Running head: PERSONAL CHALLENGE PROJECT 1
Personal Challenge Project
Name
Institution
PERSONAL CHALLENGE PROJECT 2
Personal Challenge Project
Intercultural ethics refers to the procedures in which people from various cultures engage
in the negotiations of the norms and policies that will assist in regulating their relationships at
various levels, including international, intergroup, and interpersonal relations (Evanoff, 2006).
As a result, intercultural ethics play a very significant role in defining the level of morality and
respectable behaviour of one’s interactions with people from different communication (Evanoff,
2006). Phipps (2013) argues that while the intercultural interactions occur through various
means, communication plays the most significant role in ensuring that the interaction of people
from different cultures remains effective while upholding the acceptable levels of ethics. Most
essentially, intercultural communication ethics promotes and protects the good features of a
specific culture and creates a comprehension of culture as the shaping force that motivates
individuals and communities (Phipps, 2013). Casmir (2013) claims that having an effective and
constructive intercultural interaction among people from different cultures is important as it
promotes personal development and acquisition of new information. For that reason, the
development of intercultural ethics remains a significant aspect of our lives as it enables us to
recognize and apply the moral relations we should have with the people around us.
For us to develop intercultural ethics, there are several activities we can engage in to
enable us to acquire that vital aspect. For instance, to develop intercultural ethics, we must avoid
making judgements. Avoiding judgmental actions allows us to gather enough information, as
neutral statements or questions helps in clarifying the meaning before making assumptions that
we understand what is going on. In that regard, we develop intercultural ethics as we do not give
priority to our opinions as we allow ourselves to understand the concept and ideas of other
cultures on some critical issues. Secondly, we should develop empathy to enable us to acquire
PERSONAL CHALLENGE PROJECT 3
intercultural ethics as that will enable us to be in other people’s position in respect to some
treatment we may give them. Thirdly, we should focus on what we gain than what we lose. In
that sense, we should focus more on listening to the other’s views, experiences, and opinion that
ultimately results in the mutual understanding between us and the people we interact with in our
lives. Lastly, admitting that we do not know can also help us develop intercultural ethics as we
remain to humble ourselves and accept to learn new things about other cultures.
While engaging in the above activities to develop intercultural ethics, there are challenges
that we confront while trying to attain that ethic. The fundamental challenge often emanates from
the egocentrism that compels us to believe that our culture is superior than other cultures. In that
regard, we value our opinions, beliefs, and views than those from other people that ultimately
make us have poor intercultural ethics.
To improve my intercultural ethics, there are various steps that can personally make me
become more interculturally aware, mindful, competent, sensitive, and ethical in my own
communications and interactions with others. Firstly, improving my communication skills by
ensuring that my communications and interactions with others do not develop its basis on
egocentrism can help me remain sensitive to my intercultural ethics. Additionally, appreciating
and speaking other languages while communicating and interacting with other people can help
improve my intercultural competence. Lastly, making sure that my communications and
interactions with others maintain respect for the communication preferences of other people will
also play a significant role in improving my intercultural awareness.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE PROJECT 4
References
Casmir, F. L. (Ed.). (2013). Ethics in intercultural and international communication.
Routledge.
Evanoff, R. (2006). Integration in intercultural ethics. International Journal of
Intercultural Relations, 30(4), 421-437.
Phipps, A. (2013). Intercultural ethics: Questions of methods in language and
intercultural communication. Language and intercultural communication, 13(1), 10-26.