Intercultural Communication
CMST 340: Sustainability Principle Chapter 10

PQ: Why is “Cooperating” the right behavior for people from all cultures?

Answer: SURVIVAL!!

CMST 340: Sustainability Principle

“IC” and Ethics:

Morality: customs/ traditions which regulate relationships and modes of behavior, patterns of thought and action

Ethics: matters of right and wrong, good and evil, virtue and vice

2 Broad Approaches:

Universalist: apply to all cultures

Relativist: actions culture-bound, each ideas on “right and wrong”

Ethical Relativism: extreme “anything goes!” form of ethnocentrism

CMST 340: Sustainability Principle

5 Specific Approaches:

Golden Law: applies to all (10 Commandments, Peace)

Golden Purse: “He rules who has the gold”

Golden Consequences: outcome of actions

Golden Mean: right behavior blend of opposites (cowardice- foolhardiness both extremes, “courage” happy medium)

Golden Rule: act toward others as we would have them act toward us

CMST 340: Sustainability Principle

Sustainability Principle:

Nature of Sustainability: Thinking about Forever

Metaethics: transcends all differences

Globalization: extends beyond the collective “ID” of any culture

Sustainability: kept in existence (maintained)

CMST 340: Sustainability Principle

Strategies of “IC” Sustainability

Tolerance: allowing/ respecting others

Trust: confidence that actions as expected or agreed upon

Resistance: any force that works against another culture, not violent or militant

All 3 Interconnected!!

CMST 340: Sustainability Principle

Formula for “IC” Sustainability

“The Golden Ratio”: a harmonious relationship between different cultures (W/W)

“IC” is a process whereby people from different cultures display mutual tolerance, trust, and resistance, sustaining their collective “ID”s and the overall process of their interaction.

(Stereotypes in Intercultural Comm. video clip)

CMST 340: Sustainability Principle

Short definition: