A comprehensive guide to human interaction
Butte College Communication Studies instructor Tom Grothe (pronounced “gro-tay”) spent pandemic lockdown time writing a textbook about the pleasures and pitfalls of communicating across cultures. What's more, he's made it free to the public.
“Exploring Intercultural Communication” (published by LibreTexts, free at bit.ly/3mc3DnZ) is accessible as web pages or a PDF. In 10 chapters Grothe moves from the “what is it” to the “how to do it,” offering fascinating insights along the way.
For example, Grothe reminds us two words with same dictionary definitions may be used differently in different cultures and even within a culture. “The word ‘amigo' in Spanish is equivalent of the word ‘friend' in English, but the relationships described by that word can be quite different. During my travels in Guatemala, I experienced ‘hola amigo' as a common greeting, even among strangers. Just as in English, a Facebook ‘friend' is quite different from a childhood ‘friend.'”
Or take the offer of coffee. In some cultures, that means the host is suggesting guests stay a bit longer. In other cultures, “an offer of coffee after a meal is generally recognized as a polite way to indicate to the guests that they ought to leave soon.” It's easy to think one's own cultural tradition is the way everyone does it. (Not true, of course, as the section on what counts as an obscene gesture demonstrates.)
Defining culture itself is notoriously difficult, in part because scholars no longer see it as something fixed. Culture “is influenced by historical, social, political, and economic conditions.” Older books about the cultural norms of South Korea, for instance, are likely significantly out of date.
Grothe writes from an inclusive perspective, bringing non-Western and indigenous research to bear on examining the “power structures” inherent in cultural assumptions. From the experience of migration and identity to racism, privilege and stereotyping, the book does not shy away from considering, in a calm and reflective manner, some of the most divisive issues of our time.
Sections on intercultural conflict management, romantic relationships, communicating with people with disabilities and nonverbal communication all provide a comprehensive but friendly guide to the diversity — and ambiguity — of human interaction.
Tom, would you like some coffee?