The second level of information is sociocultural. (Part II)

Lecture 2: A theoretical approach to intercultural 

communication (Part 2)

The  second  level  of  information  is  sociocultural.  This  includes  data  about 

the  other’s group membership, or the groups to which they seek to belong. 

This  type  of  information  is  the  predominate  data  used  in  intracultural 

communication.  Finally  there  is  psychocultural  data.  This  information  is 

about the individual’s  characteristics, and is the sort of data most relevant 

to communication with friends. We  understand such data by the process of 

social  cognition.  Social  cognition  is  a  dialectical  process  which  involves 

both grouping particulars into categories based on their  similarities  and of 

distinguishing individuals from their categories based on their  differences.

To improve communication with strangers we must pay attention to their

unique,  individual  features.  Gudykunst  and  Kim  argue  that  effective 

communication  with  strangers  requires  an  increased  awareness  of  our 

communication  behaviours.  First,  we  tend  to  categorise  things 

automatically,  and  so  we  are  less  aware  of  doing  it.  It  takes  more  of  our 

conscious  awareness  to  differentiate  particular  individuals  from  their 

stereotypical categories.

Second,  much  of  our  daily  communication  follows  familiar  scripts, 

and  so we are  not consciously aware of that communication behaviour. We 

cannot rely on such  familiar scripts and norms when communicating with 

strangers.  Our  communication  will  be  improved  if  we  recognise  that 

familiar  scripts  do  not  apply,  and  seek  to  modify  our  communication 

behaviours accordingly. In addition, we need to point out the importance of 

personal and social  communication which are best characterised by Young 

Kim, in her model. 

1.  Personal  communication  refers  to  the  individual’s  host  communication 

competence;

that is the degree to which the stranger can encode and decode verbal and 

nonverbal messages within the host environment.

2.  Host communication competence  also refers to the degree to which the 

stranger  understands  the  host’s  language  rules  and  norms,  understands 

effective and  appropriate conflict resolution strategies, and is motivated to 

initiate and develop host culture relationships.

3.  Social  communication  refers  to  the  actual  interaction between  stranger 

and  host  persons.  The  actual  participation  in  relationships,  engaging  in 

conflict resolution,  and exposing oneself to the mass communication of the 

host culture can enhance and facilitate the acculturation process.

Last modified: Wednesday, 1 February 2017, 9:42 AM