Methods of communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Methods of communication - Essay Example As for culture, this has been characterized as ‘a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms of behavior; it refers to coherent groups of people whether resident wholly or partly within state territories or existing without residence in any particular territory’. In accordance with the above definition, culture can be a severe obstacle to communication in case that the attitudes or the values of the people involved are different. The elimination of this differentiation is a task that requires a significant amount of time and intensive effort by the interested parties – with no guarantee that the relevant attempt will be successful. In fact the study of Lalonde et al. showed that there are ‘predicted differences in beliefs about PC between members of social groups based on gender ideology and sexual orientation while more conservative views (e.g. right-wing authoritarianism, modem prejudice) would be associated with a belief in a PC movement and endorsement of a PC crusader stereotype’. In other words, political correctness is very likely to operate as a barrier to communication attempts – though this assumption could be more applicable when referring to groups than to individuals. In the same way, personal tendencies can be a barrier to communication especially under the influence of the following circumstances: a) a negative event of the past leads the person to avoid communication, b) the person’s environment (family, school) does not promote communication and so on.