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We have
seen the simultaneous development both in terms of human
interaction and the progress of communication and transportation
technology since the latter half of the twentieth century.
These social changes have created an increasing demand
on people from different cultural backgrounds to encounter
each other during travel, study, business and other
various professional transactions. A heightened acceleration
of face-to-face interaction among members of different
cultures brought to light issues of cultural diversity
and multiculturalism. At the same time, increased travel
opportunities resulted in the creation of a closely
interwoven network that calls for ways to reduce cultural
barriers and promote closer interaction in various spheres
of human society. This transformation has no doubt rendered
the world a smaller place more than ever. Furthermore,
the increased frequency of face-to-face interaction
among people of different cultural, ethnic, social,
and religious background calls us to create an open
mindset, and see things through the eyes of others,
whether host or new to a culture. People have increasingly
realized that beneath the surface of every international
and domestic affair lies a diversity of cultures and
subcultures that provides the rich material for both
direct human encounter as well as for point-to-point
interaction.
The purpose
of this book is three-fold. First, it presents the results
of a study on non-verbal communication in Japan. Exploring
insights on nonverbal communication is a first step
to a successful cultural adaptation in this country.
Studies on non-verbal communication have focused largely
on descriptive accounts (Klopf & Ishii, 1987) and/or
anecdotal reports of culture-specific experiences (Matsumoto,
Wallbott & Scherer, 1989)). This work situates the non-verbal
communication experiences of people from various ethnic
and cultural backgrounds within the Japanese culture,
and within the whole context of international communication.
In so doing, it accomplishes the second goal: to show
the explicit relation between international and intercultural
communication. The continued expansion of and interest
in these two fields of study, both in research and in
the classroom, has given rise to some questions. Some
of the most frequently asked questions by students include:
"what is the relationship between these two fields
of study?", "are they two separate things?"
and "how can we draw the dividing line between
them?" No doubt, many books have been written about
communication. Some books discuss the different types
of human communication: personal, interpersonal, mass
and business communication.
Some books
analyze the application of technology in communication;
still others are about cross-cultural contact. Many
other books have been written about the theoretical
approaches on the different aspects of communication,
and perhaps their practical applications, and are difficult
for beginning students. This book brings together relevant
issues on communication research and practice to provide
a general introduction to the field. It gives an extensive
list of related studies, and the student is encouraged
to read those that are of interest. By clarifying some
general terms and concepts this work aims to situate
Intercultural Communication within the larger umbrella
of International Communication. It discusses concepts
on International and Intercultural Communication in
a summative way for easy understanding of university
students who are learning communication for the first
time, and learning it in English, as a foreign language
Lastly, this book provides useful insights on coping
and adjustment of sojourners and long term residents
in Japan, where the unspoken message is a rule, and
where non-verbal communication is a must. A study of
both intercultural and international communication should
begin with a clear understanding of Communication.
Chapter
1 introduces "Communication" as a study, and
discusses general concepts related to Intercultural
and International Communication based on existing literature.
It is useful to the classroom teacher and students,
as a friendly introduction to these fields of study.
An attempt has been done to include some of the major
issues to help students understand central concepts
in communication studies. These concepts are particularly
helpful to beginning students in understanding discussions
in the latter parts of the book. At the same time, it
can help teachers of Intercultural/ International Communication
classes design a syllabus for the course.
By drawing
up insights from volumes of studies on the field, Chapter
2 analyzes some important issues on Intercultural Communication
research. Of particular interest in this study are intercultural
adjustment and adaptation, culture shock, and nonverbal
communication. This part of the book will link the different
types intercultural communication discussed in Chapter
1 to the actual experiences of the different types of
international travelers on short or long time duration
in different host countries.
Chapter
3 presents the results of a study on the adaptation
process and problems of two groups of foreigners: the
sojourners and long term residents introduced in the
previous chapter. The focus of discussions is on the
psychological process of sojourners` adjustment and
long-term residents` adaptation in Japan in reference
to the nonverbal codes of 'bowing" and "eye
contact". To the academicians and empirical researchers,
it is the hoped that this chapter will provide useful
insights on Intercultural Communication Studies that
are culture specific. Last but certainly of equal importance,
it will prove a useful guide to an understanding of
nonverbal behavior of the Japanese. Thus, to short-term
travelers, as well as long-term residents in Japan,
this book is a must.
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