Публична комуникация, дигитализация и визуализация

Public Communication, Digitalisation and Visualisation

Erik Hemming

Åland University of Applied Sciences, Finland

Email: ehe@ha.ax

Abstract: Intercultural communication competences are learned through experience and through reflection. For the subject to be discussed, it is key to depart from a shared idea of reality. Such an idea is the contrary to egocentric and ethnocentric perspectives. From a democratic point of view, it is important to communicate ideas so that people without a university degree can grasp them. Pictures can clarify statements and sometimes convey almost the complete idea of a simple theory. This works the same way as a simile or a metaphor. When we understand we say “I see” – an indication that our visual sense is the most powerful way to use our intelligences. By using simple visual ideas and experiences that all grown-ups already are familiar with, a transfer of basic understanding of what intercultural communication is, can be successful. The hypothesis is that intercultural communication competences are learned through experiences and through reflection. The author shares his experience as a university lecturer and researcher concerning methods to present visual and multimodal manifestations in public and intercultural communication.

Keywords: public communication, intercultural communication, intercultural communication competences, visual communication, multimodality, multimodal manifestations.

Introduction

In order to achieve intercultural competence, experiencing communication with other cultures is not enough. Reflection is necessary. Reflection leads to formulation of theoretical statements. [1] As we set out on our journey to deeper understanding these theoretical statements are often faulty, based on preconceived notions, rather than facts. Later, we learn how to see clearer – if we begin to feel more at home with other cultures. [2] Learning is facilitated by feelings of security. [3]

Seafarers, as well as many professionals, are not familiar with the vocabularies of the social sciences. Therefore, it is better to formulate theory with simple words if that is possible. Even better with pictures. Pictures can clarify statements and sometimes convey almost the complete idea of a simple theory. This works the same way as a simile or a metaphor. By using very familiar contexts teachers such as Jesus Christ were able to keep the attention of the multitudes, also with precision. This is only possible with limited aspects of theory, but nevertheless possible, unlike using unknown words in new combinations.

The fundamental concept of culture is very abstract and hence often misunderstood. The subject matter is mainly invisible, so it is not surprising. Add to that words like perception, values, attitudes, power and the like and the meaning will be very much up to the receiver to interpret. Yes, interpretation (decoding) is another key concept in all communication. That means that the receiver must use his or her set of mental categories in order to achieve understanding. When we understand we say “I see” – an indication that our visual sense is the most powerful way to use our intelligences.

By using simple visual ideas and experiences that all grown-ups already are familiar with, a transfer of basic understanding of what intercultural communication is, can be successful. The purpose is of course that a deeper understanding of ICC will lead to better communication at work (and in the spare time) and that mistakes will be avoided, that can lead to the breakdown of communication.

Ideas on learning

Multimodality

Multimodality is the use of several modes when creating one text. The word text derives from the Latin “textus” meaning tissue, i.e. something woven. Hence, it is natural to include more than just words in a text. If a picture is “woven into” a text (spoken or written) it directs the reader’s understanding powerfully. [4]

Pictures are processed in parallel, as opposed to words, which are taken in sequentially, one after the other. The parallel processing is natural for visual input. Our brains are at least ten times more well-equipped for visual stimuli, than aural. (Written words are visually processed, but not more than a few at a time.) So, it is said that a picture says more than a thousand words. Napoleon Bonaparte allegedly said: „A good sketch is better than a long speech“ (French: Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu’un long discours).

One conclusion that can be drawn from the extensive PISA testing of learning results is that girls are better at reading comprehension than boys. [5] In fact, girls do better in school than boys in general globally, BUT not when it comes to reading maps. It is probably so that boys are more motivated to study information that is presented as drawings, infographics, or photographs.

Political implications

Many political parties claim that it is better for a country to stay culturally homogenous – or at least not to become multicultural. It can be argued, however, that a person’s role and position in a society is a more important factor than one’s culture, if we want to understand a person’s behaviour.

In intercultural communication, the dynamics of the four possible explanations of behaviour are often presented as a grid (figure 1). It is a very simple picture, but if a person is open to hold back her judgement for a few seconds, it is possible to take a look at the situation and the possible state of mind of people who find themselves in that situation and find keys to understanding them there. Unfortunately, it is common to attribute psychological traits as the cause of behaviour. In addition, traits are easily confused with culture: “That’s the way they are!” As if a whole population would share the same traits. It is enough to look at one’s own hometown, to realise that there are many differences between the minds of its inhabitants.

Fig.1. Four ways of explaining behaviour

A few examples

The Circle

Human communication tends to form circles. Indeed, all forms of nature form circles! A basic sociogram of say a shipping company, shows how people end up in more or less central positions. [6] We all have many experiences of this, certainly from school groups, see fig.2.

