A Rose from Yesterday

page 12

Book Reviews

LEGAL RIGHTS OF THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED. Edited by Bruce J. Ennis and Paul R. Friedman, with assistance by Bonnie Gitlin. New York: Practising Law Institute-Mental Health Law Project, 1973. Pp. 1533 in three volumes. 20.00. THE LAW OF ADVERTISING. By George Eric Rosden and Peter Eric Rosden. New York: Matthew Bender & Co., 1974. Loose Leaf, in two volumes. 100.00

Educational research : the English speaking Caribbean

Prepared for the Educational Research Review and Advisory Grou

The development of an instrument to identify dispositions for interactive group communications in cross-cultural learning environments

An increased cross-cultural interaction around the world is being dictated by the ever increasing communication needs required by business and national concerns. This increased interaction, and its resultant inter-dependence, is often referred to as "Globalization." Due to the effect of globalization on the business and education environments, this study was an investigation of the theory base regarding context as embedded in the development of culture and cross-cultural communications. The study developed an instrument that 1) measures the contextual preferences of individuals from a variety of cultures, and 2) determines the level of significant differences between cultures based on their contextual preferences. The literature review concentrated on those characteristics which allow us to go beyond specific cultural barriers to communication. This was done to determine a common ground beyond culture, which is inherent in the communications process, and to allow a determination of factors for improved cross-cultural training and education. The literature review focused on: - The effects of the globalized environment - The influence of culture on communications - A cross-cultural communications model - Context and individualism/collectivism as measures of cross-cultural communications. The findings of the study provide an initial instrument that can be used for the identification of personal preferences, based on context, that may determine an individual's predisposition to interact in a cross-cultural learning environment. The data analyzed notes significant differences in major cultural groupings, and some specific cultures. Specific analysis included the contextual preferences of individuals based on their home cultural environment, the dimensions of gender, age, number of years an individual is away from their home culture and the number of languages spoken. It was concluded that there are highly significant differences between cultures, even with common ancestral ties and geographic proximity, that affect how individuals will interact and communicate across cultural boundaries. These differences, based on non-verbal context, must be considered individually in their sub-component form, not just within the overall classification of context