Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia

Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia Intercultural Communication Inter-, as you will probably know, comes from the Latin word for â€Å"between†, and the  dictionary defines â€Å"communication† as â€Å"exchanging information†. Martin and Nakayama  (2011) define intercultural communication as the â€Å"interaction between people from  different cultural backgrounds.† Importance of Studying Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication is getting more and more significant due to the advance of  globalization and increasingly multicultural work environments. It is indispensable  because of our increasing exposure to masses of other polishes. Because of this, the  cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication skills that come with studying in a  foreign country are extremely sought after by employers who seek to earn a competitive  edge and break into foreign markets. Culture â€Å"Culture is brought up to a group or residential district, which shares common  experiences that shape the way its members understand the cosmos (Marya Axner, 2013). Academic researchers often start out with the observation that â€Å"culture† is a word with a  very vague meaning. Or rather, a word with lots of different meanings. A culture is a  unique combination of rituals (such as greeting and parting), religious beliefs, ways of  thinking (such as the earth was created), and ways of behaving (such as women can marry  at 14 years of age in Iran) that unify a group of people. Festivals Celebrated In Malaysia Malaysia is a multiracial country consisting of the three primary races in the nation. Looking for forgiveness from one another, especially from the elder members of the  household is an important custom in this portion of the universe, which leads to Hari  Raya Aidilfitri. This usage is thought as a way of abandoning past animosity, and  strengthening bonds between family members and acquaintances. â€Å"Eid Ul Fitr† is usually  celebrated to give thanks and to celebrate their success in completing the month-long time  fasting period of Ramadan. The festival commemorates the end of Haj, which is the  Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It also marks the  willingness of the Islamic prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of  obedience to Allah (God). Handing out red envelopes to children during the Chinese New Year is one of the  customs traditions in this festival. Aged people and married couples usually are the ones  that take in these handouts. The centuries – old legend includes a report of a terrible  mythical monster who preyed on villagers. On this day, families travel long distances to  meet and make merry. Though the holiday is only around a week long, traditionally it is a  15-day holiday during which firecrackers are lit, drums can be heard on the streets, red  lanterns glow at nighttime and red paper cutouts and calligraphy hangings are hung on  doorways. The famous festival among the Indians is Diwali or Deepavali that marks the victory of  good over evil. On every Diwali day, the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as a symbol of  prosperity. Annemarie (n.d) discovered that people wear new clothes, share sweets and  light up firecrackers on this very day. It is stated that the fireworks are used to frighten the  evil spirits away, while the light embraces prosperity in the form of Lakshmi. The  preparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, four or  five kumkum are put on, and then it is sated with water for the next days oil bath. Etiquettes Good eating etiquette is one of the common important rules of feeding. Malays admire  good etiquette and do not appreciate bluntness. It is polite and goes for the soft sell. Beverages will not be served before dinner and it is offered by using both hands. The  right hand is only used to eat, pass, touch or handle anything while the left hand is never  used to eat because it is filthy. As for the Chinese, generally hosts a welcoming banquet while the foreign guests should  reciprocate toward the end of their visits. It is a must to arrive exactly on time for a  banquet to show punctuality and courtesy. The guest of honor is always placed at the head  of the room, facing the door. It is said that chopsticks are usually used and it is considered  very rude to tap the chopsticks on the. The chopsticks are supposedly put neatly on the  table or on the chopstick rest. Not to mention, the Indians as well, have their own etiquette of eating. Food must not be  refused when one is being served but it is all right to be the first to finish eating. Hindu  hosts are never supposed to let their guests’ plates be empty. The guests should always  assure the host that it is fine by following the host’s style of eating. If utensils are not  used, the right hand is used to eat. Spoon is a must use to take food from communal dish;  it is a rude way to use fingers. Taboos In every culture, there are always the Do’s and Don’ts. It depends on a person, whether to  believe the superstitious act or not. In Malaysia, the three primary races share some  common similarities when it comes to taboos. It is said that taboos were believed by the  ancestors, a very long time ago and it is because to bring good moral values to the  younger generation. Wasting money on unnecessary things just to make the celebration  big and merrier is not encouraged by the Muslims. Besides that, those that are celebrating  Hari Raya Aidilfitri are supposedly to visit relatives no matter how bad the family tie is. As for the Chinese, during the celebration of Chinese New Year, it is said that sweeping  the house a day before new year is bad as it will be throw the â€Å" Ong â€Å" away. Families  would be gathered for dinner to build a stronger bond with each other. No matter how  busy one would be, it is a must to celebrate this festival without missing it. Swearing or  jinxing something during new year, is said to bring bad luck to the family throughout the  rest of the whole year. For the Indians, during Deepavali, candles would be lit up, and that is one reason why is it  called The Festival Of Light and to get rid of the evil. Coloured rice would be used to  decorate the porch floor and is called â€Å"Kolam†. It is encouraged to wear bright colours  during the festival, because it is said that white and black symbolize sadness. Conclusion Every culture brings out the traditions that were believed by the ancestors, once and it is  carried on by the following generation. This leads to good moral values and etiquettes in a  person’s self. It is important to learn that intercultural communication is important  because we are highly exposed of other cultures. This brings us to understand a person’s  culture more deliberately as we are curious and try to relate ourselves to others. By  learning a person’s culture, it makes us have a wider mind of range of how others behave,  their religious beliefs and their means of establishing trust in each other. References Ahmed, S. Naumann, E. (2014). Intercultural Communication. Retrieved from http://www.internations.org/magazine/intercultural-communication-15409 Annemarie. The significance of diwali. Retrieved from http://www.auroville.org/society/diwali.htm Axner, M. (2013). Section 1. Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culture-and-diversity/main Cultural Etiquette. Retrieved from http://www.read-write-now.org/UserDir/Documents/Cultural Etiquette.pdf Guhanatha, S. (2009). Thaipusam. Retrieved from http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/thaipusam Hari Raya Aidilfitri. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.centralsingaporecdc.org.sg/hari-raya-aidilfitri/ Jaime, K. Hari Raya Haji. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_694__2009-01-02.html Lisa, C. (n.d.). The history of Chinese New Year. Retrieved from http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/ChineseNewYear.htm ). Martin, J. N., Nakayama, T. K. (2011). Experiencing intercultural communication: An introduction. New York : McGraw-Hill. Pearson, J.C., Nelson, P.E., Titsworth, S., Harter, L. (2013). Human communication: Intercultural communication. Penn Plaza, NY: McGraw Hill Education. The Importance of Intercultural Communication. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ability.edu.au/latest-news/the-importance-of-intercultural-communication/