Effective Communication - Emergency Management Institute ...

UNIT 4: IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES
Why Traditional Messages Don’t Always Work (Continued)
We in America have strong cultural traditions based on the influence of the
Western Europeans who originally established our government. Whether we
realize it or not—and we often don’t—these traditions shape the way we interact
with other people. As our country has evolved, however, our population has
experienced a huge influx of immigrants who have brought their languages,
cultures, and traditions to the United States. Today, America hardly resembles
the country that the Founding Fathers envisioned more than two centuries ago.
We are older and more diverse. We are more accepting of others whose
languages, cultures, and traditions are different from ours. And we recognize
the inherent value of all Americans, regardless of culture, age, or disability.
As you saw from the case study, cultural differences reflect internal beliefs and
thought patterns that cause people to react differently to the same situation.
Cultural issues aren’t your only considerations when communicating.
Differences in age and sex, the presence of a disabling condition—and even
the part of the country you live in—can affect how you communicate.
To a large extent, the misunderstandings that occur involving people from
different cultures have nothing to do with what they said—it’s how they said it,
what they did when they said it, or even who they said it to.
Effective Communication Page 4.4