No matter what culture you are engaging with in communication, it is important to have intercultural competence. Intercultural communication cannot be successful unless you are competent. According to Martin and Nakayama (2010), “Scholars taking a social science perspective have identified four basic components, or building blocks, of intercultural competence: motivation, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (Wiseman, 2002)” (p. 465). In this blog, I will explain how you can apply cultural competency when interacting with Ugandans, as well as summarize my previous blogs.
The building block that I would like to focus on to help facilitate cultural competency in relation to Ugandans is knowledge. Again according to Martin and Nakayama (2010), “The knowledge component comprises various cognitive aspects of communication competence; it involves what we know about ourselves and others and about various aspects of communication” (p. 468). As I discussed in my previous blog, Ugandans style of communication is indirect. I think it is important to have knowledge on what style of communication you use as well as what style of communication others utilize. It is also beneficial to understand the characteristics of both styles of communication. In knowing that Ugandans communicate indirectly and how they do so, you will be able to tailor your style of communication to fit theirs, and communication will be made easier.
Also in my previous blog, I mentioned the Lord’s Resistance Army that is occurring in Uganda and the Invisible Children organization. “The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony, operated in the north from bases in southern Sudan. The LRA committed numerous abuses and atrocities, including the abduction, rape, maiming, and killing of civilians, including children” (Global Security, n.d.) The Lord’s Resistance Army is still operating in Uganda, but there is help. “Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity” (Invisible Children, n.d.). There are other organizations working against the Lord’s Resistance Army, but Invisible Children is the most popular. This video will show you more about Invisible Children.
I have learned a lot through my blogs and research on Uganda. My first blog covered why Uganda is a culture, the cultural heritage in Uganda, and the languages spoken there. My second blog discussed Ugandans indirect style of communication, how it impacts their communication, and advice on how to communicate with Ugandans. I am glad I had the opportunity to learn about this unique and interesting culture.
References
Globalsecurity.org. (n.d.). The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Retrieved on December 2, 2011
from globalsecurity.org.
Invisiblechildren.com. (n.d.). Invisible Children. Retrieved on December 2, 2011 from
invisiblechildren.com.
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2010). Intercultural Communication in Contexts. New York,
NY: McGraw Hill.
