CULTURAL CONFLICT

A. Background
Intercultural communication is communication between members of
different cultures. In intercultural communication, people will deal with different
perception, attitudes, and interpretations. Even two people from the same culture
can have communication problems.
The obvious way we communicate is by using words. However, as we
have seen, we also use non-verbal communication: our tone of voice, body
language, gestures, posture and facial expressions all impact on communication.
Often people think that the use of gestures and facial expressions will be
sufficient to convey an accurate message, without regard for the different rules
of non-verbal communication which may apply in the other person‘s culture.
However, just as verbal communication rules differ across cultures, so too do the
rules of non-verbal communication. These rules are specific to each culture and
are largely taken for granted. We respond to these rules without being aware
of them.
Therefore it is important to be aware that our own non-verbal
communication might be insulting to others. For example, in some cultures,
maintaining constant eye contact while talking is interpreted as disrespectful,
meanwhile other cultures see it as a sign of honesty and confidence.

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 A. The Cause of Cultural Conflict
Cultural conflict occurs as a result of ethnocentrism, misinterpretation,
and stereotype. Ethnocentrism often entails the belief that one's own race or
ethnic group is the most important or that some or all aspects of its culture are
superior to those of other groups. Within this ideology, individuals will judge
other groups in relation to their own particular ethnic group or culture,
especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion.1
1. Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is making value judgments about another culture from
perspectives of one's own cultural system. The ethnocentric individual will
judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or
culture, especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion.2
Speaker from different cultures assume that what they believe is
right, because they have grown up thinking their way is the best and this may
result in negative attitudes and judgments toward other cultures. These
ethnocentrism attitudes cause people become critical of individuals from
different cultures.3
In the following example, Rosamine and Merita demonstrate that
they cannot understand each other’s point of view. Rosamine and Merita are
talking to each other about relationship between children and parent. In
Rosamine’s culture children live with their parent until marriage because
dependence on parents is considered positive. In Merita’s culture children
leave home when they are eighteen because independence and self-reliance
are considered positive.
ROSAMINE: I think it’s terrible that in your country children leave
their parents when they’re so young. Something that shocks me even more is
that many parents want their children leave home. I can’t understand why
children and parent don’t like each other in your country.

1
Umi Pujianti dan Fatkhunaimah Rhina Zuliani, Cross Cultural Undestanding,
(Yogyakarta: CV. Hidayat, 2014) hlm. 112
2
Jounals (https://eprints.uny.ac.id/1109/1/Developing_Cross-cultural_Understanding_through.pdf)
3
Umi Pujianti, Cross Cultural Undestanding, hlm.112

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 MERITA: In your country parent don’t allow their children to
become independent. Parents keep their children protected until those
children get married. How are people in your country supposed to learn about
life that way?
Both women are insensitive to each other’s values concerning
family life. They have been raised and conditioned according to cultural
norms. Therefore, each has different view of what is right.4
2. Misinterpretation
Misinterpretation happens because people fail to interpret the verbal
and non-verbal communication correctly. As we know that non-verbal
language is more difficult than verbal language because one culture to
another has different sign and meaning system.5 In the following example it
is a cultural misunderstanding that creates negative feelings and confusions:
A young woman from one culture sells bread and offers to a man
from another culture, the man refuses her offer by nodding his head the
woman wrapped the bread she was selling, but the man left the woman. The
woman was angry and confused with the man because she felt like she was
being treated.
This misunderstanding is caused by a woman's failure to understand
the man's nonverbal signals. In her culture, the movement shows 'Yes'.
According to the man's culture, nodding means 'no', the misinterpretation of
the woman resulted in her angry and confused reaction. If both know more
about each other's nonverbal instructions. They can avoid cultural conflicts.
Some misunderstandings are insignificant and can be easily ignored
or recommended. Other conflicts are more serious in that they can cause
misinterpretations and create persistent negative toward foreigners.
The following are the examples of non-verbal gestures which have
the same and different meaning in some country.

