Part 1 Introduction and Background to Intercultural Communication

This is where the axiom concerning the principle of difference helps us understand information and relationships. Evaluating the source of difference explains actions or thoughts of another person who appears different. We can explain the source of miscommunication, attributed to difference because of (1) culture ("This is the way my culture does things"), (2) personality ("You and I are from the same culture but we are individuals who think and act dif­ferently"), and (3) relationship history ("1 thought I knew you, but I can't trust you anymore").

By its nature, intercultural communication assumes not only the message, but the social relationship associated with an interaction. We label this axiom as communication having content and relationship dimensions. Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson (1967) emphasize that communication does not exist in content isolation; ultimately meaning results from what is said and who says it. The relationship between two communicators affects how the message is inter­preted. For example, if your best friend said, "Could we get started on this pro­ject?" you probably would interpret the statement as a simple request for starting a task. However, if the boss said, "Could we get started?" the meaning would likely be different. From the boss, the statement sounds more demanding and is much more likely to be treated with greater deference than your close friends's request.

While it is true that relationships alter meanings, the converse also works: messages alter relationships. For example, it is easier to feel positively toward a co-worker who compliments rather than criticizes. It is easier to like a boss who affirms constructively. In these cases, messages create a relationship, which in turn becomes the beginning for the axiom; the nature of the relationship then sets the stage for interpreting the next message.

When we say "message" or "information," those concepts are familiar and easy to understand. What is relationship, though? What is the gridwork through which we view another person? The principle of difference discussed previ­ously, describes one fundamental relationship filter whereby we answer the question of how similar or dissimilar is this person. A second way people assess others involves believability, which communication experts call credibility. To­gether, perceptions of similarity/dissimilarity and credibility predict the nature of relationships. These judgments form the basis of information relationships. They even explain the friendship and network cultures of which we are a part. The influence of credibility as one parameter of relationships is illustrated by an international student from Thailand who expressed her negative evaluation of a certain American young man. However, once she reevaluated her attribution of various qualities about him, she perceived him as much more believable in ways that were credible for her home culture. Once that credibility was established, she began to view this same young man's messages as "very important." In the process, her alteration of the credibility relationship subsequently influenced messages between the two.

Intercultural Communication Has Both Content Relationship Dimensions