week 2 discussion

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University Of Arizona *

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Communications

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Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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Hello Class and Professor Jones, Our discussion asks us to define culture and according to Jandt (2021), “Culture refers to the totality of a group’s thoughts, experiences, and patterns of behavior and its concepts, values, and assumptions about life that guide its members’ behavior” (Jandt, 2021). My definition of culture is a system of learned and shared beliefs, and values, that groups use to identify themselves and provide a framework to live within. Explain the role of culture in conflict management: Culture plays an important role in conflict management, and it affects how an individual views and handles conflicts. According to Lebaron (2003), “c ultures affect the ways we name, frame, blame, and attempt to tame conflicts” (Lebaron, 2003). An influential concept is the high and low context. High-context cultures tend to use non-verbal communication that consists of using body language, tone, and facial expressions to interpret feelings. The context of a conversation is often more important than the words spoken. High- context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. Low-context cultures are more focused on verbal communication where words are used to express feelings. Low context cultures are more direct/straightforward in communication. For instance, low-context communicators prefer to handle problems directly. Open discussions, disagreements, and even confrontations are often seen as part of the problem-solving process. They tend to feel greater permission to discuss issues directly and specifically with both peers and superiors. By understanding and respecting cultural differences in communication, individuals can navigate conflicts more effectively and respectfully. Learning whether a culture uses high or low context is essential as it can affect how conflicts are addressed and managed. Conflict scenario and identify the ways culture shaped how you handled the conflict. My culture handles conflict by avoiding it. I grew up in a home where if there were problems or issues, we didn’t argue about it and instead, it was swept under the rug for another time to be discussed. That time rarely came, and it often led to unresolved issues as I got older because I felt as though I could not express myself verbally without my feelings being disregarded. As a adult, my relationships weren’t the best because of my communication style being non expressive. I would hold everything in as I was taught this way by witnessing what my parents did. A scenario I could use is the arguments I would get into with my children’s dad. When we were in a relationship, often times he verbally expressed his issues and problems to me, but I would just sit there and not say anything just to avoid escalations. Even though I wanted to verbally express my feelings, I couldn’t work up the courage to say anything because I would shut down mentally. I hated feeling this way and I realize that people can take advantage of situations like this when the other person becomes an easy target. I dealt with this for years and years and one day I just had enough. I started to speak up for myself and it felt good. The relationship did not last after my newfound attitude to stand up and speak out, but it has taught

me how to handle conflicts going forward in my new relationship. My culture played a role in how I would handle conflict, but I don’t feel this way was the best in all scenarios. My culture views conflict as a bad thing to do so we must try to avoid it as much as possible. I would consider my culture old school because they still believe in the man of the house runs everything and the women must obey the man. I believe times have changed therefore, both men and women should respect each other equally therefore, I am not obeying anyone but myself. Lebaron (2003), states that “i n high-context communication, most of a message is conveyed by the context surrounding it, rather than being named explicitly in words. The physical setting, the way things are said, and shared understandings are relied upon to give communication meaning” (Lebaron, 2003). When I reflect on my communication style growing up (High-Context) and comparing it to how I am now, I wish I could have learned low-context forms of communication as it would’ve helped in my development in relationships with friends, partners, or even co- workers. When I dealt with conflict in my relationship, I could have used the opportunity to express how I felt by approaching the situation in a calm demeanor. This would have set the tone for how the conversation may go. Learning to choose my words wisely could also de-escalate a situation as I am not speaking to offend the other person. In hindsight, I could say I should have done this or that but, in the moment, you never really know how you would react until you engage in that conflict. Moving forward, I have learned to be lower context with my approach in order to get my message across. I value speaking up for yourself in a respectful manner and listening before giving a reaction. Furthermore, this possibly creates a more positive outcome than negative. References: Jandt, F. E. (2021). Conflict and communication (2nd ed.) . LeBaron, M. (2003). Culture and Conflict . Beyond Intractability. https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/culture_conflict

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