Module 3

            Module 3 is titled “Communicating Across Cultures.”  The module advises that in any organization, you will work with people whose backgrounds differ from yours.  Each of us grows up in a culture that provides patterns of acceptable behavior and belief.  We may not be aware of some of the most basic things in our own culture until we come in contact with people who do things differently.  The text describes two types of cultures.  One is high-text culture, where most of the information is inferred from the context of the message as little of the information is spelled out.  The Japanese, Arabic, and Latin America are high context cultures.  The other is low-context culture, where context is less important as most of the information is explicitly spelled out.  German, Scandinavian, and the United States are low-context cultures.  Most cultures are more formal than the United States.  When you write to international audiences, use titles, not first names.  Avoid contractions, slang, and sports metaphors.  The patterns of organization that work for North American audiences, may need to be modified for international correspondence.  The text recommends being sensitive and flexible when communicating with many different cultures.  Start by using nonsexist, nonracist, and nonagist language.  Use bias free language. 

            One section of Module 3 is “How can I make my documents bias-free?”  Make your language nonsexist, in this way it treats both sexes neutrally.  Use neutral titles which do not imply that a job is held by a man or a woman.  When you write about a specific person, use the appropriate gender pronouns.  Language is nonracist and nonagist when it treats all races and ages fairly, avoiding negative stereotypes of any group.  Only give someone’s race if it is relevant to your story.  Avoid the use of any terms that suggest that competent people are unusual.  When talking about people with disabilities and diseases, focus on the person and not their condition.  Do not use negative terms, unless the audience prefers them.  When using visual effects, choose bias-free photos and illustrations.  The module stated that Microsoft’s U.S. Web site showed two men, one Asian and one black.  But on the Web site of a European affiliate, the black man’s head was replaced with that of a white man, but his hands were left unchanged.  After criticism for altering the man’s race, the company apologized.