Cultural Resolution

It’s hard to believe that with all the resources of the US State Department, they couldn’t get the translation right.

Posted via email from Barb Gibson’s posterous

Very excited to see the 2-page spread in Comunicas magazine featuring me talking about Twitter.  Now if only I could read Spanish.

Surrounded by bilingual and multilingual people as I am on my Intercultural Communication course, I feel quite inadequate with my single language.  For me, it’s not about the arrogance of believing that English is the international language and that I don’t need to learn another.  It’s that I have no talent for languages.  I’ve tried, taken countless hours of classes in German, French and Spanish, listened to audio tapes, used interactive computer learning modules, all to no avail.  I still don’t even have much better than tourist-level proficiency in any language.  I consider it one of my greatest weaknesses, and it’s a source of shame for me.  Still, I haven’t let that stop me from exploring the world, learning about other cultures and developing close personal relationships with people around the globe.

Since beginning my studies, I’ve been confronted several times, in lectures, books and journal articles, with the opinion that you can’t truly understand a culture without learning the language.  I’m not sure I buy it.  Admittedly I haven’t delved deeper to see if anyone has backed up the opinion with proof, and maybe my own lack of language skills makes me biased, but I’m sceptical.  For one thing, I’ve known many many people who are fluent in a second language, and yet remain completely monocultural, keeping their minds closed, holding onto their cultural biases.  Their knowledge of the language doesn’t seem to have increased their cultural understanding at all.  They seem, instead, to simply be translating, substituting words but not ways of thinking.

However, I do agree with Wierzbicka that delving into key words in a language can provide cultural insights. In fact, just learning a bit about the Japanese word “enryo” provided insights for me that I’ve already been able to put to use in my ongoing work with a Japanese client.  It’s not being able to speak the words that are important, so much as it’s understanding what is behind the words.

So here’s my own theory: You can learn about and understand a culture without becoming fluent in the language, but not without developing insights into the emotions and beliefs that are central to it. Studying key words is one way to gain insights, but I suspect there are insights to be gained by examining other clues, including cultural icons, foods, customs and other behaviour. 

But I still wish I could speak additional languages. And I’ll keep taking classes and buying the latest language CD sets.  In fact, just last week I spent a day at The Language Show, and took my first lesson in Japanese.  I think optimism must be an American cultural trait.  

More info that should be setting off the snooze alarms for those communication professionals who still haven’t embraced social media:

B M Social Media Fortune 100

Anyone who has studied intercultural communication will be familiar with Geert Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture, a way of measuring cultural differences across five dimension, including Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Long-term Orientation (for more info, see his book Cultures & Organizations).

While not everyone agrees with all of Hofstede’s findings, every single one of the stack of books I’m currently plowing my way through as part of my doctoral studies references Hofstede in some way. So I was really interested when I received a tweet from @DR4WARD telling me about an iPhone app called CultureGPS.  There’s a free Lite version, and a Pro version that costs $24.99 (or €19.99).  I’m trying out the free version now, so thought I’d share it here in case anyone else is interested.  From what I’ve seen so far, it could be useful as a quick-reference tool, especially for students (like me).  Here are some screen shots:

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who is using either version.

So I guess I should provide a bit of explanation about the new name of this blog.  For anyone just tuning in, I started the blog one year ago, to be my blog for my year as Chair of IABC.  My term ended on Tuesday, so it’s time for a change.  Not just in the blog, but in my whole life.  Thus the new blog title, which is a kind of placeholder while I figure out what what my “next big thing,” my next big challenge, will be.

I’ve always been a challenge addict, and I was noticing earlier this week that the word keeps popping up, but that when other people use it, it’s a euphemism for a bad thing.  Like “financial challenge” instead of “bankrupt.”   The dictionary definition doesn’t quite get to what I feel about challenge either, though the fifth entry came closest:

To arouse or stimulate, especially by presenting with difficulties.

I think the first part of that is right for me, but I’m not sure the word “difficulty” fully captures it.  It’s more about taking on something new, that I’ve never done, that maybe no one has done, that will stretch me, grow me, make me think in new ways, fire up new parts of my brain, find a talent I didn’t know I had.

The past year has done all that for me.  It has truly been the best year of my life, and that’s saying a lot because I’ve had quite a few really good years.  So the next year has big shoes to fill.  Now that I have time to catch my breath, I want to take a bit of time to think, research, prioritise my short-term and long-term goals and passions.  Of course, IABC will continue to be a huge part of it, and I’m excited about continuing to serve as Past Chair (by the way, the new IABC international executive board, led by Mark Schumann, ABC, is spectacular).

First, though, I’m spending a little time with my best friends, followed by a lot more time with my dear sweet hubby and pups (who have put up with a lot of me being away for the past year).

Fair warning that the emails may go unanswered for a bit, and the tweets may be less frequent, but only for a little while.

Only a few days left in my year as Chair of IABC, and I’m getting sentimental as I think about all the people I need to thank. Yesterday I thanked the group that makes IABC’s many programs and services possible, the amazing professional staff. The form of my thank you (wholely inadequate for all they do, but lots of fun) was an afternoon ice cream party in the conference room.

Please join me in thanking them for their hard work and talent!