Back to Grad School Mom: CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

In this post I will attempt to answer the following questions:

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?
If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

I think when I am communicating with people from diverse backgrounds, or just people that I feel are different than me in some way, I am way more reserved. I hold back and prefer to quietly listen and let others take the lead. I think that sometimes it makes me too overly cautious and it prevents me from developing relationships. I also think that my reactions or participation in a communication depends on the role that I am playing at that particular time. I have certain roles that have more confidence than others. If I am in a group of people that I feel are in a higher socioeconomic class I get nervous, fidgety, and I don't make as much eye contact. However, when I am working, teaching, or in a group of other parents I am confident in what I do and I can talk to people more easily regardless of their socioeconomic class. Therefore, when I am communicating with people from diverse cultures it doesn't necessarily mean I will be comfortable or not, it really depends on what role I am in at the time. I also still have a difficult time when communicating with people with disabilities or physical differences. This is not because I feel that the people I am talking to are less than me, but I am very uncertain of what will offend them. I am never sure if I am making enough, too little, or too much eye contact. I spend the whole time thinking about my body language and nonverbal cues that I am unable to listen or have any kind of meaningful discussion. We all make mistakes and I feel as long as I am attempting to get it right and develop better communication skills along with awareness of diverse groups, I will be alright and people will see the sincerity in my heart. If they don't I will apologize and keep trying!

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH DIVERSE PEOPLE AND GROUPS

Listen effectively. Truly listening to what people say and don't say (nonverbal cues) is essential to working with diverse cultures. It is not always possible to prepare yourself with all the information needed to interact appropriately with different cultures, so we must rely on verbal and nonverbal cues in order to read people and their needs.
Think before you speak or act. It is important to think objectively when someone behaves in a way that is unfamiliar to you. Reacting to people before you take the time to figure out their intentions causes a lot of miscommunications and conflicts.
Be empathic. Empathy can be one of your best assets when communicating with diverse cultures and groups. If you are trying to understand another person's reality then you are much more likely to be sensitive to their cultural differences, experiences, and needs.
Do the right thing. Not only should we take steps in effectively communicating with people in diverse groups, but we should also hold others to the same standard. It is our ethical responsibility to let people know when their words are rude or unkind and that it is unacceptable. I believe this includes situations when there is no one visibly around that might be hurt or offended by these kind of comments. A racist joke still perpetuates racism even when it is privately said among a group of white males.