COMMUNICATION BARRIERS-Cultural Barrier

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS-Cultural Barrier

Culture means an accumulation of values, forms of expression, beliefs, and language .It shapes one's interpretations of different events of life. But communication problems can be caused by conflicting cultural assumptions. These can be:

i. Ethnocentrism - Ethnocentrism is judging another’s culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture and not to like others’ culture. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with concern to language, behaviour, customs, and religion.

ii. Non-Verbal Differences due to Culture: Cultures have different standards for many aspects of life like how fast you should talk, how much you should talk, how far you should stand etc. If you do not pay attention to it, it can act as barrier to your verbal communication .For example: Physical distance during social interactions varies by culture. In areas of the Middle East and South America, people stand very close when talking but European Americans like to have more distance between them. You can create great discomfort by standing too close to another person which can further lead to barrier in to communication.