Understanding Understanding Intercultural Intercultural Communication Communication Second Second EditionEdition

Chapter 12

How Can We Become Ethical Intercultural Communicators?

Stella Ting-Toomey & Leeva C. Chung

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

PowerPoint Slides Designed by Alex Flecky and Noorie Baig

MENUMENU

I. Intercultural Communication Ethics: Contemporary Issues

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Pros and Cons

III. Becoming Ethical and Flexible Intercultural Communicators

I. Intercultural Communication I. Intercultural Communication Ethics: Ethics: Contemporary Issues Contemporary Issues

Ethics: set of principles of conduct that governs behavior of individuals and groups; a set of standards that uphold the community’s expectations concerning “right” and “wrong” conduct.

I. Intercultural Communication I. Intercultural Communication Ethics: Ethics: Contemporary Issues Contemporary Issues

Global Standard Procedure and Local Justice Issues:

Five-phase ethical decision-making model:1. Problem recognition 2. Information search3. Construction of alternatives 4. Decision making choice5. Implementation

I. Intercultural Communication I. Intercultural Communication Ethics: Ethics: Contemporary Issues Contemporary IssuesB. Corporate Responsibility and

Local Customary Practice Ethical algorithm formula for local

cultural hiring practices. • Two conflict types: moral reasoning (a)

related to and (b) not related to economic development in country.

• Two questions: o (1) Is it possible to conduct business successfully

without undertaking the practice? and o (2) Is practice a violation of fundamental

international human rights?

I. Intercultural Communication I. Intercultural Communication Ethics: Ethics: Contemporary Issues Contemporary Issues

C. Cultural Value Clash & Communication

Preference• “Universalistic” or “impartial” value

orientation: believe a set of consistent rules should apply to all individuals, regardless of relationship types or circumstances.

• “Particularistic” value orientation: nature of relationship or situation guides decision.

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Assessing Pros and Cons Pros and Cons

Three ethical positions used to assess ethical violations in diverse cultures:

A. Ethical Absolutism PositionB. Ethical Relativism PositionC. Ethical Universalism Position

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Assessing Pros and Cons Pros and ConsA. Ethical Absolutism Position• Emphasizes principles of right and

wrong (good and bad behavior) in accordance with a set of assumed universally fixed standards regardless of cultural differences.

• Universality: one set of consistent standards guides behavior on a global level, and cultural context is minimized. The standards, however, are often reflective of dominant or power-holder cultural group lens.

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Assessing Pros and Cons Pros and ConsB. Ethical Relativism Position

• Emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural context and its underlying traditions, beliefs, and value patterns in judging conduct.

• Relativists emphasize that ethical/unethical practices should be understood from cultural insiders’ viewpoint.

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Assessing Pros and Cons Pros and ConsC. Ethical Universalism Position• Emphasizes importance of deriving

inclusive universal ethical standards and then placing ethical judgments against these derived, all-encompassing standards.

• Judgments require knowledge about underlying similarities across cultures and about the unique features of a culture and involve collaborative dialog, open attitudes, and hard work from all cultural/ethnic and marginalized groups and voices.

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Assessing Pros and Cons Pros and Cons

Ethical Absolutism

Ethical Relativism

Ethical Universalism

Pros Fixed standards for all practices

Takes role of culture seriously

Involves collaborative dialog, open attitudes

Cons Culturally imposed perspective by dominant culture, and nondominant cultures are marginalized.

Encourages too much cultural flexibility,may perpetuate intolerable cultural practices by being too culturally accepting

Requires hard work from all;most using this position are “imposed ethics,” relying heavily on Eurocentric moral philosophies

II. Multiple Ethical Positions: II. Multiple Ethical Positions: Assessing Assessing Pros and Cons Pros and ConsD. Meta-Ethics Contextualism

Position: An Alternative 4th Position:

Meta-ethics: ethical way of thinking that transcends particular ideologies; the application of ethics is understood only through systematic analysis of the multiple layers of the ethical dilemma • Strength: emphasizes fact-finding and layered

interpretations, takes into serious consideration importance of culture, context, persons, etc.

• Problem: time-consuming approach

III. Becoming Ethical and Flexible III. Becoming Ethical and Flexible Intercultural Communicators Intercultural Communicators

A meta-ethical decision is a discovery process—into our own values, inconsistencies—and prompts us to gather multiple-level information.

• Can you think of creative solutions other than the ones investigated?

• Is there a way to prevent similar ethical dilemmas or pressures from arising

in the future in this culture?

III. Becoming Ethical and Flexible III. Becoming Ethical and Flexible Intercultural Communicators Intercultural CommunicatorsB. Becoming Flexible: Final Passport

Do-Ables• Practice parallel thinking.• Responsibility for peace lies with each

of us—starts with inner peace.• Dynamic flexibility: integrating

knowledge, open-minded attitude, culture-sensitive skills, and communicating ethically with culturally dissimilar others.

Final Parting Thoughts…Final Parting Thoughts…

An intercultural life is a creative life that demands both playfulness and mindfulness in transforming one’s intercultural journey

into a discovery process. ~ Stella Ting-Toomey &

Leeva Chung