How To Build A Third Culture

Robert Shuter mainly focuses on how new media is transforming communication across cultures. He argues that despite the revolution in cross cultural contacts many researchers have ignored the impact of new media of intercultural communication. He tries to focus on how new media is actually transforming through computer-mediated communication, social network sites, mobile phones, skype, text messaging, on-line games, virtual worlds and blogs. When focusing on who has used these media it consists of many different individuals from different cultures. It is no longer restricted to certain cultures, but it is used worldwide.
According to Shuter to achieve intercultural dialogue, communicators must be open to accepting differences. Since the literature …show more content…
He also includes research from Starosta and Olorunnisola that focus that individuals must be consciously aware of their differences and capable of suspending judgement to build a third culture, a product of convergence, integration and mutual assimilation. What they are trying to say is that once their third culture is achieved it provides an ideal climate to interact because it is mutually accepting, supportive and cooperative. This is one of the important factors to consider on how many people use media to express themselves through it. Another thing that the author argued is that Facebook is a viable platform for building cross-cultural friendships among Taiwanese and American university students. The way to maintain these friendships they have to be able to use the Web application. The types of communication platforms that were used amongst these students include Skype, Moodle, Voice thread and second life. One of the best ones used to communicate within cultures is through desktop video conferencing, which includes the video and chat programs that can be with MSN …show more content…
He believes that the some social factors from the physical world, including stereotyping, predispositions and different cultural values may affect the development of intercultural dialogue and third culture in the virtual world. He not only explains these points he states how he researches them from others such as Young Kim. Young Kim found that communication research abounds on how people adapt to new cultures and much of the data examine the impact of interpersonal interaction and mass media on acculturation. What this means in her words is that she found social communication in the host culture, combined with reasonable and successful ethnic support, provide cultural knowledge and skills and emotional stability to acculturate successfully. Shuter argues that Kim integrates mass media into her model, arguing that acculturation is influenced by the nature, type and frequency of media consumption