Intercultural Communication
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SynergyPrincipleCh.9.pptmCMST 340: Synergy Principle Chapter 9
PQ: What is the best strategy for Intercultural communication?
Answer: “Integration/ Cooperation!”
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CMST 340: Synergy Principle
Perception: Seize the World
Conceptualization: generalizations “mountains, source of beauty, a challenge”
Evaluation: process of appraising or judging
Generalization: putting experiences in general categories or types
Stereotypes: overgeneralizations “fixed-perception”, apply to people from other culture
Prejudices: prejudgment based on little interaction with other culture
“IC” is more effective as we overcome stereotypes and increase the accuracy of generalizations
(Travel to Italy: all like opera/ wine)
(Song: Southern Comfort Zone, Brad Paisley)
CMST 340: Synergy Principle
Strategies for expressing prejudices:
Apparent denials (I have nothing against Turks, Jews, BUT…)
Apparent admissions (Of course there are smart Turks, Jews, BUT…)
Transfer (I don’t mind so much, BUT my neighbor…)
Contrast (We always had to work a lot, BUT they…)
Stereotypes and prejudices have in common: rigid and inaccurate perceptions
Leads to Discrimination
(Avoid stereotypes video)
CMST 340: Synergy Principle
Synergy Principle: people work with each other, integrating their forces
“IC” Synergy and Flow Dynamics: “flow states” peak experiences with potential to find optimal solutions, sense of discovery, new reality, higher level (Avoidance- Polarization- Compromise- Integration)
“IC” Synergy and Nonsummativity: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
2+2=4, integrate: 2+2=5 or more (flour, eggs, sugar,
oil…..mixed cake batter) (Ex: Intercultural marriage)
CMST 340: Synergy Principle
“Pareto Optimality”:
not a real point to be reached, but rather an ideal towards which people must be striving.
A solution that cannot be improved, w/o putting one side in a worse position
(diagram)
The more synergistic “IC” is, the closer people from different cultures come to reach “PO”.
“IC” is a process whereby people from different cultures integrate their resources striving towards an optimal result that cannot be achieved by any culture individually.
CMST 340: Synergy Principle
Short Definition:
Synergy Principle is Integration/ Cooperation .
