Discuss any of the following questions:
1. a) In what ways can ‘cultural stereotypes’ be problematic for intercultural communication? b) Have you experienced this yourself? If so, did you find it difficult to deal with?
2. a) Which is a culture that you would like to experience or know more about? Why? b) Do you think successful communication with people in that culture would be challenging for you personally? Why or why not?
3. Kramsch (1998) refers to ‘imagined communities’ where language connects us not only to ‘the culture that is’ and ‘the culture that was’ but also to ‘the culture of the imagination’ and that this ‘governs people’s decisions and actions far more than we may think’ (p.8). She gives examples of the city of London and Dickens or Shakespeare, and Martin Luther King’s words “I have a dream…” in Washington. Can you think of any examples in your own culture/language where the ‘common dreams’ and the imagination help to reflect ‘cultural reality’ for the people there? (p.8)
4. Hofstede’s national cultural dimensions include such concepts as ‘power distance’ and ‘collectivism/individualism’.
a) How useful are these dimensions for explaining cultural differences (e.g. values and/or behaviour) between your culture and Australian culture? b) Have you observed any examples of this at La Trobe University?
5. How significant do you think an awareness of different communication styles (e.g. direct/indirect) is when people are attempting to communicate cross-culturally? Give an example.
6. In your opinion, what could be the main challenges for students, international and/or ‘home’ students, forming intercultural friendships e.g. at La Trobe University?
7. a) In Bennett’s model (1986), the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), which of the 6 stages do you think would most likely apply to most of the people you know personally: Denial, Defense, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation or Integration? b) How difficult do you think it would be to go to the ‘next stage’ of the Developmental Model, either for you or for others?
8. a) What do you think of the following comment by Bennett (1998) “treating others as we would like to be treated ourselves is inherently ethnocentric….we should rather aim to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated”? b) How might we be able to do this?

 

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