Three Approaches to Studying Intercultural Communication
There are three major approaches in intercultural communication, such as social scientific approach, interpretive approach, and critical approach. These approaches play an important role in advancing patient safety through active interaction. Judging from the case under analysis, the presence of different method of interaction can contribute to better outcomes during the treatment process.
Social Scientific Approach
The essence of social scientific approach lies in the idea that involves collection of quantitative data and research methods through experiments and surveys. Intercultural communication from this perspective is considered as patterns of communication aimed at understanding and explaining through clear identification and measurement of the major independent variables. The major goal of social science approach consists in describing and predicting behavior, as well as generalizing the patterns through relations between communication and culture. As a proof, Feng and Feng have explored the influence of perceived advice on students from diverse cultural backgrounds – Chinese and American college students. It has been found that perceived content features had a stronger influence on Americans’ attempt to introduce advice in comparison to Chinese students, whereas perceived features had a more significant influence on Chinese’s aspiration to apply advice than the Americans did. As it has been mentioned, the primary quantitative methods, such as observations, questionnaires and surveys, are preferred for this approach. The major strength of the method is confined to predicting and explaining the behavioral patterns. However, the approach fails to identify the variables which affect communication.Interpretive Approach
The essence of interpretive approach views realizes as socially constructed patterns from contemporary and historical perspectives. Culture is presented as a dynamic process. Interpretive approach implies the use of a range of qualitative methods to explore specific intercultural phenomena. Interpretive method approves meaning as well as different forms of research and scientific investigation regarding a specific phenomenon. Hence, the emphasis is placed on interpretive interviews which reveal the ethnography of communication to explore the connection between language and culture. Hence, the method proves that culture is maintained and created through communication. The primary concern for analyzing interpretive data relates to the framework used for exploring the semantic content of the cultural interaction as well as the language used for shaping the meaning. The example from the class also proves that language has a potent influence on the development of cultural communication and concepts affecting the social environment and interactions. The major strength of the theory lies in the possibility of delivering the contextual understanding of communication patterns in specific cultural societies. However, there are few intercultural studies conducted by the outsiders. The study of the approaches can also outline the specific patterns as well as stereotypes of reactions and attitudes to specific phenomena.Read also: “Research Paper”
