Intercultural Interview and Analysis
Culture is a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, norms, and social practices that affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people (Engleberg & Wynn, 2015). Over the last couple of days, I was able to interview two people from differing cultures and now have a greater idea of how different, yet alike, those cultures and mine are. The first interviewee was Mundo, who immigrated from Cuba to Miami. Mundo is in his upper 80s but is probably fitter than most 30-year-old Americans, as he grew up in the country and worked on a farm. He lived in “El Campo,” which was essentially a poor farming community out in the country, and emigrated from Cuba perhaps 15 years ago. He was amongst the last of his family to leave Cuba. The second interviewee was Ashley, a 35-year-old who comes from a Columbian background but is a first-generation American. Ashley comes from an affluent background, and her family is very religious. I am a 32-year-old male and was born near Miami. I have lived in the Miami area for 31 years and lived in a small town in Colorado for one glorious year. I was born into a middle-class family.
Individualism-Collectivism
Individualism-collectivism is defined as “the degree to which a culture relies on and has allegiance to the self or the group, whether people are unique and independent or similar and interdependent on one another” (Engleberg & Wynn, 2015). Mundo informed me that traditions played a large role in his family and his life as he was growing up. He did not pursue education as he never had the opportunity. His family taught him how to maintain a farm and how to manage livestock. These were valuable skills that allowed him to provide for his family and community while living in “El Campo.” Since immigrating to the US, these skills have been neglected as he is now living in “the big city,” and everything is paved over. Mundo to finally rest and relax. Thankfully, his children are there to provide and allow Mundo to enjoy a well-earned retirement. He is currently living with his immediate family and relies on them for support.
Ashley was quite the opposite. She was born in the United States. Her family chose to leave behind many customs and traditions so as to assimilate with less resistance. Ashley is currently working full-time in an administration role at the local high school to provide for her family. She is not going to school as she is the sole provider for her family and is also caring for her ill mother. She is currently living with her immediate family, who rely on her for support.
Power Distance
Power distance is defined as the physical and psychological distance between those who have power and those who do not (Engleberg & Wynn, 2015). Power distance differs from community to community; however, it seems that both interviewees held similar beliefs. Each participant felt that power was based solely on how they interacted with and how their community relied on themselves. Mundo was raised to never question his elders. His culture felt that questioning their elders was a sign of disrespect. He would have to go along with the flow and address any issues that arose after consulting with the eldest. Ashley was also raised to respect her elders; however, she was permitted to question their logic. She suspects her family was open to questioning as her parents were trying to assimilate into living in a new nation, and they welcomed a fresh set of eyes in order to fit in. I was also taught to respect my elders; however, I choose not to interact with those whose beliefs I do not follow. I am more casual in my community and do not care much for titles or respecting a person solely for the position they occupy. I am not interested in arguing over the validity of science with my elders who do not understand science. My belief is that a person should be treated based on how they act and not what they earn. With Mundo, his community was more strict and observed the importance of never questioning his elders. Ashley was able to question her elders in the hopes that it would ease their process of transitioning into being Americans. I am permitted to question my elders solely because I am not concerned about how they will respond.
Gender Expectations
The third dimension of culture is known as gender expectations. Gender expectations are defined as the preferred similarities and differences in masculine and feminine values (Engleberg & Wynn, 2015). Mundo was raised to be dominant and assertive, considered to be masculine traits. Ashley was raised to be submissive and nurturing. Mundo had to work his entire life, dealing with cattle and farm machinery, and Ashley had to work her entire life but was focused more on housework and nurturing. Both took on tasks that were delegated by their sex, tasks required in order to create and provide for a home. Personally, I do not subscribe to these ideals. I feel a man or woman should be comfortable playing whatever role they choose in society. A male nurse should not be stigmatized for choosing a female-led career. A woman should not be given a hard time being the sole breadwinner of her family. Choosing to see the world with gender expectations can hinder Communication if people are making assumptions. These presumptions create barriers and confusion.
Time Orientation
The fourth dimension of culture is referred to as time orientation, which is a multifaceted cultural dimension that focuses on time variables such as short and long term: past, present, and future; one-thing-at-a-time and many-things-at-a-time; and pace of activities (Engleberg & Wynn, 2015). Mundo’s culture is a long-term orientated culture. He takes pride in doing his work the right way so that the job only needs to be done once and will last. Mundo was able to work over the years, provide for his family, and is now enjoying the investment as his family is now providing for him. Ashley is a mixture of long and short-term orientation. She was unable to pursue her education in the past and was forced to ignore her long-term goals. Ashley has worked her way up in her chosen field and is now an administrator for her school. Now that she has job security, she is able to focus on the long-term orientation, stuff like becoming fit so she can be around to provide for her family and then ultimately enjoy her retirement like Mundo has.
High-Low Context
The fifth and final dimension of culture is the high-low context culture. High-context cultures express very little meaning through words. In contrast, gestures, silence, and facial expressions, as well as the relationships among communicators, have meaning (Engleberg & Wynn, 2015). High-low context differs between different cultures, all based on the dynamic of the family, expressions, gestures, and the language used. Mundo and Ashley both felt that during the holidays, their respective families would perform more gestures or try to change their expressions to be less ambivalent. Both cultures would express their care and respect for one another by holding hands or hugging and kissing.
Culture is a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs and social practices. In the last week, I was able to interview two people from different cultures, and I was able to learn just how alike these cultures truly were. Mundo and Ashley have lived their lives according to the roles they play in their family and are happy to do so. In turn, their families will nurture and support them when they are no longer capable. It is important to understand how cultures can differ to prevent or diminish the barriers to open Communication.
Reference:
Engleberg, I. N., & Wynn, D. R. (2015). THINK Communication (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
We’ll write everything from scratch
Question 
You will interview at least two people who belong to cultural groups other than your own and who themselves are from different cultures so that you may reflect on and analyze your intercultural communication competence as well as the importance of cultural diversity awareness. As part of your analysis, you should apply concepts from your studies. Specifically, you should draw on your knowledge of the Five Dimensions of Culture, as presented by Communication in the Real World (2016), and how they affect intercultural communication, as presented in the Communication and Diversity lesson.
Intercultural Interview and Analysis
As part of your analysis, be sure to include at least three different perspectives when analyzing the Five Dimensions of Culture. These perspectives should include those from each of your interviewees as well as your own to allow for the analysis of at least three different cultures.
You will present the results of this interview and your communication reflection/analysis in a 4-6-page essay, following APA documentation for any source material used as part of your analysis in addition to the text. Properly cite and source all references.