Stress is a natural part of intercultural experiences, and is unique in that it is a part of the other barriers discussed in this module, rather than being a separate entity.
Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Stress is your body's response to anything that requires attention or action.
www.verywellmind.com
Stress is positive when it nudges us out of our comfort zones to discover more, to understand, and to learn, but becomes negative when it overwhelms us, and shuts down the ability to make sense of what’s happening. Negative stress can also manifest as physical tension (e.g., headaches, fatigue, muscle aches) which can further reduce the ability to cope in unfamiliar settings.
Too often, stress comes in the form of defense, such as when we withdraw from situations or people, become hostile when we perceive ambiguity, or evaluate situations from a skewed perspective. Defense prevents full concentration on or understanding of a message, and as such creates distortion for the receiver. Defensiveness undermines accurate interpretation of the motives / intentions, the values, and the emotions of the person sending the message.
Self-reflection:
- Do you have a specific ‘defense’ mechanism when you are part of a difficult situation?
- How do you resolve this or bring yourself back to a place of understanding?
Intercultural interactions increase levels of stress because of the lack of internal balance or harmony we experience when interacting within familiar contexts. When we become more interculturally competent, we can manage or reduce the negative stress, because we are more open, flexible, and able to shift our perspectives beyond our own worldviews.
Stress doesn’t single-out the foreigner trying to engage in a new culture. It also becomes part of the experience for the person representing the host culture. At any point of an intercultural exchange, either party may:
- need to adjust the ‘normal’ flows of verbal interaction.
- experience language issues.
- misinterpret behaviors and nonverbal cues.
- have a different perception of context.
- make assumptions regarding values.
- disrupt norms related to individual space and touch.
Exercise
End of Module Assignment: written submission
Barriers were the main theme in this module. We explored a few barriers that can hinder the development of intercultural competence. For this assignment, we will view a video that brings up a number of these themes.
- Go to the following link and watch the TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story. www.ted.com
- Make notes of some of the themes she discussed.
- Answer each of the following questions separately, or integrate your answers into a short essay.
- What were your overall impressions of the talk?
- What were three things you took away from the talk?
- What connections did the talk have for you and to your cultural reality?
- How can a person build more cultural understanding beyond the ‘single story’ (for themselves and for others)?
End of Module Summary
- Stereotypes are absolute statements about all members of a group, and as such should never be used. Generalizations on the other hand, are relative statements and refer to the tendencies of group members. Generalizations can provide an initial cultural reference point, but become barriers when overused or viewed as absolute.
- Evaluation is judgement of others based on internalized notions of right and wrong, or good and bad. When heightened feelings and emotions are involved, we react through evaluation.
- When assuming similarity, we neglect the values and beliefs of others. We seek familiarity, comfort, and safety and attempt to ignore cultural differences.
- Barriers exist when we there are language differences. Even with language proficiency, nuance of certain words or terms can be missed or misinterpreted.
- Nonverbal communication can also be the cause of cultural misinterpretations. Sensory cues along with unfamiliar gestures or body language can cause negative or confused reactions.
- Stress is a cross cutting theme in all the barrier topics covered. Although it is positive when it nudges us out of our comfort zones to discover more, to understand, and to learn, it becomes negative when it overwhelms us, and shuts down the ability to make sense of what’s happening.
References and further reading on concepts in this module:
Check out the following links and references.
- Barna, Laray M. “Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks.” Guidelines. A Cross-Cultural Reading/Writing Text, edited by Ruth Speck, Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 66–73.
- blog.lingoda.com
- German words with multiple meanings - blog.lingoda.com
- Spanish words with multiple meanings