes generate unrealistic pictures of
them solely based on their cultural background, preventing one from distinguishing
individuals from their group. Racial profiling, using one’s race as grounds for
suspecting a person of behaving unethically or committing any Creative Commons, 2018
wrongdoing, is just one example of how stereotyping affects https://creativecommons.org/
worldview.
Preconceived opinions that are not based on actual experience of interacting with a person or a group of
people affects intercultural communication adversely. Prejudice can be a positive prejudgment, but negative
implications arise when the opinions are biased and hurtful. It may also arise when people perceive their own
culture as superior to others and feel threatened by another race.

GUIDELINES OF THE ORAL REPORTING

1. There should be 7 groups. The class will count off.

Group 1: Communication in a Multicultural Setting
Group 2: Cultures and Co-cultures
Group 3: Intercultural Communication
Group 4: Cultural Diversity
Group 5: Reducing the Strangeness of Strangers
Group 6: Exploring Cultural Dialectics
Group 7: Stereotypes and Prejudice

2. Read the brief notes given to you.

3. For the reporting, each group should submit a written report.
4. First Page: Names of Members (alphabetical order) and their assigned task
Class Schedule of PC
Second Page to Fourth Page: Detailed Content of the report
Fifth Page: References (APA format)
5. For the written report, use Verdana, font size 11, 1.5 spacing. Staple the pages together.
6. The assigned tasks are:
2 members: reporters
 3 to 4 members: researchers
1 member: making the power point
7. During the oral reporting, you are given a maximum of 12 minutes. This includes the setting-up of your
equipment.
8. If you wish to include a video presentation, you may. Kindly simplify your reporting.
9. Prepare the following: VGA, HDMI, laptop with charger, speaker (optional). Please get the LCD Projector
ahead of time in BA Dept.
10. Rubrics for the written report:
 Content (5 pts.)
- knowledgeable, substantive, relevant to the assigned topic
 Organization (5 pts.)
- fluent expression, ideas clearly stated, concise, well-organized, locally sequenced
 Mechanics (5 pts.)
- mastery of conventions; no errors on spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
 Language (5 pts.)
- effective complex construction; no grammatical errors
 Format (5 pts.)
- no errors in citation; length, spacing, fonts, margins, numbered pages all carefully adhered to
11. Rubrics for the oral report:

 Organization - 5 pts.
(Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.)

 Subject Knowledge - 5 pts.

(Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations
and elaboration.)

 Mechanics - 5 pts.
(Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.)

 Eye Contact - 5 pts.

(Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.)

 Elocution - 5 pts.
(Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear
presentation.)

 Familiarity with the Project - 5 pts.

(Student has good grasp on the intricacies of the case and adds much information while referring to slides)

 Presentation Slides - 5 pts.

(Slides serve as outline and have appropriate graphics)
35 pts.

12. Look for other references based on the given topic. Library work will be on __________________.
13. The start of the oral report is on ____________. Submission of the written report is on _________.