4
Jounals (https://eprints.uny.ac.id/1109/1/Developing_Cross-cultural_Understanding_through.pdf)
5
Umi Pujianti, Cross Cultural Undestanding, hlm.112

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 a. The thumb-up gesture has two meanings in Britain, Australia, and New
Zealand. It is commonly used by hitch-hikers who are thumbing a lift, it
is an OK signal, and it is probably an insult signal. In Greece, its main
meaning is “get stuffed”. In Italy, when people count from one to five,
they use the thumb to mean “one” and the index finger becomes “two”.
In Australia, America, England and Indonesia, people count “one” on the
index finger and two on the middle finger; hence the thumb will be
number five. In Indonesia, the thumb gesture means good job or response
to someone who has completed an excellent job. It also means
“delicious” when we taste delicious food. In Indonesia, if we want to stop
the public transportation to take us to a certain place, we use the index
finger to stop it, not the thumb.
b. The “Ring” or “OK” gesture has different meaning in different
countries. In the USA and in English speaking countries, the ring or OK
gesture means “Everything is OK”. In France it can also mean zero or
nothing. In Japan it can mean ‘money’.6

3. Stereotypes
Stereotypes are generalizations of people groups based on past
experiences, which are deep-rooted in the psyche of the people.7 Excessive
beliefs or "stereoypes" frequently shape people's perceptions of each other.
Stereotypes originate and develop from numerous sources such as jokes,
textbooks, movies, and television. Movies about cowboys and Indians portray
cowboys as "civilized" and Indians as wild and "primitive." A child who knows
about the American Indian only through watching these movies will have a
distorted and false image of this group of people.

6
Journals (https://www.academia.edu/14908574/cross_cultural_understanding)
7
Umi Pujianti, Cross Cultural Undestanding, hlm.112

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 Stereotypical beliefs prevent us from seeing people as individuals with
unique characteristics Negative stereotypes lead to prejudice: suspicion
intolerance, or hatred of other cultural groups.8

B. Dealing with Cultural Conflict

All kinds of cultural conflicts as the result of ethnocentrism,
misinterpretation, and stereotype can be prevented by increasing awareness of
our own attitude and sensitivity to cross cultural differences.
There are some ways dealing with cultural conflict:
1. If we are subjected to upsetting or offensive behavior, or if you witness
such a thing happening to someone else, clearly, firmly and simply state
that the behavior is upsetting.
2. If the behavior is offensive, but not threatening or aggressive, whether the
person apologizes or says nothing, let it go the first time.
3. If t h e behavior is threatening or aggressive, or if the offensive behavior
recurs, tell someone and follow the guidelines.
4. If we feel unable to confront the situation directly, or if we are unsure
about whether or not to act upon something promptly, discuss the issue
with someone such as a friend, colleague, supervisor, employee advisor, or
counselor.
5. No matter who is involved in the negative interaction, whether the
offensive behavior is directed at us or we witness it happen to someone
else, it is important that some action is taken promptly.9

8
Journals (https://www.academia.edu/14908574/cross_cultural_understanding)
9
Umi Pujianti, Cross Cultural Undestanding, hlm.113

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D. Conclusion
Cultural conflict occurs as a result misinterpretations, ethnocentrism, and
stereotypes. Preventing these conflicts is possible with increased awareness of our
own attitudes as well as sensitivity to cross cultural differences. Developing
intercultural sensitivity does not mean we need to lost our cultural identities but
rather that we recognize cultural influences within ourselves and within others.

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 Bibliography

Pujianti, Umi dan Fatkhunaimah Rhina Zuliani, 2014, Cross Cultural

Undestanding, Yogyakarta: CV. Hidayat.
Jounals (https://eprints.uny.ac.id/1109/1/Developing_Cross-
cultural_Understanding_through.pdf)
Journals (https://www.academia.edu/14908574/cross_cultural_understanding)