Intercultural communication research paper – Term Paper

Personal preference according to Bloom

Introduction

According to Bloom, psychological prepositioning impacts individuals preferences for some products, activities and cultures over the other (20). As such, different people tend to like different popular cultures and ascribe different tastes over them. On the other hand, some people may hate what others like and prefer watching as well as buying them. This paper highlights various popular culture texts that I prefer, dislikes but watch as well as those that I do not watch or buy. The article also describes the reasons why people like products over the others with a detailed explanation of how some products reinforce people’s worldviews while creating cultural identities or stereotypes.

Personal Preferred Popular Culture Texts

There are different popular culture texts that I like, those that I dislike and watch as well as those that I totally avoid watching. I like watching documentaries that have a significant historical meaning and influential in one’s life such as the World Trade Centre. This film captures the awful experiences incurred on 11th September 2001 upon the collapse of the World Trade Centre (Ernenwein, 23). The film is educative in nature and can help empower the community and the world as a whole on how to prepare for insecurity issues. I watch different comedy shows such as that of Kevin Hart, an African-American comedian despite the hatred I have for comedy for ridiculing everything including crucial matters such as terrorism. Conversely, I hate films associated with pornography as well as misleading movies that can impact people’s lives in a negative way such as Spartacus.

Food quality and preference by Pfeffer

Reasons why People like Certain Products over the others and their Impact in Reinforcing People’s Worldviews while Creating Cultural Identities

Pfeffer identifies different factors that influence peoples preference for some products over the other (24). The food and beverage industry provides the best example of a market set up where people like some specific products while some hate them. Genetics which affects the manner in which people experience bitter flavours in variant ways is the leading factor as to why some people like pepper while others dislike it (Ernenwein, 29). It is evident that the combination of bitter receptor genes varies from one person to another.

Secondly, experience also affects ones preference of some foods. In most cases, babies tend to like what their mothers ate while pregnant and later when breastfeeding (Bloom, 24). Children may also prefer watching some television programs due to influence from their parents, friends, and classmates. Nevertheless, one’s culture can also influence people’s preference of some products despite the fact that gender may also expose women to some specific foods that are hated by their male counterparts. Many women crave for sweets while men crave for salty foods as witnessed in the advertisement industry (Pfeffer, 42).

Conclusion

Exposure to some products has the effect of reinforcing or supporting people’s worldviews and the manner in which they establish their cultural identities or stereotypes. Individuals who are exposed to bitter products such as pepper in their early years of development appear to be more courageous and daring as opposed to those who are used to sweet products. Similarly, people who are used to high-quality products find it difficult to purchase those with low qualities and value despite their quantity and price. Such individuals will feel more satisfied when they spend more cash on expensive products as opposed to other. This continuous experience creates a particular cultural identity that distinguishes one group of people from the other.

Works Cited

Bloom, Paul.T How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like. , London : Vintage. 2010. Print.

Ernenwein, Steven.T Two Worlds, One Consciousness: Unifying Lucid Dreaming and Conscious Living. Place of publication not identified: Lulu Com, 2011. Print.Pfeffer, Jeffrey.T Power: Why Some People Have It-and Others Don’t. New York, NY: HarperBusiness, 2010. Print.

Ethnocentrism definition

Ethnocentrism is a belief that one’s method of life or culture practices is superior to those of the other people. Ethnocentrism act as a barrier to effective communication since it results in the use of violence, verbal aggressiveness, proselytizing and discrimination. On the other hand, stereotyping is another barrier to communication since a particular group of people makes assumptions (preferably negative) about others, which necessary might not be true. In other words, stereotyping hinders proper communication amongst different gender, race, age, religion and ethnic groups.

Also, prejudice can also be a factor responsible for ineffective communication since it involves the wrong attitude by a personal membership of a particular group. Prejudice means negative perception and feeling towards other people, and therefore, resulting in hatred, inequality, and social injustices. Lastly, discrimination also results to a barrier of ineffective intercultural communication since a member of a certain group are denied a chance to speak their ideas and matters that affects them.

Intercultural communication competence

Histories are important since they enable people to identify, recognize, and value their particular point of origin. Also, histories give a factual account of the cultural practices, types of words used, and mode of interaction about the past. About cultural identities, histories are used by different people to learn the specific origin of culture practices that their communities practiced before. 

It is, therefore, important to discover histories of a community for the purpose of intercultural communication for many purposes. Firstly, one can understand the interactions that existed between different communities. Also, the connection regarding culture practices that existed in various communities is understood. One gets enough information regarding the communities that they are related to on the aspects of language, and this also states the kind of interaction to be held. 

Minority identity development model

The stages of minority identity development model include; pre-encounter, encounter, immersion, and internalization or commitment stage. Firstly, in the pre-encounter stages, the minorities find the means that they should use to get rid of their minority status. For example, a black person might strive to look like a white individual as a tool to eliminate the fear of being belittled. On the second stage, the encounter stage, the minorities usually strive to gain awareness to understand what to be a minority means. Afterward, people strive to authenticate themselves regarding minority identity. 

Besides, immersion stage entails people declining to adopt the value of other communities, and subsequently, they end up practicing and valuing their culture. For example, a Chinese might chose to oppose the white community practices and maintain their own. Lastly, during the last stage, which is internalization stage, individuals grows a secure and self-confident identity related to their minority group. They are also capable of expressing their interest and preference as learned from other non-minority cultures. 

An importance of intercultural relationships

Interpersonal intercultural relationships are important since they enable the two parties to discover a new culture, learn new skills, improved relationship with other people, and healing past prejudices. Also, it promotes spreading of diversity and having interracial children who can deal with various cultures issues. However, Interpersonal intercultural relationships could face challenges related to discrimination, ethnocentrism and stereotyping, which might affect the longevity of such relationship.

 Interpersonal intercultural relationships help people to understand and communicate effectively with each other without considering their culture background. As a result, more understanding, better relationships and improved avenues of sharing information are achieved.  Therefore, the idea of interpersonal intercultural relationships should be encouraged and practiced so that the possible benefits can be cultivated.