Communication Among Cultures

When communicating with people among various cultures we have to use various techniques that will make the process relatively easier.

1. Listen. The main thing in communication is that we should listen to each other and ensure that we have an understanding of the conversation. People among various cultures may express themselves in diverse manners, so we must ensure that we have a full understanding of the conversation which requires us to listen actively. Listen ensures that both parties have equally addressed everything that is on topic and got to hear each other out. I think about the conversations that I have on a daily basis and how I am practicing to listen more effectively.
2. Patience. Being patient, especially if there is a language barrier, is very important. You have to slow down and be sure to be attentive to what is being said. We are so quick to offer solutions or our opinion and have not a complete understanding of the entire situation. This will lead to asking question that ensure understanding and making sure you guys are on the same page.
3.Knowledge. If we know we are in an environment where we will be surrounded by other cultures, we need to absorb as much knowledge about the cultures as we can. The more we know and understand, will help us to understand their values, morals, and communication patterns. The more we learn about each other will ensure that we do not insult each other and are helping to engage in effective practices. If we are aware of the differences that are among various cultures, you will grow to respect the differences.

Week 2 Blog Post

The show that I chose to watch for this week's assignment is My 600 lb. Life. My coworkers constantly come  to work and describe the show and what it is about, but I have never had the opportunity to watch it. It came on Wednesday, and at first it was very hard to try to tie in the conversations just by watching with no sound. There seemed to be a strong sense of family on this particular episode. The lady was surrounded by children, who I initially assumed were her kids. She was receiving a lot of help from them such as day to day tasks. Bathing, cooking, even putting lotion on.

The show started showing pictures of her when she was younger so I assuming she was giving background on how she gained so much weight and what her childhood was like. She also began to travel, with a man to this office. A guy came in with a doctor's coat on and I was assuming at this point she was reaching out for help to lose weight. Watching this show was very emotional. They were speaking with those children individually and also with her. She would seem to be screaming in several points during the show, and I assumed she was venting her frustrations of that lifestyle.

Watching this show with no sound, and then going back to watch it with sound, many of my assumptions were right. Three of the children she had adopted from a cousin that could not support them, then she had two that were her own. She is a school teacher and she spoke about how difficult it is to engage with her students with that large amount of weight that she is carrying. She was going into details about how food is a comfort to her. And the segment when she was screaming at the man in the car with her, that was her brother. He drove her to Texas to see a specialist that deals with morbidly obese clients. She began to get frustrated with the process and took her angers out on him.

This experience shows me that even with no sound, communication can be a visual act. I did not get every assumption right when watching the show, but I grasped a great deal of detail just by seeing body language and tying in key pieces of information.

EDUC 6165 Week 1 Blog

The person that I am close to that has the best communication practices is my grandfather. He is the best humble spirit that I know. He does not scream, he does not throw insults, and he remains calm during any interaction. He is a great leader and exemplifies what communication should be and how disagreements should be resolved. He does not always agree with the subject matter, but comes across in a manner that expresses his opinion without offending yours. Every behavior that my grandfather exhibits in communication, I want to obtain. I want to be free-hearted and welcoming with my social skills and make people from various background comfortable when speaking with me.