Exploring the Impact of Culture in Five Communicative Elements Case of Intercultural Misunderstandings between Chinese and American
Abstract
Previous studies provide general and generic interpretations on cultural differences when interpreting misunderstandings in intercultural communication. In light of performance theory, a five-element model is proposed as a practical tool to analyze how cultural differences lead to misunderstandings. Supported by cases of misunderstanding in Chinese-American communication, this model shows that five key elements in intercultural communication: roles, place, time, audience, and scripts, are all involved in the construction of meaning and each of the elements has culture-bound divergent meanings. Failing to recognize the underlying discrepancies in these elements between cultures will result in misunderstanding.
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