Notes

Ethnography is the direct observation, reporting, and evaluation of the customary behaviour of a culture.

An ethnographic approach to understanding the dialogue between the magistrate and the defendant would use the perspective of the parties themselves to analyze the problems that each faces in the attempt to communicate.



a cultural approach attempts to develop an ideal personification of the cultures, then the ideal is used to explain the actions of individuals in the culture. Western European communication style direct, confrontal, and individualistic. Thus, it can be said that the Aboriginal defendant finds it difficult to communicate a defense by opposing what has been said and rather frequently concurs with any statement made to him.




The ethnographic and cultural approaches are complementary and together can help our understanding of breakdowns in intercultural communication. A better approach is to examine on a general level the barriers to intercultural communication.

When you are anxious because of not knowing what you are expected to do, It's only natural to focus on that feeling and not be totally present in the communication transaction." For example: Based on a survey by Sugawara (1993) of 168 Japannese employees in the United States and 135 of their U.S. Coworkers. Only 8% of the U.S. Coworkers felt impatient with the Japanese coworkers' English While 19% of the Japanese employees felt their spoken English was poor or very poor and 20% reported feeling nervous when speaking Engish with the U.S. Coworkers, 30% of the Japanese employees felt the U.S. coworkers were impatient with their accent, and almost 60% believed that language was the problem in communicating with the U.S. ANXIETY over speaking English properly contributed TO AVOIDING INTERACTIONS with the U.S. Coworkers and LIMITING INTERACTIONS both on and off the job to other Japanese only.




The inverse can be a barrier as well. Assuming difference instead of similarity can lead to your not recognizing important that cultures share in common. It is better to assume nothing, and ask "What are the customs?" rather than assuming they are the same – or different- everywhere.


The third barrier to effective intercultural communication is ethnocentrism, or negatively judging aspects of another culture by the standards of one's own culture. O To be ethnocentric is to believe in the superiority of one's own culture. O Everything in a culture is consistent to that culture and make sense if you understood that culture. O Another name for ethnocentrism is the anthropological concept of cultural relativism. O It does mean that we must try to understand other people's behavior in the context of their culture before we judge it. O It also means that we recognize the arbitrary nature of our own cultural behaviors and be willing to reexamine them by learning about behaviors in other cultures (Cohen, 1998).

For example, people in United States often use the word Americans to refer to U.S. citizens, but actually that word is the correct designation of all people in North and South America. Its careless use is a form of ethnocentrism. A less extreme form ethiocentrism can be labeled cultural nearsightednes or taking one's own culture for granted and neglecting other cultures. Cultural nearsightedness often results in making assumptions that simple things are the same everywhere. Designing forms for something as simple as a person's name is not that simple if you recognize how widely practices vary.

recognizing only Western holidays in schools or basing curriculum only on Western history, music, and art. The terms 'the West' and the East themselves have been labeled Eurocentric ethnocentrism. Asia is east of Europe, but to call Asia 'the East' makes its identity dependent on Europe


Extreme ethnocentrism leads to a rejection of the richness and knowledge of other cultures. It impedes communication and blocks the exchange of ideas and skills among peoples. Because it excludes other points of view, an ethnocentric orientation is restrictive and limiting