Intercultural Communication - Essay Example

b. Stereotyping – are the oversimplified and distorted perception of another race and culture which are often in the negative, as a way to group or categorize that kind of person.Stereotyping can be overcome by education. Stereotyping is a reaction of people who do not know much. Education and exposure to other cultures can break down stereotypes.c. Prejudice – the preconceived negative attitude towards a cultural group based on little or no knowledge. Prejudice is often a product of ignorance whereby one judges another with little or no basis.

Providing people with ample information about other people can minimize if not totally remove prejudice.d. Discrimination – deliberate act to exclude, avoid, or distance others from one’s group. Unlike prejudice and stereotyping which are merely negative perceptions, discrimination is a concrete act to exclude others or distance oneself from other groups of people (highered.mcgraw-hill.com, nd).Discrimination can be overcome by encouraging diversity and making it an unacceptable action.

It should be discouraged in all interactions and instead promote cultural diversity as a better alternative to interact with others.2. What are the potential challenges posed by differences in nonverbal communication when communicating across cultures or communicating interracially? Provide two examples of specific types of nonverbal communication and describe the challenges they pose. What potential solutions can you suggest for overcoming these challenges?One of the major challenges posed by differences in nonverbal communication when communicating across cultures is miscommunication.

A certain action, body language, or sign may be construed as something else by the recipient thereby resulting in misunderstanding. People must be aware of these differences to avoid any miscommunication.Non-verbal communication is very important in the communication process because they comprise the majority of the message. In a study by Zhijing Chen (2009), she reported that one of the findings of a study in communication conducted in the United States, 93 percent messages were transmitted through nonverbal behaviors while only 7% were transmitted through the explicit verbal language.

This means that nonverbal communication is very important in communicating across cultures.Two classic examples are the V sign where the two fingers are protruded with the facepalm out signifying peace or victory in the US and other cultures such as the Philippines. The V sign however is taken differently in Indonesia where it just meant number two.Another glaring example is the pointing of a finger where one will use his index finger to point at people or objects. This is harmless in the US and is used to identify people or objects.

In Asia however, this could mean trouble because pointing a finger to people is not polite and often taken as an insult.