A concept that I found interesting was the barriers of intercultural communication. The one that stuck out most was the ethnocentrism on page 341. It is the belief that a person’s own culture is superior to all others and the tendency to judge all cultures by their own criteria. Many people do believe that there way is the right way and they either judge or criticize other people for doing things differently. Every culture has their own way of doing certain things, and there really is not a right or wrong way. One cultures way does not make it better compared to different cultures. It is just how they belief it should be done and that is fine. People should realize that not every culture is the same and that’s okay. People can do their things their way and others will do it the way that pleases them as well. I liked the concept and the books examples about how certain cultures pray and wear clothing. It’s all too everyone’s own preference and it should be acceptable even if it is different from your own. It is one barrier that needs to be knocked down. One culture is not superior to another.
Roro, I very much enjoyed your post on ethnocentrism as it discusses one of my biggest pet peeves, ignorance, and that is essentially exactly what ethnocentrism is. Ethnocentrism is ignorance towards cultures other than your own. With that said, I used to not be able to wrap my head around why people were racist, or why people thought they were better than another, etc, but after majoring in communication studies I feel that I have a better sense of why people are the way they are. People are usually unknowingly conditioned by their society or their community or their culture to think, feel, and act a certain way. Those who do not understand the traditions of another culture and therefore believe that their own culture is better than another think that way basically because they have not been exposed to the world. Anyway, I completely agree with your idea that others should realize that not every culture is the same and that that is okay.
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