Cindy King's International Business Blog » political correctness

Cultural Perceptions, Political Correctness & The New Racism

Cindy King — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:00:02 +0000

A good friend on Twitter, @DoreenatDMS, asked me what my thoughts were on an interesting article about diversity and multiculturalism.

Diversity and Multiculturalism: The New Racism
By Michael S. Berliner, Ph.D., and Gary Hull, Ph.D.
Published on the Ayn Rand Institute website

The article raises the question of whether college programs should have “Ethnic Diversity” programs. The argument is that:

“Ethnic diversity” is merely racism in a politically correct disguise.

I found this article a good read and generally agree with it. When you study cross-cultural communication it is apparent that:

Most people have a very superficial view of racism
No one is free of pre-judgment – this leads into broader topics of prejudice
Our own perceptions can be severely tainted by our own personal issues with racism

This debate on whether colleges should have “Ethnic Diversity” programs or not is interesting. Some companies also have similar programs.

Are these programs useful?
Or do they create the opposite effect such as this article suggests?

My answer is yes to both questions. I am no expert, but it is hard to pull off. It is obvious that the success of an “Ethnic Diversity” program depends on several factors including:

The culture where the program is implemented
The soft skill expertise of the people involved
The extent of the program itself
The personal investment of the players

Is the goal of an “”Ethnic Diversity” program too big for the reality of the people involved?

Is “Ethnic diversity” is merely racism in a politically correct disguise, as the authors here suggest?

Limitations Of Political Correctness

I have already written here about the North American movement towards “political correctness” and how this effects cross-cultural communication. From far, an excessive development of “political correctness” certainly denotes a loss of common sense.

In some instances it reminds me of a breeding ground for a new sort of fanaticism. Yes, the same word usually associated elsewhere.

And this is where we see the issues raised in this article:

Most people become highly offended that someone might associate them with a label of a “‘racist”, “prejudiced” or “fanatic”. Their own cultural perceptions get in their way.

The limitations of an effective “Ethnic Diversity” program are the same as great cross-cultural communication:

It requires personal development by both parties

Just because people do not take the time to develop their understanding of these issues, does not mean they are right. But you cannot force people to open their mindset to reach this understanding.

You see, when you try to engage in effective cross-cultural communication with someone with strong personal values of “political correctness”, the results are the same as when communicating with people with, shall we say, “fanatical” viewpoints.

Differences In International Business

Entering into an international business where there are these sort of issues is not an easy affair. Unfortunately the authors have good reason to question the end results of an “Ethnic Diversity” program. In many instances this does seem like a “new racism”.

This is one of the reasons why today’s Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Tip is so important. When you are entering a new international market, take small steps. Give yourself the time to:

Get to know your new market
Evaluate the differences
Learn to make the changes

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Cultural Perceptions, Political Correctness & The New Racism

Offense Taken With The Word “Foreign”

Cindy King — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:00:24 +0000

Culture & Political Correctness

Another interesting coincidence happened recently.

I wrote about how political correctness puts up barriers to effective cross-cultural communication.
A reader was offended by my use of the word “foreign”… and she also derailed into a series of insults.

Politically Incorrect?

To this reader, it is politically incorrect to refer to people or groups of people, and anything that can be linked to them, as “foreign”. She finds the word “foreign” insulting.

Apparently “international” is the polite term.

Reasons Behind Offense

Now I have not heard this one before.

So I do not know whether:

There is an English speaking community anywhere that systematically takes offense to the word “foreign”.
There is a group of non-native English speakers anywhere that finds the English word “foreign” offensive.
This was just an abused person venting her own frustrations.

After a little investigation it is apparent that this person is not English mother-tongue.

When Foreigners Take Offense

This raises an interesting issue.

There are non-native English speakers who speak English very well. And these people can take on a culture all of their own.

What happens when they start taking offense at English words? When they add insults this also means that they position themselves as being abused.

A quick review:

A non-native English speaker, abused by an English word that I was taught as a native English speaker as being acceptable in all circumstances.

“Foreign” Stays

Now, do not even bother trying to convince me to stop using the word “foreign”. Why not even jump up and down and get offended when I use the word “person”, or “peanut butter” while you are at it?

As I have explained previously:

I have already lived through changes in politeness on how to refer to “Blacks”. And I grew up and come from a country with a population that is easily 90% black, and probably a higher percentage now. And these blacks are more kindred souls to me than any other race.

