Communication and Cultural Identity

Today’s world has become very diverse due to advances in technology and globalization. Countries are no longer isolated by borders and distance. The vast variety of transportation and telecommunication options create lucrative and beneficial opportunities for many nations around the world; such as political and economic agreements between nations, global markets, free trade, and emigration (Geddes, 2004). These opportunities generate the necessity for intercultural communication. Whether you are traveling around the world or interacting with your neighbors, you will encounter someone from a different culture. The cultural differences may be ethnic, gender, religious, generation, sexual orientation, disability, and various work or hobby groups (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007). It is no longer viable to be ignorant of other cultures and the ways of communicating with people from cultures different from you own. To avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding while interacting with people from different cultures, one should attempt to learn as much as possible about other cultures’ worldviews, value orientations, and communication processes (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2007). To be an effective communicator, you have to know and understand your own culture and its effect on your communication. It is also important to understand the different aspects of verbal and nonverbal communication, such as symbols, kinesics, proxemics, and use of time. In this paper, I will examine my cultural and co-cultural identities and their effect on my behavior and communication.
Communal Identity A person may belong to multiple cultures, and share and exhibit their characteristics. I am a member of the American culture, the Russian culture, and the female culture. Every society consists of a dominant culture and numerous co-cultures. The dominant culture in the U.S. is composed of white male adults who assert control over major American institutions and influence perceptions and