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KristenRuthBleazard
Comm2150005
ProfessorShireneMckay
Dec6,2015

CulturalChangeFinalReportPresentation

Overview
Thispaperwillreportthechangesthathaveoccurredinmyowncompetencyarea.Iwill
goovermycompetencyarea,goal,tactics,implementationsandrecommendationsfromchapters
8,9,10and11fromthetextbook.Mygoalistobecomemoreoptimistictowardspeopleand
events.IstartedworkingonbeingpositiveinnewsocialenvironmentsandineachoftacticsI
challengedmyselftoworkatachievingmygoal.

CompetencyArea

OptimismThisdimensionmeasurestheextenttowhichyoumaintainapositiveoutlook
towardpeople,events,andoutcomesingeneral,andwhetheryouviewthesechallengesas
learningopportunities.Newinterculturalenvironmentsarealmostalwaysstressful,sofacing
suchsituationswithapositiveoutlooknaturallyimprovesyourabilitytocopeandadjust.
(Mckay11)

Goal
Increasingmypositivitywillimprovemyabilitytoadjustinnewsocialenvironments.

Chapter8:UnderstandingInterculturalTransitions

Tactic8:
Iwillspeakwiththreepeoplefromdifferentethnicgroupsandwillbepositiveaboutthe
socialevents.Thegoalofeffectiveinterculturalcommunicationcanbereachedbyreducing
anxietyandseekinginformation(MartinandNakayama332)

TacticImplementation
ThefirstthingIcountedtowardsthistacticwasadatewithamanfromArmenia.Itwas
easytoremainpositivewhileIwasinacomfortablesetting.ThesecondeventIcountedtowards
thistacticwasgoingtoanIrishbar.Goingtonewplacesandworkingonbeingpositivehas
helpedmetowardsmygoal.Beingpositiveabouttheeventbeforehandmadememoreopenand
happierduringtheinteraction.

TacticRecommendation
Thistacticwasdifficulttokeepupbutseemedtoachievethedesiredresults.Iwill
continuetousethistactictoreachabetterpositiononbeingpositiveaboutlifeandnewsocial
events.

Chapter9:PopularCultureandInterculturalCommunication

Tactic9
Iwillattendsomepopularcultureeventswithotherpeopleandbeoptimisticaboutthe
event.Welearnaboutotherculturesthroughpopularculture(MartinandNakayama385)

TacticImplementation
IwenttoacountrydanceclubindowntownSaltLakeCitywithmyfriendShannon.I
wasnotveryhappytobegoingtoaclub,especiallyonethatwasfocusedoncountrymusic.
Clubsareloudandittakesacertaintypeofpersontoenjoythatkindofenvironment.Iwill
admitthatIshouldhavebeenmoreactiveininteractingwiththepeoplethatchosetotalkwith
me.ThesecondplaceIwentwasacomic/gameshopwithmyfriendToddandseveralother
friendsofhis.IhadsomenegativethoughtspassthroughmyheadsuchasIamawkwardand
shouldjuststayhomeandothersuchselfdegradingthings.Ididmybesttoignorethemand
rememberedtokeepaspositiveaspossiblesinceitseemsotherscansensewhenIamnotbeing
sincereinmyinteractions.OverallIdidapplymytactictostayoptimisticduringthisevent.

TacticRecommendations
Iwillendeavortocontinueusingthistacticbecauseitwillproveusefulinthefuture
whentryingtocommunicatewithothers.IdontbelieveIneedtochangeanythingaboutthis
tacticbecauseitwassoeffectiveinitsapplication.

Chapter10:Culture,Communication,andInterculturalRelationships

Tactic10

Iwilldotwoactivitieswithmyinternationalfriends.mostpeoplehaveavarietyof
interculturalrelationshipsthatmayfeaturedifferencesinage,physicalability,gender,ethnicity,
classreligion,race,ornationality.Thepotentialrewardsandopportunitiesintheserelationships
aretremendous.(MartinandNakayama391)

TacticImplementation
ThefirsteventthatIamcountingtowardsthistacticisaSkypingsessionwithmyfriend
David.DavidisfromBristolintheUnitedKingdomandispartofabookclubofwhichIam
alsoamember.WegotalongquitewellIbelieve.Iamhappytohavemadehimmyfriend.The
secondeventIamcountingtowardthistactic,ismyseconddatewithanArmeniannamedAlek.
Ourdatewentalright,butwedisagreedonacoupleofsubjectsthatIbelievearefoundationally
important.Ididmybesttostaypositiveaboutthesituationandhadagoodtimedespiteour
disagreements.

TacticRecommendations
Ibelieveitisimportanttohaveavarietyofinterculturalfriends.Youlearnmoreabout
otherculturesandseeyourowninanewlightaswell.Iwouldnotchangeanythingaboutthis
tactic.

Chapter11:Culture,CommunicationandConflict

Tactic11
Iwillinteracttwotimeswithmyfriendsfromotherculturestoimproveonmysocial
skills,alsoremainoptimisticabouttheinteractionsandnotmakeassumptionsabouttheperson
withwhomIaminteracting.Itsimportanttomovebeyondtraditionalstereotypesandeitheror
thinking.(MartinandNakayama456)

TacticImplementation

FirsttowardsthistacticmyfriendfromGermany,Flula,visitedthestatesrecently.We
wenttothetempletoseethelights.Itwasnicetospendtimewithmyfriend.Ifeltvery
optimisticaboutthewholeinteractionwithmyfriend.Thesecondeventtowardsthistacticwas
SkypingwithmyfriendDavidfromtheUK.HetoldmeofacoupleofUKholidaytraditions
thatareveryinteresting.Hetalkedaboutengineeringandtaughtmesomecalculusatthreeinthe
morning.Itwasfunspeakingwithhimandgettingtoknowhimmore.Ifinditeasierto
communicatewithotherswhenIampositive.

TacticRecommendations
Iseethistacticasveryhelpfultowardsmereachingmygoal.Idontneedtochange
anythingaboutthistacticseeingasitwassoeffectiveinapplication.

Reflection
Thisprojectdidhelpmetoimprovemyoverallpositivityaboutsocialinteractionswith
otherpeople.Italsoforcedmeoutofmycomfortzoneand,throughthat,Iachievednewfriends.
Ithinkthiswillgivemecouragetomakemoreofaneffortinothersocialeventstospeakwith
otherpeople.

WorkCited
Martin,JudithN.andThomasK.Nakayama.
InterculturalCommunicationinContexts.
6thEd.
Boston,MA:McGrawHill,2013
McKay,Shirene.
InterculturalCommunicationLearningPacket.
SaltLakeCity,UT:SaltLake
CommunityCollege,2015.