My view on political correctness is that it is a barrier to communication and lacks validity in many situations. It is interesting to notice where and when it pops up, and the individualistic trends that accompany it.

At my age and with my background, it will take more than a few delicate readers for me to refrain from using the word “foreign”.

Communication is about reaching out to others.

This reminds me of the first years when I spoke French as a new foreign language.

My language level was excellent. But the young men around me would always read a sexual meaning into every single sentence I said. Even with sentences as mundane as “I got a baguette this morning”.

I did not take offense. I questioned my language skills.

When it became boring and I could distance myself, I realized that the communication problem was in fact on the other side. So I became more confident of my own language skills and meaningful communication improved.

No Respect = No Trust

If you are only concerned about how others offend you…

…well, how are you reaching out? Are you not in fact telling others to dance to your own tune?

If you want respect from others, this is not the best way to get results.

But even worse…

You have also made it difficult for others to gain respect or trust from you.

And this is where it gets challenging for businesses that want to communicate within this environment.

Is it worth the effort to create meaningful communication with people who only want to be offended?

And by the way…

Is it worth their effort to spew insults at others who had no negative intentions towards them in the first place.

This is probably part of the reason behind the current cultural marketing segmentation in North America today.

Entertainment From The Side Lines

On a more lighter note, there are examples of political correctness that are downright entertaining. It is easy to wonder how mankind can be so shortsighted.

Some people find it fun to read insults into everything.

Try it.

It is very easy to do.

Then, when you get tired of the game, come back to real conversation.

That’s where value is.

So…

I have two questions for you:

What are your feelings towards the word “foreign”? Do you take offense?
What would Confucius say about political correctness? And looking at it from both sides of the coin.

Political Correctness Memories From The Bahamas

Cindy King — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:14 +0000

Culture & Political Correctness

A recent reader of one of my articles got offended with my use of the words “foreign languages”. She said I should use “other languages”. According to the reader this is more “politically correct”. Hmm…

Random Thoughts On Political Correctness From My Childhood

This reminds me of something I lived through as a child. You see I grew up in the Bahamas. Now, just in case you do not know, the Bahamas is a very small country close to Florida. Bahamians are predominately “black”. There are a few “white” Bahamians, and I am one of them.

But, am I “white”? On birth certificates in the past my family was labeled at “mixed”. You see, years ago, only pure blood British residents got “white” checked on their birth certificate. And my family originates from one of the very first settlers in the Bahamas…who happened to be “white” but did not come from England.

In my early years, I never noticed any racial prejudice among the locals. But when I was a teenager a major event happened in my eyes.

A Change The Definition Of Politeness

The movie “Roots” by Alex Hailey hit television. I noticed a change in the “blacks” around me. I didn’t always use the term “black”… When I was younger everyone around me used the word “colored”. This was polite. This is the word everyone used. But, just after the movie Roots came on television “colored” became offensive. There was a period of confusion. Both “colored” and “black” were used. It was hard to follow who wanted to be called what. Let’s face it. Most of the people around me were “blacks”. Why the change? What had happened? Well, there was a lot of coverage in the press about “injustice”. What injustice? No one ever told me anything before.

By the way, this movement actually did not stop with the change in the use of “black” instead of “colored”. It went further. and lead “blacks” to show more prejudice against the “whites”, local “whites” or foreigners alike. Such as making “whites” wait in a check out line for all of the “blacks” to be served first. Did it all start with the movie Roots? I don’t know. But that the events did happen in that sequence.

During this time of confusion I turned to local history books. I asked questions. And I found out that one of my relatives had been a slave. No one had mentioned it before. You see… The Bahamas never had big plantations with large numbers of slaves. Most of the plants and shrubs you see there now, are growing because boat loads of soil were brought in to sustain them. And most of the slaves on the islands were domestic slaves. And there were “white” slaves too. Life for the early settlers in the Bahamas was tough. Very tough. For everyone. There was no soil to grow anything on. Bahamians have a slightly different slave history than the other areas with soil and plantations. How could this media coverage lead to such confusion about what is now considered polite or not? The American movement with its media coverage made “black” the politically correct word to use on our islands too.

Where Is Accuracy

OK… Is “black” the right term to use?

