Chapter 4 – Culture, Intercultural Competence, and Pragmatics
Broadening Horizons: A Big, Big World
Faith Adler; Bibi Halima; and Keli Yerian
Preview Questions
- How can cultural intelligence shape our understanding of the world?
- How can cultural intelligence solve the paradox of intercultural communication?
As we learn about a new language and/or culture and adopt features of it, our worldview can begin to change rapidly. Our eyes are opened to new perspectives we may not have been aware of before, and the world may not look the same as what we are used to.
This can feel overwhelming, especially when we come into parts of a new culture that are not exactly what we expected. However, this is an excellent time to practice cultural intelligence.
What is Cultural Intelligence?
Cultural intelligence is described as “the ability to understand why members of other cultures act in the ways they do. Rather than dismissing foreign behaviors as weird, inferior, or immoral, people high in cultural intelligence can appreciate differences even if they do not necessarily share another culture’s views or adopt its way of doing things” (Biswas-Diener & Thin, 2024, Defining Culture, para. 6).
And why is it important?
When a language learner is exploring the culture of the language they are studying, if they approach members of that culture with cultural intelligence, those “insiders” are much more likely to be open to the learner. By lending your awareness to a culture that is new to you, you show respect for the people who are a part of it. Putting intentionality into this step can give you insights as to why many members of the culture behave in certain ways and take pressure off your interactions with them.
Let’s put this concept into context by returning to our Rotary study abroad alumni and their own experiences with intercultural communication.
ROTEX Perspective: Cultural Intelligence and “Wiggle Room”
A common theme in our discussion was recognizing that as a study abroad student, you are going into a culture to observe it rather than judge it. It’s important to educate people about your culture as well, especially if they ask, but you shouldn’t necessarily make any assumptions or draw any conclusions about their culture. You don’t have to accept all of it, either, but you can’t ignore it, and you shouldn’t judge it.
An important part of the process of exchange and entering new cultures is deciding on what you are or aren’t willing to compromise on. If you have core values that you are not willing to give up, then you don’t have to change those things about yourself when you enter into a new culture. However, you shouldn’t apply your own morals to another group that you’re entering into and expect them to follow the same rules. It may also be worth considering softening the morals you have that are “hard-set”.
Olivia gave an example of a student who she worked with that studied abroad in Argentina who was vegetarian when she left the United States. She valued vegetarianism highly and didn’t think she wanted to give it up. However, events like barbecues are a huge part of Argentinian culture and she ended up decided to give up vegetarianism just for the year so that she could experience that part of the culture, which really helped her to bond with her host family and community. Upon coming home, she returned to vegetarianism, but was glad that she had softened her “hard values” even if only for a year to more deeply experience a new culture and check her own way of thinking.
If anything, experiences like this can help us to solidify our values because it puts them to the test. When entering a new culture, you may experience ways of life that you never would have conceived of on your own. You’ll see new celebrations, foods, rituals, and more, and something may appeal to you that you didn’t even know existed. It’s really a wonderful opportunity, so it should be taken full advantage of.
In the following video, Helena Merschdorf explains more about why understanding culture is crucial for communication and how cultural intelligence can solve the paradox of intercultural communication. She touches on many of the subjects we’ve covered in this chapter, so feel free to refer to previous sections to check your comprehension as she speaks.
As you can see, even actions seemingly as small as hand gestures or seating arrangements can cause some large miscommunications. As Helena explains, our own world view is likely anything but “normal”. Instead, it is a combination of our unique accumulated experiences throughout life influenced by a myriad of factors. As responsible global citizens, it’s crucial for us to acknowledge how those influences may affect our perception of the world and how we communicate.
References
Biswas-Diener, R., & Thin, N. (2024). Culture. In R. Biswas-Diener, & E. Diener (Eds.), Noba textbook series: Psychology. DEF publishers. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from http://noba.to/y9xcptqw
