September 6th, 2009
Of the three approaches used to analyze other cultures, I view the social scientific paradigm as the most exact and most useful.
Because the social scientific approach uses data the results will have little bias. Statistics, while they can be biased, are the most objective method of analysis yet presented. In the interpretive paradigm, because the researcher has immersed themselves in the culture, they have also immersed themselves in subjectivity and increased the chance that they will have a bias. The critical approach, which analyzes media and text, is also subjective because the members of a culture are not only influenced by the media but also through their own individual experiences, which makes it difficult for this approach to understand an entire community. With the social science aspect however, because they are collecting data and statistics, rather than stories and anecdotes, there is less chance for bias to enter. Therefore, when it comes to learning about the current situation of a culture, the social science aspect is the most exact.
Another advantage of this aspect is the fact that it can be used to predict future behavior which is not something that any other aspect can do. The ability to predict behavior can help in business negotiations, solving conflicts, and economic disparities. Though the other two paradigms can describe current behavior, only the social science approach can predict the behavior of cultural groups in the future.
The social scientific world view also gives precise figures, which make the comparisons of different cultures quantitative, and therefore significantly easier because difference can be measured. The same subject can be studied from difference cultures, which allows researchers to see how each culture sees a particular occurrence or situation.
The social scientific method of studying cultures is the most objective and the most useful. It eliminates a significant amount of bias because it uses number rather than words, which can more easily be skewed. Also, this paradigm can be used to predict future behavior, something which cannot be achieved using the other two world views. It is also the easiest to use when directly comparing different cultures to one another.
I would have to disagree and say that the interpretative approach is the most useful in studying intercultural communication. I would say that the social science approach is a poor predictor of future behavior simply because it is near impossible to quantitatively measure culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Martin and Nakayama's assessment of the interpretivist: "whereas the social scientist tends to see communication as influenced by culture, the interpretivist sees culture as created and maintained through communication" (page 59). This could turn into a tricky "chicken or egg" type argument, so I'll try to explain my reasoning. One example I can give is the "information culture" we live in today. New technology is created which changes the way we communicate (i.e. makes it faster). If we are able to get in contact with each other through the push of a button or a few clicks of a mouse, it changes the way we operate as a society. Walk on any street in DC and try to find a place where no one is texting, checking their e-mail, listening to music, etc. Five years ago, we weren't this dependent on our machines. The way we communicate shapes our culture, not as much the other way around.
There is no perfect way to study intercultural communication but the interpretative approach is the most practical. Culture is basically the study of humanity, and humans are anything BUT predictable.
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