Several of my “black” friends had such light skin color, that I was darker than them after a summer in the sun… But then, my family was not always considered “white” either. Is there a difference? Well the pragmatic side of me did notice something. Look at the palms of your hands. “Black” people have a darker color underneath the lines of their hands. And “white” people don’t.

Personally I do not think “black” is accurate. There are just too many shades involved. “Colored” is much more accurate. And “white”? Lots of different shades there too. Some cultures and languages do have several ways to describe variations in skin color. And some cultures don’t. I left the Bahamas, and American television a couple of years after Roots came out and did not get to witness the American revolution of political correctness. And I’m glad I did not. There are too many examples of this going so far it is laughable in other cultures. And it is nice to see both points of view.

Communicate With Clarity For Everyone

By the way… The term “other language” is not very useful to me. It does not accurately convey the meaning I want to get across. A large portion of my readers are non-native English speakers… with very basic English language skills. The word “other” will lead to confusion.

Other?
What other?
How is it other?
In reference to what?

Sure, “other language” is used in some environments. But until it really goes global and everyone else knows what it means, I will continue to use “foreign language”. More people understand this. I actually like the terms “native-” and “non-native”. This is very clear. Accurate. But it is awkward. You cannot use it to replace “foreign” all the time.

Adjust Your Communication For The Market You Are Targeting

The internet marketer, Frank Kern, says in one of his videos, that internet marketers need to remember that they sell to the people that spend their time online sending those cutesy emails with death threats if you don’t send them on to a dozen other people. These people represent the core buyer market for most North American internet marketers. My line of thought continues along these lines… if you are marketing to a country impregnated with various definitions of political correctness you need to adapt your communication to sell to them. Their definitions of political correctness is part of their cultural profile. It is an extra layer of cultural politeness.

But, if you are reading this, you are either an international business developer or a marketing professional. You already know this. Right?

Beyond Personal Musings

As a cross-cultural marketer with an outside view, political correctness increases the barrier to good cross-cultural communication. It creates a challenge for good cross-cultural communication. Because… At most, political correctness is simply one groups definition of politeness. Sometimes it is only a euphemism. This language twisting loses its accuracy. It is only relevant to the group concerned, and the people who adhere to that group.

And if you take any personal offense to my points of views, I have some good advice for you. Go read this book:

Wisdom from the Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz

It is a very quick read. I must confess I read it in a bookstore, and did not buy it. Something I regret. It is a good gift for people who get easily offended.

How Was Your Week 38?

Cindy King — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:00:12 +0000

Uniquely Cindy – Week In Review

Another week has gone by. With more thoughts, ideas, requests and articles here and on the Get International Clients business directory.

Here On Cindy King.biz

Home for my personal opinions, experiences and frustrations… on anything cross-cultural and on international business.

Uniquely Cindy

The weekend’s links to marketing articles and book review:

International Business Development

Cross-Cultural Communication

International Content Creation

Translation Friendly International English

On Get International Clients

This is where I publish how-to articles, key resources and international Business Guides.

Ready to take action and get more international clients? Then be sure to have a look around this business directory.

As usual, the Sunday Blog Carnival starts off this week:

Get International Clients Sunday Blog Carnival #19

Guide 2 – Plan Your International Road Map

Guide 3 – Design Your International Visibility

Pre-qualification – Not Prejudgment

… and now it is your turn.

Tell me what have you been up to this week.

Be sure to let me know if you came across anything interesting on the vaste subject of international business development on the web.

Is Your Political Correctness Hindering Your International Communication

Cindy King — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:00:48 +0000

Culture & Political Correctness

Something interesting happened last night. I was having a get-to-know-you-more conversation with a North American and he asked me question. But he made his question politically correct.

He used the word “imagine”. His question was not direct.

So what did I do…

I imagined…

…and gave a broad indirect answer.

But there was a slight problem. The conversation was not smooth. Here we were both good communicators in our fields, and there was a very slight glitch.

He had actually wanted a direct answer to his “imagine” and indirect question.

Political Correctness

This got me thinking. This was yet another example of the North American “political correctness” movement.

You probably know by now that I grew up over 40 years ago in a small country.

In a former British colony that only became 100% independent in 1972…

And so close to the United States, that we received the American television before satellite television…

This means that I have “followed” life in America very closely, and at the time I felt I could identify myself with Floridians. But, I followed the British school system and only had access to British books on my little island. I read my first book in AmericanEnglish after I left the islands.

