Topic 1

Chapter 5 talks about identity and intercultural communication. It defines identity as who we are, how other people think of us and how we communicate to others about who we are. The chapter gives an account that identity has a wider coverage including the gender identity, religious, and cultural identity. The issue of gender or sexual identity has been detailed with examples that clearly discuss the transgender, intolerance and the general contribution of this study to the development of the other types of identity like ethnic and cultural.

The chapter gives a detailed account about the racial identity which has been a modern phenomenon in U.S. It discusses about racial discrimination in the United States which is very true from the history and the current events.

Different communication styles that result due to difference in gender identity are also discussed. Women converse differently between them compared to how they communicate with men. This is also the case for men to men and man to woman conversation. Women are known to be supportive personal and revealing in communication as compared to men who are assertive (Martin &Nakayama, 2005).

Topic 4

Co-cultural communication theory gives a detailed description of the nature of language that exists between majority and the minority groups that exists in the society. Majority groups include men, the heterosexual the whites and others that dominate in various dimensions of life (Martin &Nakayama, 2005).

In most cases, the culture and the language of the majority is considered to be the universal and acceptable culture which leaves the minority in a struggle to free them from this perception. Minority groups in the society include the minor ethnic societies, women and the homosexuals.

For the co-cultural groups to adjust and be accommodated in the dominant society, they are subjected to adopt the various communication strategies. These strategies help the minorities to relate to the dominant groups failure to which they may not fit into the society. A good example is the assimilation strategy where the minority chooses to be calm and fit into the majority. An employee may choose to bear unfair treatment in order to retain his or her profession.

Topic 7

High context communication is less formal, based on understanding and internalization of the message and relational. There are very strong boundaries of the communication between the speakers whereby any outsider cannot take part in the conversation.

Low context communication on the other hand is codified, and public. The communication is also rule oriented whereby the conversant play by external rules. A good example of low context communication is sports, a cafeteria conversation or that in a chain supermarket.

High context communication describes how people with close connection that has lasted for a long period of time communicate. Low context communication on the other hand is the communication that exists between people with many connections that have lasted only for a short period of time (Martin &Nakayama, 2005).

For instance, when family members are conversing, they are able to get into details up to personal level because family is a high context environment. On contrary a seller and a buyer communicate in a low context on matters that concerns the deal between the two.

Topic 8

Effective communication is comprised of both the verbal and the non verbal communication. In addition, nonverbal communication contributes two thirds of the total communication and so both are equally important (Miller, 1988).

Both the verbal and the nonverbal are supposed to be coordinated. First, the body language should match the verbal message. That means that when a joyful message is passed, the facial expression should be cheerful rather than frowned. The emotions in words are not enough and so the appropriate gestures should apply.

The other coordination should be in symbolic communication. A action like thumbs up is a sign of agreement and this and other symbolic movements and gestures should at times substitute the verbal communication. There also other conversational gestures that do not represent any words or actions. They are supposed to accompany the speech for a harmonious delivery of the speech.

Topic 9

One of the most widely used nonverbal behaviors is the eye movement. Oculesics, study of different meaning from the eye behavior show that eye is the primary communicator of emotions. Different eye movements like gaze direction, pupil dilation and eye contact convey different messages depending on the situation (Miller, 1988).

Some of the basic emotions that are communicated via the eye include amusement, fear, guilt, sadness, pride, satisfaction shame or embarrassment and excitement among others. However the displays of emotions vary depending on time of the occurrence, the culture of the person and the attitude to the person among others.

For instance, if someone looks upwards, the viewers will automatically know that he is thinking over a critical issue. Looking straight into someone’s eyes is a sign of goodness. Looking down communicates submissiveness or guilt a person may be feeling. Glancing at someone communicates the urge to talk to that person or a sign of being attracted (Miller, 1988).

References

Martin J.N. &Nakayama K.T., (2005) Intercultural Communication in Contexts Sixth Edition

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Miller, P. W. (1988). Nonverbal communication. Washington, D.C: NEA Professional Library, National Education Association.

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