Fig.2. Sociogram [7]

Why are some people central and others peripheral? In both macro and micro societies, it depends on competition for the control of the communication. The centre is worth fighting for, since there one can gain more of the good things in life. The French sociologist Bourdieu called these things capitals: [8]

• Economic capital (money)

• Social capital (friends and fame)

• Political capital (influence, power)

• Cultural capital (knowledge and good taste)

• Physical capital (looks, good health and muscles)

These things are also tools to move up in social circles. A person can exchange one kind for another. This year we may consider the rise of the Trump family as an example of this.

Due to how we communicate and act on a daily basis we can move inwards or outwards in the circle. It is a fast game, and we make mistakes, from which we normally learn lessons.

The maze

The people we meet may stop us or let us pass. The image of the maze can describe the level of complication well (fig.3). To feel lost is normal, to need help as well. Having arrived in a new place in a foreign land we must accept to start out from the periphery. Only a few people make it to the centre – or to the top, as the expression goes. When trying to move inwards we meet key people whom we need to communicate with successfully. These can be seen as gatekeepers.

Fig.3. The maze at Villa Pisano in Venice [9]

Being poor is not helpful at all, for our basic needs have to be met first, before we can worry about the next level. Unless we are gifted with other capitals than money we are stuck (see fig.4.)

Fig.4. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs [10] and an adapted version

Why is it so? The satisfaction of our needs are linked to the capitals listed above. A person at the top brings all their capitals with her into each interaction with others. The halo effect makes us believe that a person with one or two popular qualities have even more than those, whereas a person with one or two less valued traits have even more deficiencies (The Economist, 2009). [11] The diagram in fig.5. describes othering as a result of this cognitive bias when it is combined with prejudice. By distancing the categories to the left from those on the right they will be seen as less normal – hence less positive – in every encounter in society. Obviously, gatekeepers will be more reluctant to allow them to move inwards.

Fig.5. Othering (adapted from [12])

As in most groups the leader is the person towards whom the highest number of noses point, in society, people’s attention is directed inwards, towards the centre. People are interested in that which lies between their position and the centre. That and those who are on the outside are not cool – hence others don’t know much about them. Those near the centre are seen, which feels good, and those outside are unseen, marginalised. To the seen, it matters what they do, but the unseen might end up not being seen by anyone but the police. The centre-periphery dynamics influence everybody’s thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Computer game

As young men today are very keen on playing games online, it is fortunate that so much in the challenges in a globalised society are analogous with those present in computer games. The different forms of capital discussed above are analogous with the superpowers gained and used in games, see fig.5. In fact, games need to be similar to real life in order to be interesting. As graphics and bandwidth get better, the illusion of reality becomes more powerful. In a game, players can try out behaviours that are not advisable in real life, including taking very dangerous risks that modern life lacks, compared to what our ancestors experienced sometimes…

Fig.5. Superpowers in the Fallout game [14]

Challenges to overcome tend to be in the form of enemies, sometimes in cooperation with allies. This brings us to the much-used metaphor of the icebergs in intercultural communication: US and THEM.

Icebergs

Since so much of what we intend by the word culture is invisible, the iceberg metaphor lends itself naturally as a means of clarifying what goes on in communication. If two icebergs collide it probably happens under the water. This is similar to two persons or groups who miscommunicate or compete and who have negative feelings (clash) for the others. In figure 6 a few key words have been inserted. A better idea is to provide the list of keywords and have students insert them in the proper places in the picture.

Fig.6. The iceberg metaphor, us and them (unknown artist, adapted by the author)

Although this figure is overloaded with content, we can try to use it as a starting point as follows.

The word segregation is to be seen as the opposite to communication, at least minimal and negative communication. A regular group of students often display segregation, for example when they do not speak to some other students and don’t know their names even.

In the absence of communication myths can grow. The less knowledge, the more room for prejudice. Today we can witness growing lack of trust between countries and also inside countries as citizens communicate inside so-called filter bubbles. [14]

The culture tree

As trees are common on the earth to use them as metaphors comes naturally. The invisibility of the roots is also a good reference to the roots of culture. The tree metaphor might be best to leave out in the beginning of a course since it is intended to demonstrate something else than the icebergs, fig.7.

Fig.7. Roots, trunk, and branches of a tree [15]

The house metaphor

It is easy to find analogies between the connotations of a house and those of a culture. When asked to come up with such, students often state protection, traditions, climate, building materials, vantage point, etc. but often other quite surprising and clever ones come up.

Conclusions

When we understand, we say, “I see!” It is a sign that the understanding at least “feels like” seeing. It is a fact that our brains are more powerful and fast when processing information in the form of pictures than as words. With carefully selected metaphors and similes, complicated basic facts about sociology can be transmitted to groups of students or citizens.

