Culture
Vulnerable people tend to assign and categorize meaning according to their cultural understandings. The culture in which an individual is significantly influenced and socialized by the way people communicate. This is because culture offers individuals knowledge on how to behave in varying situations and interpret other people’s behaviors. For instance, there are high and low-context cultures that vary in the way they understand messages. High context cultures such as American, Latin, and Asian have much of the information left unspecified to be interpreted through nonverbal cues and understanding what is actually being said (Neese, 2016).
On the other hand, low context such as Germans have, and English speaking nations expect that information is specific, explicit and look for understanding and meaning in what is not being said such as silence, body language, empathy, and Pauses. Therefore, culture has a great impact on the process of communication since it may create misunderstandings and conflicts between the parties. To effectively communicate in a cross-cultural context, it is important to how cultures differ.
Language
Language Barriers greatly influences communication since it is the most effective tool of communication. Considerably, using words that another individual does not understand makes the communication ineffective while it prevents good conveying of the message. For instance, in the case of Abiha, linguistic differences, and varying language background impairs communication. Non-language information may easily lead to misunderstanding due to varying understanding of non-language behaviors.
Gender
The notion that women and men are different in their ability to communicate has been one of the most common beliefs regarding gender differences that exist. This varies in terms of emotional expression, tone of voice, words, and body language. Gender sensitivity has been a great challenge to communication since it affects how one interacts and relates with others. For instance, language and communication choices with vulnerable women influence their understanding of how one perceives women and reinforces gender stereotyping assumptions. One of the influences of communication has been the expression of emotions while conveying a message.
Abiha’s Needs and Addressing Each of Her Needs in a Culturally-Appropriate Manner
One of the most appropriate things to do is to help the Abiha in the adjustment process to the American culture, such as helping them understand what to expect in the new culture. Adjusting to the new environment is the major driver for individual development and successful living in two varying cultures. To help Abiha change her way of thinking about feeling inferior, there is a need to offer comforting support that will help them alleviate her individual emotional distress. Reflecting on her own behaviors and attitudes will enable her to overcome unconscious gender bias.
Developing cross-cultural competence leads to an ability to communicate and interact effectively (Deardorff, 2017). Abiha needs to learn how to interact with her coworkers to prevent cross-cultural differences resulting from different religious beliefs. There are various principles of cross-cultural communication and interaction to address cross-cultural misunderstanding. Through obtaining cross-cultural skills, one is able to express themselves with confidence and understand how they can be patient with other individuals from varying cultures and discuss differences.
