What is intercultural communication?
Intercultural communication means to understand how people from different cultures, countries and backgrounds interact. It determines whether people from different cultural backgrounds can live together peacefully. In this sense, well intercultural communication is very important in multi-racial countries like Singapore. For example, when people from India, Malaysia and China immigrated to Singapore, there would be lack of understanding among each other. As a result, people would feel that they did not belong to Singapore.
Government
Furthermore, in order to achieve in intercultural communication, the government plays an important role. The most important role that the government plays is treating its people fairly, regardless of races. Many examples prove that unfair policy from the government causes social conflicts like Sri Lanka. In my opinion, the government should provide its people with a lot of opportunities to practice intercultural communication.Hence, well intercultural communication is based on the fair treatment.
Economy
Last but not least, I would like to talk about the relationship between intercultural understanding and economy. Having strong economy is closely related to the racial harmony and racial harmony is based on the intercultural understanding. For example, if fights between Chinese and Malaysian always take place in Singapore, investments will certainly drop and many other chain effects like decreasing in GDP or living standard will appear. Hence, having peaceful society is the first point to ensure the stable economy of a society.
In conclusion, NUS is a global university and there are a lot of foreign students from all over the world just like the video above. Being NUS students, we have to learn intercultural communcation skill. This communication skill is essential when we graduate and start to work as Singapore is a multi-racial society.
reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQMSHg9eF6U&feature=related
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Hello Ma Siming,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post as it contains many valid points on the issue of intercultural communication. Firstly, you defined intercultural communication as understanding how people from different cultures, countries and backgrounds interact. I agree with that statement as understanding others would form the basis in creating meaningful interactions with someone. However, I would also like to add that implementing that learned knowledge plays a more important role in the fruition of effective intercultural communications. In a way, it is one thing to know but it is another ball game altogether to be able to act upon what is known in order to create an effective intercultural communication.
You also mentioned the important role the government plays in providing the foundation to building intercultural communication. The government has an important role in being a neutral authority that commands the respect from its people. Without such a framework, it is impossible to start building meaningful relationships with a person of different culture as resentment and bias could blind their judgment. In Singapore, opportunities in all aspects be it in education or employment is racial-blind and instead depends on meritocracy, which in turn enables the state to be harmonious and allows the coexisting of different cultures peacefully.
Irregardless, of where you live in the world, the context in which we live in today requires us to have cultural sensitivity to others. I believe that it is only through the integration of ideas from such a diverse group that will enable us to propel ourselves further in this century.
Best Regards,
Khairul
Hi Siming,
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with your definition of intercultural communication and that it plays a crucial role in the makings of a peaceful multi-racial society! The government is really a major driving force for its people to understand the diverse culture that is present in the country. To me, understanding the culture is the beginning of an effective intercultural communication.
In Singapore, I feel that the government has taken very careful consideration over the racial-harmony issue and we have been constantly reminded of the past mistakes of racial riots and how it brought about much chaos and unrest. The Singapore government has taken measures such as having ethnic quota for HDB ownership to ensure that there is an even blend of ethnic groups staying in one area. They might have implemented this policy to prevent an ethnic group from concentrating at one area and causing that place to be under the control of a specific ethnic group. But whatever their aim maybe, I feel that this gives the different racial groups to mingle and interact with one another. As long as we are considerate and sensitive, there will not be much of a problem staying with different ethnic groups. In fact, it would be interesting and enjoyable to get to know their different cultures more than what we are usually taught in schools. For instance, my neighbours and my family will offer each other to try the different delicacies we make during our respective festive seasons. At least for me, I get to know more about their food and customs when we interact this way:)
It is also important not to judge on a culture too quickly as it can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. It’s always good to know more before we make conclusions to prevent any unnecessary conflicts among different cultural groups.
Warm regards,
Win Yee
Hi Ma Siming, I agree with you that a peaceful society stabilise the country economically, especially in a multicultural Singapore. It is the first route to prosperity as it attracts investors of many cultures. There are many examples of intercultural business. In my last semester, I took a module about Singapore and India and find that there are many ongoing businesses between the two countries, at least more than I expected. Singapore building companies have been invited to help build shopping malls and condominiums and the governments have collaborated to build IT hubs in some of India’s cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad. It is only possible as both countries have strong cultural ties which can be explained by the common interest in technology.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the point that in a multicultural school, we need to have good interpersonal skills too. When interacting with other cultures, it is important we respond calmly when offended as there may be misunderstanding. Most importantly, we should not make fun of how they speak as it reflects badly on us.
Meanwhile, I think while the government plays an important role to mix the cultures, they have their own limitations as well. With a smaller population like Singapore, it is much easier to unite than large population like Sri Lanka where much more time is needed to even resolve their differences.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Siming,
ReplyDeleteI have always loved to read your posts. They are categorized in such a way that enables the readers to clearly and fully understand the ideas being discussed.
You introductory paragraph gives a vivid definition for interculture. Then you show case a particular situation, Singapore, where many cultures inverse. I have to agree with you that the governors are applying many policies to keep the races in harmony such as the HDB ethnic quota, etc. As long as the policies are evenly fair to every person, their will hardly be any conflict between the races.
I am taken aback by your interesting discovery about the relation between the intercultural understanding and economy. Yes, as the world today is a global village, where the industry is shared by people from all over the world, if there is no understanding and collaboration between people of different races and cultures, they cannot give rise to the economy.
Regards,
Frank