Understanding Intercultural Conflict in Communication: A Case Study (Harmony through Conflict)

神奈川県茅ヶ崎市With the rapid advance of globalization, the instances of individuals from different cultures interacting are increasing exponentially. What was a comparatively rare event one hundred years ago has become commonplace. People from different cultures commonplace. People from different cultures and different language backgrounds are and interacting more than they ever have in human history, and this trend is only going to continue. What is becoming increasingly apparent is that cultural differences can often be a greater source of miscommunication and when speaking the same language, people from different cultures often do not understand one another because of culturally based differences in values, beliefs, and behaviors. One useful means of gaining a deeper understanding of intercultural communication conflict is analyzing a case study. Such an analysis can help us understand how people from different cultures ommunicate with one another, what issues make effective communication problematic, and to what degree we are products of our own cultures. In the process, we can become more knowledgeable of ourselves and others, and become more effective intercultural communicators. The following intercultural communication conflict, based on my personal experience, is offered as such a case study