ENGL210F Lecture Notes - Ethnocentrism

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: English
• Course: ENGL210F
• Professor: Judah Oudshoorn

Document Summary

Objectives: by the end of this module, you should be able to: identify the expectations high and low context cultures, identify potential problem areas when communicating across cultures, and. Culture: the shared customs and patterns of behaviour of a particular group or society, including its language, rules, beliefs, and structures. Ethnocentrism: the tendency to make false assumptions, based on limited experience, that one"s own cultural or ethnic group is superior to other cultural or ethnic groups. High and low context communication styles: low-context cultures: Cultures that favour direct communication and depend on explicit verbal and written messages exclusive of context: high-context cultures: Cultures in which communication depends not only on the explicit wording of a message but on its surrounding context. Cultivate a work environment that values diversity. Prepare to be flexible and seek common ground. Listen to others, not to the voice of your ethnocentrism.