Intercultural Communication
When people from different cultural backgrounds interact with each other, they face various problems in effectively communicating their messages and expressing their thoughts, expectations, and beliefs (Paulston, Kiesling, & Rangel, 2012). These problems lead to serious intercultural communication issues in multicultural societies. Researchers have found that difference in languages is not the sole reason of intercultural communication problems; people fail to effectively communicate due to different cultural dimensions that differentiate them from other cultures and societies (Nelsona, Al-Batalb, & Bakaryc, 2002). This paper presents a comparative analysis of Arab and American culture in the light of two important cultural dimensions, Individualism/collectivism and Masculinity/femininity. The paper focuses on explaining the challenges and issues which people from these cultures face while they interact or communicate with each other in different situations and settings.
Intercultural Communication between Arabs and Americans
Intercultural communication is largely effected by the cultural dimensions which shape the way people from one culture share and express their messages and beliefs with the people from other cultures (Nelsona, Al-Batalb, & Bakaryc, 2002). Arab and American cultures have been regarded as quite opposite to each other by the researchers with respect to their verbal and non-verbal communication patterns (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2012). However, there are some specific values which separate them from each other and bring different communication challenges for them (Paulston, Kiesling, & Rangel, 2012). The following sections explain these values for both the cultures under Individualism/Collectivism and Masculinity/femininity cultural dimensions (Tessler, 2008).
A. Individualism/Collectivism Cultural Dimension in the Arab-American Communication
Individualism refers to the degree to which people in a culture believe that individuals should be given rights and responsibilities independently rather than in groups (Neuliep, 2006). It is like a desire which make individuals think that everyone should have his own aims and targets which he should strive to accomplish without the interference of others. It is a psychological stance which is found in every culture and region in the world (Nelsona, Al-Batalb, & Bakaryc, 2002). On the other hand, collectivism refers to the belief that the rights and success of groups are more important than of individuals in a society (Willemyns, Hosie, & Lehaney, 2011). The Arab culture is highly collectivistic due to the strong cultural values that respect for the rights of groups. Arabs possess very low individualistic values as they show deep concern for their families, coworkers, and the community members with which they interact and share (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2012).
Disagreements due to Individual Preference:
In contrast, Americans are highly individualistic as they focus more on personal achievements and growth. When people from both these cultures interact with each other, the biggest problem which they face is the huge differences in their way of treating each other (Willemyns, Hosie, & Lehaney, 2011). For example, when Americans have to work in a multicultural setting in the Arab regions, they generally find very few opportunities for personal growth. It is because Arabs give more focus on achieving group targets instead of personal interests or targets. They also do not support the progress of women in the society. They show strong disagreements when individuals are given more preference than groups or teams (Paulston, Kiesling, & Rangel, 2012).
The "Only Me" Attitude:
In the Arab work settings, Americans find lack of individual motivation and promotion. The same difficulty is faced by Arabs when they go and work in the American regions. Americans are keen towards achieving personal goals and targets in everything they do at the workplace or in the society (Neuliep, 2006). They possess the 'Only Me' attitude in their lives with little concern for the society and organizations they work for. As Americans possess high individualistic values, they give a strong competition to the Arab people who work with them in multicultural contexts (Nelsona, Al-Batalb, & Bakaryc, 2002).
Disagreements in Policies and Procedures:
Americans wish self-recognition, appreciation, and freedom in their actions. They have quite...
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