CULTURE, COMMUNICATION, AND CONFLICT

The need to understand intercultural conflict seems more important now than ever.

One thing we can be sure of is that conflict is inevitable. Conflicts are happening all

around the world, as they always have, and at many different levels: interpersonal,

social, national, and international. For example, at the interpersonal level, friends or

romantic partners may disagree about their relationship between themselves or with

friends and family. Interpersonal conflicts can be intergenerational. You may disagree

with your parents about where to attend college, or what you spend your money on, or

where to live in the summer. These conflicts can have varying outcomes. Intergenerational

conflicts can occur in the workplace. For example, experts say that Baby Boomers,

Generation Y, and Millennials have different characteristics and sets of work-life

values that can clash. While Boomers tend to be work-obsessed, Millennials are demanding

flexible schedules that allow them to pursue an active life away from the office.

Boomers tend to like autonomy, whereas Millennials want more direction and enjoy

collaboration. GenY perceive Boomers as “micromanagers” perhaps because Boomers

tend be competitive, logical, and efficient (Koeppel, 2011).

CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERCULTURAL CONFLICT

Conflict is usually defined as involving a perceived or real incompatibility of goals,

values, expectations, processes, or outcomes between two or more interdependent

individuals or groups. The complexity of intercultural conflict can be seen in the

current debate, discussed in previous chapters, on whether or not Muslim women

should be allowed to wear veils in public. This has been a major issue in France,

where a no-veil policy has been instituted. In the United States, the issue gained

national attention over the question of whether women could wear veils while

driving or posing for their driver’s license photo. These conflicts have roots in the

history of Christian–Muslim relations and U.S./French–Arab/Muslim countries

relations—histories characterized by domination on the part of the United

States and colonization on France’s part and by hostility and resentment on the

part of some Muslims and Arabs. There are also gender issues involved. Some

political leaders see the veil as a symbol of oppression of women, whereas others,

including some women, see it as a symbol of religious devotion (Croucher, 2013).

Ambiguity

While some conflicts are seen unambiguously as conflicts by parties involved (e.g.,

Israelis and Palestinians), this and many other conflicts are seen in very different

ways by the individuals and groups involved. For example, when 49 people were

murdered in an Orlando, Florida nightclub in June 2016, there were varying views.