Cross cultural communciation problems in Aboriginal Australia

Abstract

Encounters between Aboriginal and other Australians too often create discomfort despite good will on both sides. A few examples of such encounters are presented and these raise the question of how common cross cultural communications problems can be avoided. ¶ Despite observations by a number of scholars on communication problems in Aboriginal Australia (eg Eades, Harris, Liberman) there is no unifying explanatory model. Two intersecting sets of variables are posited: dyadic vs communal; continuous vs contained. Anglo Australia is dyadic and contained in typical conversational interaction while Aboriginal Australia is communal and continuous. Put briefly the first set of variables concerns the relationship between participants. In Anglo Australian interactions there is an ideology of talking in twos in which talk is directed to a particular individual, people should face each other, eye contact is important, and perhaps most importantly control is in the hands of the speaker. By contrast the relationship among participants in Aboriginal Australia is communal: talk is not directed to a particular individual; it is ‘broadcast’, people need not face each other and often don’t, eye contact is less important, and control is in the hands of the hearer. The other crucial factor in characterising talk is how the communication channel is used. The strong tendency in Aboriginal conversations is turn the communication channel (talk) on and leave it on; it is continuous. By contrast Anglo conversation is contained: talk is packaged into discontinuous bits. ¶ The model has considerable explanatory power: accounting for the differential acceptance of new communication channels (literacy, telephones and television) and the differences between the two groups in public meetings, educational settings and conflict resolution. However, while the model may help to explain some of the problems in communication it should only be thought of as one step in the direction of further, much needed research. Show more