Chapter 7 - In-class

Emma is managing a team in a multinational corporation, and she notices that one of her team members, Raj, is feeling marginalized and discriminated against by some of his colleagues. Emma wants to understand how this situation might impact the overall team dynamics and intercultural relations within her team. What is the impact of discrimination on intercultural relations?

• Discrimination can sometimes motivate marginalized individuals to work harder, thereby improving team performance.

• Perceptions of discrimination, whether real or imagined, need to be acknowledged and addressed as they can significantly impact intercultural relations and reduce willingness for further intercultural encounters.

• Discrimination only affects the individual experiencing it and has little to no effect on the overall team dynamics.

• Addressing discrimination is unnecessary as it is a natural part of diverse work environments.

John is preparing for a business trip to a foreign country and wants to ensure effective communication with his international colleagues. He learns about the impact of stereotypes on intercultural communication. How can stereotypes serve as barriers to intercultural communication?

• Stereotypes can enhance intercultural communication by providing useful generalizations.

• Stereotypes can lead us to believe that commonly-held beliefs about a culture are true, even when they are not.

• Stereotypes have no impact on intercultural communication and can be ignored.

• Stereotypes can lead to more accurate understanding of other cultures and improve communication.

What is the role of ethnocentrism in intercultural interactions?

• Ethnocentrism has minimal impact on intercultural interactions and can be easily overlooked.

• Ethnocentrism can create barriers to successful, equitable intercultural interactions.

• Ethnocentrism often leads to more accurate assessments of other cultures.

• Ethnocentrism typically enhances mutual respect and understanding in intercultural interactions.

In an international company, Jane notices that her colleague, Ahmed, who speaks English with a distinct accent, is often interrupted and not taken as seriously in meetings compared to his native English-speaking colleagues. She wants to understand how discrimination based on accent can impact their work environment. How can discrimination based on accent serve as a barrier?

• Discrimination based on accent has no impact on intercultural communication.

• Discrimination based on accent promotes equal power relations.

• Discrimination based on accent can lead to better understanding and collaboration.

• Discrimination based on accent can lead to misunderstandings and hinder effective communication.

What is the process of social categorization?

• Social categorization does not affect intercultural communication.

• Social categorization causes misunderstandings in intercultural communication.

• Social categorization involves grouping individuals into conceptual categories to understand our complex social surroundings.

• Social categorization involves classifying people into conceptual categories to comprehend our ever-changing social environment.

How can prejudice impact intercultural interactions?

• Prejudice is irrelevant to intercultural interactions.

• Prejudice can create negative perceptions and attitudes towards individuals from different cultures, which can hinder the development of positive intercultural interactions.

• Prejudice fosters positive intercultural interactions.

• Prejudice leads to neutral perceptions and attitudes towards individuals from different cultures, which can enhance the development of positive intercultural interactions.

In a local school district, students from minority racial backgrounds consistently receive fewer opportunities for advanced placement courses and are disproportionately disciplined compared to their white counterparts. Despite efforts to address these disparities, the patterns persist over time. What type of racism is evident in the school district's practices?

• Individual racism

• Institutional racism

• Systemic racism

• Internalized racism

In a small town experiencing an influx of immigrants from neighboring countries, tensions begin to rise among the local residents. Some individuals express strong opposition to the presence of these newcomers, citing concerns about cultural differences and the perceived threat to their way of life. What concept best describes the sentiment expressed by the local residents towards the immigrants?

• Racism

• Prejudice

• Xenophobia

• Discrimination

A group of students from diverse cultural backgrounds engage in a discussion about cultural perceptions and biases. During the conversation, some students express concerns about unintentionally perpetuating stereotypes and ethnocentric attitudes. What is a key aspect of becoming a mindful intercultural communicator?

• Embracing ethnocentric attitudes and stereotypes.

• Recognizing and challenging one's own cultural biases and stereotypes.

• Avoiding interactions with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

• Promoting cultural assimilation and uniformity.

During a cultural sensitivity workshop, participants engage in an activity where they reflect on their own identities and attitudes towards others. Some participants express frustration when they feel their preferred identities are not recognized by others, while others struggle with recognizing and respecting the identities of individuals from different cultural backgrounds. What is a key aspect of becoming a more successful intercultural communicator?

• Reflecting on one's own emotions and behaviours when interacting with people from different cultures.

• Automatically attributing negative encounters to discrimination or prejudice.

• Blaming unsatisfactory intercultural interactions solely on communication partners.

• Avoiding discussions about personal identities and attitudes towards others.