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better than before. They are all blended to overcome their individual weakness.
Afterwards, the tributaries metaphor describe America as a huge cultural watershed
which provide numerous ways where the tributary cultures can flow. This view
propose that the cultural groups maintain their distinctive identities. Even though,
there is an idea that all tributaries blending together to form one mainstream where
some cultures assimilate in US culture. Nevertheless, the stream is not quite though or
somehow become subordinate or less important than the strongest one. The next
metaphor is tapestry, it is the supposition of a decorative cloth made up of many
strands of thread; thus, groups of similar threads represent the culture. The idea is one
culture may interwoven (compose) with many others in such a way all of them are not
distinguished. Nevertheless, it is distinguishable even the threads have been grouped
into small clumps. It is fixed and unchanged. The last is Garden Salad metaphor,
where the US represent the complex display of distinct cultures that are blended into
a unique combination one. It suggest a firmness and stability, it has no fixed
arrangement; however, it is not always moving, mixing, and mingling with the speed
and swiftness. From the four metaphors, Lustig and Koester prefer the last two
metaphors to represent the characteristics of cultural groups diversity in U.S.
As an outsider, we always called the people who come from the USA as
American. Conversely, many other people from Central and South America also call
themselves as American, and the consider that people from the US is imperialistic and
insulting for calling themselves as American. Therefore, there are some possibility
that is often used to label the people from US as United Statians or United Staters. It
may not occur ambiguity since it specifically identify people from a single nation,
even though it is not widely used by the people of US itself.
A variety of terms are used to refer to the nations cultural groups. The goal is
to find ways to refer to cultural groups that reflect their differences accurately while
avoiding negative connotations and evaluations. Several terms which may result on
emotionally charged should be avoid in discussing the cultural groups, especially who
resides in the US., such as majority, minority, dominant, nondominant, and
subordinate. It is wise to use the terms European Americans than White or Caucasian
to represent the White people of America. It is better to label the black Americans as
African American; also Asian American as a global term to refer to Japan, Chinese,
Korean, Indonesian, and other cultures that geographically in the area of Asia. The
use of broad terms in discussing intercultural communication allows for an economy
of words.
to keep personal relationships with among people as well as group members both in
the verbal and nonverbal communiaction. Tolerance for ambiguity refers to the ability
to understand and be patient to another communicators ambiguous expressions.
Interaction posture covers someones ability to interact with other people in
descriptive, nonevaluative and nonjugmental ways (Lustig and Koester, 2006: 72-76).
5. Conclusion
Building an effective communication to the people with different cultural
backgroud requires interpersonal and intercultural competences in order to avoid
misunderstanding and misinterpretation as well as making the communication run
well and smoothly. This can be performed by the communicators who have
crosscultural knowledge and polite behavior. Because it is a skill, a communicator
should practice it continuouysly in order to be easily performed ehen communicating.
REFERENCES
Lustig, M. and Koester, J. 2006. Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal
Communication Across Cultures (Sixth Edition). Boston: Pearson Education,
Inc
Messner, W., & Schfer, N. 2012 The ICCA Facilitator's Manual. Intercultural
Communication and Collaboration Appraisal. London: GloBus Research, p.
41
Spitzberg, B. H. 2000. A Model of Intercultural Communication Competence. In L.
A. Samovar, & R. E. Porter, Intercultural Communication - A Reader (pp.
375-87). Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing.
English, F. & Larson, R. 1996. Curriculum management for educational and social
service organizations. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers.