Being a member in the Air Force allows me the privilege of
being able to work in a very multicultural and multiethnic work
environment. However I feel working with
fellow Americans, regardless of background, is quite easy. The major experiences with intercultural
communications I have had were when I was stationed in Okinawa (for 4 ½ years)
and in Germany (for 3 years). Being able
to intermingle with people from dramatically different cultures has been a very
educational experience for me, to say the least.
The biggest thing I noticed that seemed to cross all borders
of communication comes from Commandment VII: Be
aware of body language: learn the basic differences in the way people
supplement their words with body movement (Hahn,
2005). Body language is a huge factor in
communication in all cultures. Facial
expression, stance, arm placement: these all portray your demeanor and in turn
can make or break your attempt at communications. One universal rule that I advise first time
overseas travelers to follow is to be courteous. Courtesy, meaning be nice and polite, seems
have a place in all cultures and being courteous can get you so much more than
being arrogant or unkind.
Some cultures, such as Italians,
stand much more closely than we Americans tend to. We might get standoffish if our personal
“bubble” is broken, which is exactly the opposite of what we should do. I have had some conversations with members of
other cultures that took place within less than 12 inches away. Hold a ruler from your body and you will see
that this distance is definitely in an American’s personal space. Commandment V: Be aware of personal space: people from different cultures have
different 'comfort zones' (Hahn, 2005).
Lastly, remember that you are a
representative of your particular nation/culture. Too many Americans before us have set us up
as rude, loud, arrogant drunks that ignore even the most basic tenets of good
manners. I try my hardest to dispel this
by acting like an actual civilized human being.
Commandment VIII: Be aware of
different etiquette rules or manners: what is polite in one culture may be
considered rude in another (Hahn, 2005).
While this commandment definitely has merit, I have found that what we
consider rude to also be considered rude in other cultures. Do your research; there are literally
hundreds of travel websites and blogs that can equip you with information on
other cultures.
References
Hahn, M. (2005). Ten
commandments of intercultural communication. SparkNET. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247
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