STEREOTYPES:

Anxiety: when you are anxious due to not knowing what you are
expected to do, it is only natural to focus on that feeling and not be
totally present in the communication transaction.
o Example: first day on a new college campus or in a new job. You
may be so conscious of being new and out of place and focus so
much of your attention on that feeling that you make common
mistakes and appear awkward to other.
Assuming similarity instead of difference: when a person assume
similarity between cultures, this person can be caught unaware of
important differences. When you have no information about a new
culture, it might make sense to assume no differences exits, to behave as
you would in your home culture. However, making that assumption
could result in miscommunication. (Copenhagen-New York, display
emotions). The inverse can be a barrier as well, assuming difference
instead of similarity can lead to one not recognizing important things
that cultures share in common.
Ethnocentrism: negatively judging aspects of another culture by the
standards of ones one culture. To be ethnocentric is to believe in the
superiority of ones own culture. In contrast, cultural relativism refers
to the view that an individuals beliefs and behaviours should only be
understood in terms of that persons own culture. It means that we must
try to understand other peoples behaviour in the context of their culture.
A less extreme form of ethnocentrism is cultural nearsightedness,
taking ones own culture for granted and neglecting other cultures.
Often results in making assumptions that simple things are the same
everywhere. Negative effects on communication: rejection of richness
and knowledge of other cultures, blocks the exchange of ideas and skills
among peoples, restrictive and limiting.
Stereotypes and prejudice: the term stereotype refers to negative or
positive judgements made about individuals based on any observable or
believed group membership. Prejudice is hatred of a particular group.
Both refer to making judgements based on group membership.
Non-verbal misinterpretations: nonverbal symbols are different. And
hand signals and bodily expressions are universal is not true. Many
nonverbal expressions vary from culture to culture, and it is just those
variations that make nonverbal misinterpretations. Even in the same
culture some nonverbal communication is so ambiguous that its
interpretation mediated by context.
Language: translation problems between languages and language as
nationalism. Words become barriers when their full meaning is not
shared. Linguistic imperialism when the use of a particular language is
forced on people by those with more power.