It is of critical importance that co-workers and citizens avoid simplistic explanations of the behaviour of others. The next step will then be solidification of prejudice and unnecessary othering. It is easy to see that good communication at work and in societies depend on seeing other people as they are – not as exponents of categories. People with low intercultural competence levels tend to have broad and negative categories of people from other places than their own. [2] And all of us slip back into egocentric and ethnocentric worldviews easily – if we are not supported by a clear perspective on society and our place in it.

References

[1] Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. FT Press.

[2] Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural Education, 2: 62–77.

[3] Rogers, C. R. (1969). Freedom to Learn. Charles E. Merrill.

[4] Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality – A Social Semiotic Approach to Contemporary Communication. Routledge.

[5] Lesesenteret. (2017). Are girls really better at reading than boys – or are the tests painting a false picture? Retrieved August 12, 2018, https://lesesenteret.uis.no/frontpage/news/article112232-14045.html. Retrieved on 05.06.2021.

[6] Moreno, J. L. (1956). Sociometry and the Science of Man. Beacon House.

[7] Jones, D. (2021). Sociograms. n.d. blog. Dynamic relationship for exemptional results. http://diana-jones.com/services/sociometry/sociograms/. Retrieved on 96.08.2018.

[8] Bourdieu, P. (2016). La distinction: critique sociale du jugement. Minuit.

[9] The maze in the garden of Villa Pisani in Stra. (2014). Veneto Inside. https://www.venetoinside.com/hidden-treasures/post/maze-of-villa-pisani-in-stra-venice/. Retrieved on 06.08.2018.

[10] Lester, D. (2013). Measuring Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Psychological Reports, 113(1), 1027–1029.

[11] The Economist. (2009). The halo effect. https://www.economist.com/news/2009/10/14/the-halo-effect. Retrieved on 06.08.2018.

[12] Pickering, M. (2001). Stereotyping – the Politics of Representation. Red Globe Press

[13] BG Studios. (2008). Fallout 3 [PC game]. Rockville, Maryland: Bethesda Softworks.

[14] Weisberg, J. (2011, June 10). Eli Pariser’s The Filter Bubble: Is Web personalization turning us into solipsistic twits? Slate, http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_big_idea/2011/06/bubble_trouble.html?via=gdpr-consent. Retrieved on 08.06.2018.

[15] Jacobs, T. (2014, February 21). The Biological Roots of Domestic Violence, Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/social-justice/biological-roots-domestic-violence-75198. Retrieved on 06.08.2018.

Bibliography

Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural Education, 2: 62–77.

Bourdieu, P. (2016). La distinction: critique sociale du jugement. Minuit.

Jacobs, T. (2014, February 21). The Biological Roots of Domestic Violence, Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/social-justice/biological-roots-domestic-violence-75198. Retrieved on 06.08.2018.

Jones, D. (2021). Sociograms. n.d. blog. Dynamic relationship for exemptional results. http://diana-jones.com/services/sociometry/sociograms/. Retrieved on 96.08.2018.

Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. FT Press.

Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality – A Social Semiotic Approach to Contemporary Communication. Routledge.

Lesesenteret. (2017). Are girls really better at reading than boys – or are the tests painting a false picture? University of Stavanger, https://lesesenteret.uis.no/frontpage/news/article112232-14045.html. Retrieved on 12.08.2018.

Lester, D. (2013). Measuring Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Psychological Reports, 113(1), 1027–1029.

Moreno, J. L. (1956). Sociometry and the Science of Man. Beacon House.

Pickering, M. (2001). Stereotyping – the Politics of Representation. Red Globe Press.

Rogers, C. R. (1969). Freedom to Learn. Charles E. Merrill.

Jacobs, T. (2014, February 21). The Biological Roots of Domestic Violence, Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/social-justice/biological-roots-domestic-violence-75198. Retrieved on 06.08.2018.

The maze in the garden of Villa Pisani in Stra. (2014). Veneto Inside. https://www.venetoinside.com/hidden-treasures/post/maze-of-villa-pisani-in-stra-venice/. Retrieved on 06.08.2018.

Weisberg, J. (2011, June 10). Eli Pariser’s The Filter Bubble: Is Web personalization turning us into solipsistic twits? Slate, http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_big_idea/2011/06/bubble_trouble.html?via=gdpr-consent. Retrieved on 08.06.2018.

Manuscript was submitted: 20.03.2021.

Double Blind Peer Reviews: from 21.06.2021 till 29.06.2021.

Accepted: 30.06.2021.

Брой 48 на сп. „Реторика и комуникации“, юли 2021 г. се издава с финансовата помощ на Фонд научни изследвания, договор № КП-06-НП2/41 от 07 декември 2020 г.

Issue 48 of the Rhetoric and Communications Journal (July 2021) is published with the financial support of the Scientific Research Fund, Contract No. KP-06-NP2/41 of December 07, 2020.