I moved a ocean away from North America years before this movement started. And it still puzzles me. Every time I visit now I see different ways this “political correctness” has changed this society from what I once knew.

Of course with my cross-cultural communication skills I have not picked up any political correctness skills.

You see, the two do not mix. .

Well, here in France I guess people around me would refer to this as “a puritan form of politeness”. And over here the word puritan is far from being a compliment.

Political Correctness Hinders Good Cross-Cultural Communication

Political correctness does not translate well into cross-cultural communication.

For effective cross-cultural communication you need clarity.

Communicating with “political correctness” is not clear communication.

Some cultures appear to contortion politeness to such an extent that it excludes clear communication.

Most cultural generalizations will locate this sort of problem in eastern countries, — yes, my own personal politeness stipulates that I remain general here.

But this is also a communication problem in North America. Political politeness simply excludes clarity in communication.

And North Americans probably do not even recognize this handicap in cross-cultural communication.

How To Recognize International Skills In Others

Yes, politeness is a wonderful, exotic creature to observe.

One of the ways I can quickly identify someone with good cross-cultural communication skills is to pay attention his personal code of politeness. Someone with a strong international mind-set knows now to stay at an even level of politeness in different environments.

Someone with lesser “politeness” skills usually reacts to different cultural environments.

For example the German reader who insists very strongly, to the point of being overbearing, that you can only develop an international business with face-to-face contact.

Well, it is not that it is impossible without face-to-face contact, this reader is simply showing that she does not know how to communicate other than face-to-face. If this person had stronger skill sets she would have reacted with more flexibility.

How To Acquire Universal Politeness

Cultural or personal values for politeness can be difficult to negotiate when people react badly when they perceive a lack of politeness.

This is why you need to work on bringing your own level of politeness into a level of universal politeness.

Universal politeness gets you out of sticky situations when they do happen.

And…

It also helps you to avoid many pitfalls that happen due to cultural differences in politeness.

As a mother from a very small country, raising 2 daughters in a foreign country, I have spent considerable thought and effort educating my children in my own cultural ways of politeness.

You see…

My children cannot pick it up easily through the environment they live in. And even when they were small they noticed the difference between my politeness and the others around them. When they started treating me as the odd one out I knew I had to do something. They did not see my form of politeness as being politeness.

The fact that I live in a foreign country makes it difficult – odd one out.

The fact that I come from a small country also makes it difficult – less exposure to my own environment.

In the end, I was very happy to see my effort pay off… every time I took my daughters back to my home country and they acted as if they were totally at home.

It takes some consistent effort when educating different forms of politeness outside of their own natural environment. But it can be done.

The best way is to consistently:

Explain situations
Give different points of view
Develop these different points of view
Create situations to show different interpretations
Live exposure to different cultures

Naturally Acquired International Communication Skills

This last example gives you the easy way out for most people…

You can acquire universal politeness skills naturally…

With regular exposure to different cultures…

But only if you make the effort to adapt to different cultures.

You see, I often encounter people who never want to adapt, or who only want to adapt so much…like the German reader I mentioned above.

You do have to be open to real communication.

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Is Your Political Correctness Hindering Your International Communication

Cindy King's International Business Blog » political correctness

Cultural Perceptions, Political Correctness & The New Racism

Limitations Of Political Correctness

Differences In International Business

More on Culture & Political Correctness:

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Offense Taken With The Word “Foreign”

Politically Incorrect?

Reasons Behind Offense

When Foreigners Take Offense

“Foreign” Stays

No Respect = No Trust

Entertainment From The Side Lines

More on Culture & Political Correctness:

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Political Correctness Memories From The Bahamas

Random Thoughts On Political Correctness From My Childhood

A Change The Definition Of Politeness

Where Is Accuracy

Communicate With Clarity For Everyone

Adjust Your Communication For The Market You Are Targeting

Beyond Personal Musings

More on Culture & Political Correctness:

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

How Was Your Week 38?

Here On Cindy King.biz

Uniquely Cindy

International Business Development

Cross-Cultural Communication

International Content Creation

On Get International Clients

Guide 2 – Plan Your International Road Map

Guide 3 – Design Your International Visibility

Is Your Political Correctness Hindering Your International Communication

Political Correctness

Political Correctness Hinders Good Cross-Cultural Communication

How To Recognize International Skills In Others

How To Acquire Universal Politeness

Naturally Acquired International Communication Skills

More on Culture & Political Correctness:

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