Liz Horgan - Reflection for Chapter #9 Intercultural Communication Ethics

! Intercultural communication is the study of difference and similarity of cultural

content and its influence. Communication with people of different cultures is grounded

in the identities of each person - itʼs what shapes the person and is always in the

background of an interaction. The challenge is to be open to the Other, to listen and

learn about the Other, and in so doing, understanding of both your own culture and the

culture of the Other begins. Intercultural communication is ultimately about learning and

finding temporal agreement in the historical moment.

! I met Artur through International House. He is involved with the youth movement

(Opposition) in his country, Belarus, and was in Charlotte to learn about volunteerism

and the environment. I took him to the US National Kayak Polo Championships at

McDowell Park as part of his programed visit to Charlotte. His visit provided examples

of intercultural communications in action.

! The kayak polo Championships needed volunteer help, and I was working with

HandsOn Charlotte and brought Artur along. Artur had an interpreter with him, and the

three of us quickly found our volunteer spot (Artur began as the “official” scorekeeper

and I was the “official” time keeper). Artur and I learned about a new sport (neither of us

had heard of it before) and were able to participate peripherally in the event. We both

experienced a role shift - the role of stranger evolved to guest as he opened himself to

American culture and we both joined the kayak polo culture.

! At one point, one of the teams was losing badly, 0 to 6; time was running out.

The losing team began a rally and drove to the net and, as they were about to take a
shot in the hopes of scoring, Artur jumped up out of his seat and yelled “GO”. They

scored, and he clapped and cheered. Without a depth of knowledge of the game or

much of a command of the language spoken around him, Artur was communicating

something universal - he was rooting for the underdog! I had the interpreter translate

my comment that “some things are universal”, and all of us at the volunteer site smiled,

each with our recognition of this momentary discovery of a “truth”.

! Our textbook Communication Ethics Literacy (2009) noted that rhetorical

interruptions (differences) are what permit us to learn. Artur, through the translator,

talked about where he lived. He used to live in an apartment in Minsk, but has since

moved back in with his parents. I was thinking that where he lived was a simple

economic issue, but in asking further, found that the secret police actively search

peopleʼs apartments (and he worked during the day, leaving the apartment with no one

at home). He told me that he went back to live with his parents because someone was

always home, and that made it more difficult (but by no means impossible) for his place

and his things to be searched. This made me reflect on my own life and on the

American culture. I rarely think of how fortunate we are that the police cannot wantonly

search us - how important our Constitution is, and how much we take the rights it lays

out for us and the limits on our government for granted. I was able to critically look at

my own culture, to realize that there is upside to the acrimonious debates playing out in

the public sphere today in America. After all, imposed silence would be far worse. I

also thought about Artur, and wondered at his perspective of our conversation and on

how he processed and found balance for what he experiences in his culture and what
he is seeing on his trip to the US. What were his take aways, what did he see and

“learn”, and how would these learnings affect him?

! Lastly, the inarticulate component of culture and life is one that I enjoyed reading

about and thinking about. In all of the study of communications Iʼve done, I have not

come across this concept (at least I have not focused on it as it was identified and

described here). As soon as it was fleshed out in the Chapter, it became “obvious”.

While the inarticulate applies to all communication, I see the added significance with

cultural communication. An example of this was when I spoke with Artur about his

interest in the environment. He was affected by Chernobyl and is living with

environmental issues that I would say are what we in the US faced decades ago.* His

concerns, as a result of different experiences, were likely different from mine, even

though a general statement of “having a safe and clean environment” appears to make

sense for both of us. The stories, the experiences that each of us have regarding the

environment are different. Our cultures are different.

! Intercultural communication manifests itself in many components. The idea of

joining cultures, of the role the Other plays as stranger vs. guest vs. participant is

interesting to focus in on. Universal “truth” is surprising when it comes together in

temporal historical moments. Learning from difference, rhetorical interruptions, provide

moments of awareness if the opportunity to reflect is taken. And a final observation

regarding my intercultural communication is that the inarticulate is a concept that, now

that I am directly aware of, I realize affects all communication. Reflecting with this new

information on my communications and experiences with Artur, I was able to look at

things in a new light.

*My point is not to say that we are wonderful and Belarus is not when it comes to the

environment (because I know very little, too little to construct a thoughtful opinion), but

rather that we are at different places in a broad continuum of environmental issues

debate.