Find two examples of when communication was used to bridge two socio-cultural
groups, and one example of divisive communication. You may use examples from public
media (newspaper, radio, TV, etc.), but use at least one personal example. For each
example, describe the context, the content, and the result of the communication. Your
discussion post should be at least 200 words.
Since there so much talked about refugees coming into America from other countries
with diverse cultures, I will use this as my first example.
The most important thing about entering another country is language barriers they face
as well as religion, clothing, gender roles and communicating with others in America.
These people up and depart their country for a better way of life, media coverage from
within America states, political and drug cartels force these people to flee for the safety
of their families, others are fleeing from civil war or genocide. People living in African
countries such as Burundi and Rwanda flee because they were being tortured and even
murdered and still wind up in refugee camps facing brutality in another country and this
goes on for years being that it takes time to leave refugee camps and when they arrive in
America if they are fortunate. They have to be treated for psychological issues as well as
physical wounds that may never heal due to the treatment, they endured in these
refugee camps.
So now people working in immigration must overcome a language barrier in order to
assist these people with their psychological and physical issues causing extreme delay in
their care. These people bring a lot of baggage with them [taboos] where they believe in
wholeheartedly and are not willing to discuss what the taboos mean because they fear
revictimization so therefore their culture and beliefs are kept secret, [Kahn,2015].
It is stated by Kahn [2015], “Where there is conflict between the verbal and nonverbal
message, the nonverbal message is more likely to be believed” [Chapter 9.3, para 4].
When people come from countries within Africa like Burundi or Rwanda, looking into
their eyes are considered being rude or disrespectful for these cultures so there are
many variables’ people in other countries must overcome to just communicate with them
respectfully and not disrespect their culture, [Bright Hub Education, 2008].
Example Two
This example is about myself being that I work with adolescents and adults who at times
are experiencing their first psychological breakdown being confined can cause stress and
anxiety and working with their families for assistance in the treatment process that their
loved one must partake in to overcome the fear of isolation without their immediate
support. Working with new families I let them listen to tapes that their loved ones made
about being isolated and the fear they are feeling within the compounds of
rehabilitation, and this helps me because the family member will talk to their loved one
and ensure them that there is no danger coming to them, leaving their loved one with a
peace of mind when they depart from the facility.
Examples of divisive communication:
The political arena is a cause of divisive communication being that divisiveness is
perpetuated by the media’s fearmongers who reports to the public about racial and
political violence from different cultures causing panic and more harm than good. It so
ironic how attention is given more to the perpetrators than the victims, for instance, the
Capitol Rioters are given so much attention compared to the victims especially those
who lost life, unreal.
A lot of reports will include language designed to incite anger and fear and people love
these types of reports and waiting on the next report to validate their fear where
catastrophizing has become the norm of a biased narrative instead of just presenting real
facts has become the new social norm within this country.
CLASSMATE’S DISCUSSION 2
Communication often brings people together, but it can also divide people. Divisive
communication is when two groups communicate in which disagreements arise causing
the two groups to be divided. One example of divisive communication that I researched
was in the professional field. This article investigated the conflict between private and
corporate veterinary practices. “Many of these disheartening communications seem to
imply that the focus for all independent practices is animal care, while the focus for all
corporate practices is return on investment.” (Den, 2019). This toxic and divisive form of
communication can divide the main goals of both practices.
“The more we learn about the subtle differences, the better equipped we are to make co
nscious decisions about our language and behavior.” (Kahn, 2015). One personal example
of when communication was used to bridge two socio-cultural groups involves my time
living in Japan. Obviously, there was a language barrier and a cultural shock. Most
Japanese workers have translators that make it easier to communicate with Americans.
Also, many restaurants utilize pictures to show what food they serve. Typically, the back
of a menu is English. This form of communication makes it a little easier to adapt to the
culture shock of living in a foreign country. Japanese customs are very different when
compared to America’s. They bow to show respect and dress in a moderate way.
The second example of how communication was used to bridge two socio-cultural
groups involves my husband’s experience in the Navy. The Navy is constructed of
individuals from all backgrounds. Even though there are many differences among each
other, they must work together to achieve the mission. With that being said, the Navy
does a great job to appreciate these differences. They often celebrate all holidays, not
just traditional American holidays. For example, this brings attention to Native American
heritage, Pacific Islander heritage, and many more. It is important to be aware of these
differences and pay tribute. Everyone’s background is equally important and should be
represented appropriately and accurately.