Discussion Notes: Barna 7-14

Main Points:

This section has three more stumbling blocks:

Stereotypes and preconceptions such as "all Japanese are inscrutable" or "all Americans are individualistic and outgoing" are a stumbling block because they make it difficult for us to see a person or situation in that culture objectively.

The tendency to evaluate other cultures as "strange" or "abnormal" is also a main stumbling block because it leads to unnecessary conflicts. It is necessary for us to stay open-minded and "look and listen empathically" without judging.

High anxiety or tension, which is often experienced in intercultural communication, is also a stumbling block because stress leads to defense mechanisms such as "skewing of perceptions, withdrawal, or hostility." In other words, when we feel stressed, it is more difficult to stay calm and enjoy cultural differences. As solutions, Barna recommends getting used to differences and to increasing awareness and control of one's physical responses to stress.

Finally, Barna's conclusion recommends an achievement of intercultural communication competence, which is the ability to manage the challenges of intercultural communication such as differences and stress.

My Critical Reactions

1. Overall, I think Barna's "6 stumbling blocks" are useful to be aware of, but why does she stop at six? Aren't there others? For example, why doesn't she include important things such as "apathy toward other cultures" as a stumbling block?
   
   
2. In the Culture Shock section, I think Barna fails to write adequate solutions. She writes that culture shock is "least troublesome to those who learn to accept cultural diversity with interest (p.12)", but what should people who get culture shock DO to overcome it??
   
   
3. In the Stereotype section, Barna states that "stereotypes are psychologically necessary" because they help us avoid ambiguity or a sense of helplessness and give us security. However, I don't agree that we need "overgeneralized, secondhand beliefs" such as "All Japanese are~~" or "All Americans are~~". Some reasonable generalizations such as "Many Japanese tend to be more reserved than Americans" may be useful, but OVERgeneralizations should be avoided completely. They are not useful; they are harmful.

Discussion Questions:

1. Which of the 6 stumbling blocks do you think is the most serious? In other words, which one is the most useful for all intercultural communicators to know? Why?
   
2. If you were to choose a "7th" stumbling block, what would it be?
3. Do you have any stereotypes of people from other cultures? Where did your stereotype come from?
4. Have you ever experienced culture shock overseas or within Japan? What physical or mental reactions do you remember?