Answer questions
1.What are the reasons which might contribute to an increase of intercultural contacts in the world?
Nowadays, the increasing trend of intercultural contacts can be ascribed to four main factors: the advancement of technology, immigration, economic globalization and the emergence of multiculturalism.
A. With the development of technology, the transportation systems and communication systems have witnessed great advancement. Trips once taking days are now measured in hours, making it possible for people to go to anywhere of the world in one day, and thus speeding up intercultural contact. Moreover, the advanced communication technologies, such as Internet, mobile phones and cable TV transmission equipment, have give people access to sharing and exchanging information and ideas instantaneously.
B. Changes in population migration have also contributed to the development of increasing intercultural contact. For pursuing a better job or endeavoring for a better life, people from all over the world leave their country while bringing their own culture, habits, language and so on to the other.
C. Economic globalization is another factor for increasing intercultural contacts. With the accelerated trend of economic globalization, the world we lived in is more and more interdependent and interrelated. And each country’s economy is tied to the economy of other countries. Therefore, the intercultural contacts between regions, countries and continents are inevitably increased.
D. Multiculturalism is the view that the various cultures in a society merit equal respect and scholarly interest, describing the coexistence of many cultures in a locality, without any one culture dominating the region.
Therefore, with the increasing of the trends of multiculturalism, the communications between regions and cultures will inevitably strengthened and increased.
2.What are characteristics of communication and culture common to all human beings?
Although communications are different from one another in their forms and norms, all communication systems around the world share certain characteristics.
A. Indirect: one characteristic of communication is that people can only obtain messages from other’s words and behaviors instead of obtaining from the mind of others.
B. Interactive: Communication takes place between at least two individuals, and each one in a communication process will affect or be affected by the other’s words or behaviors, and as a consequence, he/she will immediately modify or alter his/her responses either in words, tones, gestures, and so on.
C. Dynamic: as all communication processes and their consequences are affected by the specific time, place, occasion and the number of people with their particular rules, values, customs, and so on, the communication can be perceived as an ongoing and ever-changing activity.
D. Self-reflective: as human beings have a unique ability to think about themselves, to watch how they define the world, and to reflect on their past, present, and future, all forms of communication will inevitably involve and enhance this kind of activity, and
