Cultural

Culture as in the environment in which we’ve be raised, which can already be very diverse and which we can’t easily stereotype. Culture also as in linguistic background, which influences how we communicate but which may also mean we speak English as a second, third, or fouth language. Culture as in the local culture or a work group, company, university, city.

As in other areas, I’ll refrain from making catch-all solutions or generalizations based on stereotypes. Instead we should be able to consider differences in culture that may interfere with communicaiton and how to accommodate for them. Here are a few experiences from working in laboratories in different countries and

These range from simple cultural differences in salutations, but also to fundamental problems in understanding and comprehension, which are core to communcation.

  1. As an undergrad working in Singapore, I was taken aback when the Ph.D. student supervising me refered to another undergrad in the laboratory as “that girl”, as in “go tell that girl to …”.
  2. As an undergrad working in a large laboratory in Toronto, where new Ph.D. students from South Korea refered to the group leader only with his Doctor or Professor title while everyone else refered to him by his first name.
  3. As a presenter in Tehran being interruped by staff serving tea and biscuits to the audience members in the middle of my seminar.
  4. As the instructor for a 3-month long online course with Saudi Arabian students, where it was a struggle to convince them to turn on their cameras and then having students present who were simultaneously taking care of children, eating, driving cars or working while attending classes.
  5. As an instructor of in-person classes where students with different language abilities are present and knowing that I have a tendancy to speak very quickly, especially when I’m nervous. Understanding how to slow down my pace and enunciate clearly so that my spoken English could be understoon by people form many differnt language backgrounds.
  6. As a doctoral student and a post-doctoral fellow in Germany being repremanded by my German colleagues because I greeted them after returning from lunch, which was not necessary since I had already greeted them in the morning.
  7. As an instructor, anticipating question and identifying students who were uncomfortable raising their hand. How to do this in an online setting?
  8. Arriving to my first seminar as a doctoral student in Germany dressed better than usual only to find all my European colleagues in t-shirts and jeans.
  9. Noticing that many of my Indian colleagues had a flair for using brightly coloured founds and backgrounds in their scientific presentations and posters.
  10. Having to meet the director of the medical school when visiting colleagues in Tehran.
  11. Adjusting small talk and chit-chat when talking with Germany versus American colleagues.
  12. Using different vocabular & grammar in emails meant for companies or academia.

It is not surprising that individual who have lived, studies and worked in the same cultural mileau their entire lives may not be sensitive to the peculiarities of communication dependent on cultural or linguistic background, or that they may rely on stereotypes.

Social Interactions

Things like exclaiming “You don’t know the ….!?” in almost any field. Or commenting about someone’s work choices or techniques in a tone of disdain or increduality. Publically doing so, e.g. in a talk.

As an example, I recall being corrected by my supervisors in public, but in a humble and clearly correcting way.

Inclusion

In interactions we must strive for inclusion based on diverse backgrounds. Taht is, taking account of ways in which our way of communicating prevents

  • Individuals not offering answers to questions, but instead needing to be prompted to speak out in a group, or being called upon directly.
  • Individual being embarassed by not knowing the right question and being discouraged form speakign up again.
  • Individuals beitng discouraged from engaging in a group because over gregarious colleagues who demand a lot of attention or colleagues who negatively influence the group dynamics.