Table of Contents
Peace Imperative
The Necessity of Economic Development
Technological advancement is necessary.
Technology and Human Communication
The necessity of population-influencing changes
How to become an ethical student of culture:
This process is complex when communication partners are unable to agree on the same meaning. Communication partners can struggle to assign the same meaning. This can make this process complex. Communication between partners from different cultures may be difficult because they struggle to understand each other’s meaning.
Intercultural communication is a challenge that every South African faces. South Africa has many different cultures that continue to be a rich source of intercultural study. The interaction of people from different cultural backgrounds has a direct affect on our daily lives. Communication is the key to enriching our lives in South Africa. South Africa’s foreign relations have increased since 1994. This opens up new engagement opportunities.
Peace ImperativeContacts between groups of different nationalities often lead to tensions. The 75 armed conflict are only 10 of them. Rest of the conflicts are between political and ethnic groups within one country. Some conflicts have their roots in colonialism.
Some conflicts can be traced back to colonialism and economic differences. Some people see the influence of media and technology as a positive influence, while others view it as a source of resistance. Studies have found that using communication to bring about social change can create a culture of hegemony.
Delgado mentions the claim that Canadian leaders make, that a Canadian Cultural Identity is impossible due to American Media dominance. He observed in Europe that US culture is influencing music, TV, film, and cars. The locals seemed to be both amazed and resentful of the US influence. Understanding different cultures won’t end wars, but this problem does indicate that we should learn more about cultures in which we don’t participate.
The Economic ImperativeSouth Africa’s economic system has grown more interconnected to other countries, leading to partnerships like SADC. Carol Hymowitz states that “if companies plan to sell services and products internationally, they will require a mix of employees from different backgrounds and perspectives.” Top executives will be needed who have a good understanding of different cultures and nations.
Diverse workforces are a necessity for business. Many businesses try to benefit from workforce diversity. Gaining from diversity in the workforce includes finding new products and working with different employers and employees. Diverse groups are also powerful for business.
Globalisation refers to the movement of globalisation towards integration of economic, financial, communication and trade. This implies a shift from a localistic and nationalistic perspective to one of broader perspectives of interacting and interdependent societies with free transfers of capital, services, and goods across national boundaries.
Globalisation is a great opportunity for cheaper, higher-quality products but it also threatens the workers who can be replaced by foreign labour.
Some people view globalisation positively, others negatively, as the greatest divide between rich and poor, as well as the cause of poverty and unemployment.
South Africa has great potential to diversify from the investor’s point of view, but still contains a culture gap with foreign countries.
Cross-cultural Trainers are able to provide strategies and information to help someone deal with cultural differences when they travel to another country. Cross-cultural trainers understand how valuable it is to be able to communicate with people from different cultures and also respect their views on South Africa. Cross-cultural trainers are essential for countries that don’t use them. They send people who are not prepared to communicate their home country. Unprepared communication can lead to a misperception and negatively affect future negotiation.
Economic exchanges can promote more intercultural communication and a stronger drive for international trade.
The Technological ImperativeMcLuhan coined “Global Village” to describe a society in which communication technologies such as television, radio and news services bring information and news to even the most remote places. To create and communicate, people are using the internet, cell-phones, emails and more technology.
Technology and Human CommunicationGergen is convinced that technology promotes a pattern of adaptive communication. In the old days, the length of time it took to walk from one person to the other determined the social relationship. Now, technology has advanced and relationships are now determined by radios or TVs.
Communication is possible on a variety of platforms. Face-to-face communication is not necessary to communicate with multiple people simultaneously. The people who communicate less face-toface are at an advantage with this technology.
You can have your access to communication technology disrupted by your age, income level, geographic location, or race. English is 90% of internet content. English can be a barrier for some people because not everyone is able to speak it. This can lead to a loss of information when using the internet.
The internet should use more than English. Everyone can benefit from this.
The digital gap refers to a division between those with internet access and others who do not, even though it is decreasing. People who are less educated and have lower incomes tend to struggle with technology.
Social environment is also a great motivator. People are more likely use technology if they see their family and friends using it. Internet plays a vital role in modern society. It is used to communicate, sell, and for many other things.
Internet usage is widespread, but there are differences in the way it’s used. Asia and Africa are the two continents with the most internet users.
Internet access is not equal for everyone, and information is the king of today’s world.
Before we can talk about South African Demographics, it’s important to understand its true meaning. The number of people and their characteristics who inhabit an area or group. The demographics of our country have changed dramatically since 1995, when apartheid ended. In the SA history textbook, it is mentioned that the SA was founded when Jan van Riebeeck stepped on Cape Town’s (at the time Cape of Good Hope), and even further back to the 1400s by BartolomeuDias who sailed from Africa around the southernmost point. It is my belief that the Khoisan, and Bantu people who settled in South Africa at the time were responsible for this. They were peaceful for a long time and did not cause any problems or disruptions. The people of Europe settled in the country for hunting and resting. This was bad news for the existing people, as the land was not productive. In that same year, more and more Europeans flooded into the country. This radically changed South Africa’s structure over the following years.
When we were children, we were told that the Portuguese had sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa. However, the Dutch were the ones who settled permanently in Capetown in 1652. The section in Chapter 1 talks about the Dutch developing their own philosophy on culture, particularly towards the Khoisan. As a result, the Khoisan began working for Dutch and British colonists. As the years passed, cultures and people changed. This led to many different cultures being brought into South Africa. In the 19th-century, there were constant wars in South Africa. People suffered from the conflict. It was then time to reach a ceasefire or an agreement with the tribes. In the 20th-century, we saw the birth of the African National Congress. (ANC), Pan Africanist Congress. (PAC), and National Party. The demographic section also reminds us of the Sharpeville Massacre which occurred on 21st of March 1960 when black protesters marched from Sharpeville, to the local police station in support of their Defiance Campaign that was founded in 1948. Because of all these historical events, 69 protesters died.
South Africa is the proud nation that we know it to be today. Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mobeki, both of whom served as Presidents during this time, were key figures in shaping the country.
Cultural values are less important than ethical judgements. Some judgments are explicitly stated, while others can be taken for granted. Intercultural conflict is often caused by differing views on “right” and ‘wrong”. Culture is relative, and there are no inherent “rights” and “wrongs”. The question of whether these patterns of behaviour are universal or not depends on the perspective of each individual. Some people are interested in identifying the similarity of ethical standards across cultures to determine universal right and incorrect. Others would say that you can’t judge a culture from the outside, but only within it (Relativists). Some philosophers share the same view that ethical values are constructive. For example, tolerance. Intercultural communication is a great way to challenge your core beliefs and question them.
Being an Ethical Learner of Culture: Here, four skills are crucial: practising selfreflexivity and learning about others. Listening to others’ voices is also important.
1. Self-reflexivity can be achieved by understanding your own position and how you relate to others. Understanding the groups you belong to can help with understanding others. Understanding the categories you will be inevitably put into can help you to change your ideas about these structures, which may hold some groups hostage.
2. It is essential to keep humanity in mind. You can learn more about the world by listening to people as they try to share their knowledge and experiences. It is more beneficial to have an interactive dialogue than a one-way conversation because it’s impossible to know if both parties understand each other until they ask questions, etc.
3. The responsibility that comes with intercultural conclusions and insights. To begin with, we must acknowledge the existence and oppression of groups and individuals. Cultures are hierarchical, with some people setting the rules while others obey them. It is important to consider how stereotyping, prejudice and other things affect cultures.
