Blog Assignment Week 3

• Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

I do believe that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures. As an immigrant it is part of my life because I am not a part of the dominant culture of my hosting country. Even though I am a citizen of the United States, for the eyes of most people in the society, I am an immigrant, so for that they have certain expectations. To communicate effectively and appropriately in today’s world, you must possess an understanding of and appreciation for people who perceive differently than you do (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2009). So it started as a part of my daily survival in a place away from home.

• If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

A central goal of your study of interpersonal communication is to learn how better to relate to others. Some of the differences that contribute to diversity and may interfere with developing relationships include differences in age, learning style, gender, religion, race, and ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, and culture  (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011). I personally believe that my beliefs, culture and background have a huge influence on how I interact in a diverse society as well.

• I believe the first is to remember that every human being is proud of their culture, believes, and values. Because I am not a part someone else’s culture does not mean that I have the right to not honor and respect the person. Your cultural worldview shapes your thoughts, language, and actions; it permeates all aspects of how you interact with society. (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).
• I always remember that I am not on earth to judge another person. I would not tolerate harm to a child or another human being but I still I would try my best to understand another person’s perspective before my re-actions. Try to withhold judgment long enough to gain a deeper understanding than the first impressions allow (Gonzalez-Mena, 2010).
• Having an open mind, awareness of differences, ability to ask questions without offending an individual or a family are also few strategies that I keep in mind.

Reference:

·         Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

·         O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real Communication: An Introduction. Boston, MA, United States of America: Bedford/St. Martins.

·         Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.