Intercultural Communication Paper (and INCA Survey) Instructions

Respect for otherness is manifested in curiosity and openness, readiness to suspend belief about (the ‘naturalness’ of) one’s own culture and to believe in (the ‘naturalness’ of) other cultures. Communication is often about creating a shared understanding about a topic, from the weather to the humour of a story, to what action to take next. Successful communication does not necessarily mean agreement or even compromise. Success means that each understands what the other wishes to say as fully as possible. So it is possible for people to understand each other and disagree, and it is also possible for people to agree but not realise that they have misunderstood each other. Understanding other people from the same language and culture group as oneself is not easy and is perhaps never complete. It is far more difficult when speaking with someone from another culture, i.e. they have:

- a different set of beliefs (what they assume is true e.g. about what is classed as edible and inedible or what is thought polite behaviour);

- a different set of values (what they assume is important in their lives e.g. they value honesty more than politeness, or they consider that older people’s views are more valuable than those of the young);

- and a different set of behaviours (the routine, often unconscious, ways of acting e.g. they always avoid looking older people directly in the eyes or they always keep a fast at a given period in the year – whatever they ‘always’ do, without reflection).

A shared understanding is hindered by this because each starts from a different set of assumptions. Success depends on two things:

- being able to ‘decentre’ from one’s own culture, i.e. become aware of what is usually unconscious;

- being able to take the other person’s perspective, and accepting that their ways also seem ‘natural’ to them.

This requires ‘unlearning’ what seems natural, and this requires a basic attitude of respect for otherness. Motivation They are willing to suspend usual assumptions and seek out new knowledge from others in a relationship of equality and, as a consequence, to question their own existing assumptions. Knowledge/skills They have knowledge of their own assumptions and those of their society, and the ability to critically assess the logic of a system of beliefs, values and behaviours. Behaviour They show interest in the other’s experience and in the daily experience of a range of social groups within a society, and not only that represented in the dominant culture

INCA – Intercultural Competence Assessment – www.incaproject.org 10