Cultural Diversity and Communication

Cultural diversity is all around us; sometimes we see it at home, on our jobs, at school, in church, and even in the communities to which we belong. Over the years, America has become more diverse in age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. In my experience, I have seen many types of diverse individuals including abilities, gender, religion, and status. Getting to know the children and families I serve has allowed me to improve my communication skills to become a more effective communicator.

When communicating with others from diverse backgrounds, usually I remain open and outgoing; however, if an individual is from another race, one who has a different social status, and an alternative sexual lifestyle, I usually communicate differently with these individuals. One might say that I am bias for choosing to communicate differently; I say, I am communicating this way because each of these situations calls for a different approach. According to Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond (2011), “Each of our differences have an effect on how we perceive others and interact with them” (p. 87); for example, I would not communicate with a politician, judge, or a wealthy person the same way I communicate with my family and friends. Sometimes I speak slang, or I may say something that is not so nice; this is where it is important to vary one’s communication skills. Usually when I interact with individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, or groups, I am talkative and engaged; because I know there is something I can learn from them and I know it is something they can learn from me.

Some ways my communication varies is, I remove slang from my speech, I a more aware not to say inappropriate words, and I tailor my conversations to the intended audience. If I am talking to children, I place myself in their shoes, if I am speaking to an elderly person, I watch my tone of voice, and if I am speaking with a high ranking official, I use my educational speech. This is known as accommodating, when I use different approaches to serve each individual (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012).

I have learned so many things to help me to become a better communicator, below I will share three strategies I could use to help me communicate more effectively with people or groups.

Based on what I have learned this week, I have defined three strategies I will use to help me communicate more effectively with others; first, I will always be respectful of others, their culture, and beliefs. Respect goes a long way and people feel comfortable when they are respected. Secondly, I will be open to what someone has to say; they could very well be teaching me something. Third, I will try to be more empathetic towards others; it is hard to be empathetic when you know someone is sabotaging him or herself. If I work at all three of these strategies, I will become more effective in my interpersonal communication with others.

References

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.