Adapt to Cultural Differences
Printed Page 43
In the United States, one-third of the population, or nearly 112 million people, belong to a racial or ethnic minority group, and 38.5 million people, or 12.5 percent, are foreign-born.14 Nearly half of the population living in the western United States identify themselves as members of a minority group. Worldwide, there are 194 independent states, and many more distinct cultures within these countries.15 What these figures suggest is that audience members will hold different cultural perspectives and employ different styles of communicating that may or may not mesh with your own.
How might you prepare to speak in front of an ethnically and culturally diverse audience, including that of your classroom? In any speaking situation, your foremost concern should be to treat your listeners with dignity and to act with integrity. Since values are central to who we are, identifying those of your listeners with respect to your topic can help you to avoid ethnocentrism and deliver your message in a culturally sensitive manner.
Consider Cross-Cultural Values
In the United States, researchers have identified a set of core values seen in the dominant culture, including achievement and success, equal opportunity, material comfort, hard work, practicality and efficiency, change and progress, science, democracy, and freedom.16 A survey of Mexican society reveals such core values as group loyalty, mañana (cyclical time), machismo, family closeness, and fatalism.17 People in every culture possess values related to their personal relationships, religion, occupation, and so forth. Understanding these values can help you deliver your message sensitively.
Consult Global Opinion Polls
Cross-cultural surveys can be extremely useful for learning about how values vary across cultures. The Pew Global Attitudes Project (http://pewglobal.org/) is a series of worldwide opinion surveys conducted in 57 countries. Gallup World View (worldview.gallup.com) surveys 150 countries on attitudes related to issues ranging from well-being to the environment. The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) offers a fascinating look at the values and beliefs of people in 97 countries.
Focus on Universal Values
As much as possible, it is important to try to determine the attitudes, beliefs, and values of audience members. At the same time, you can focus on certain values that, if not universally shared, are probably universally aspired to in the human heart. These include love, truthfulness, fairness, freedom, unity, tolerance, responsibility, and respect for life.18
Checklist: Reviewing Your Speech in the Light of Audience Demographics
Does your speech acknowledge potential differences in values and beliefs and address them sensitively?
Have you reviewed your topic in light of the age range and generational identity of your listeners? Do you use examples they will recognize and find relevant?
Have you tried to create a sense of identification between yourself and audience members?
Are your explanations and examples at a level appropriate to the audience’s sophistication and education?
Do you make any unwarranted assumptions about the audience’s political or religious values and beliefs?
Does your topic carry religious or political overtones that are likely to stir your listeners’ emotions in a negative way?
Is your speech free of generalizations based on gender?
Does your language reflect sensitivity toward people with disabilities?