Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia

Intercultural Communication Culture in MalaysiaIntercultural CommunicationInter-, as you lead probably know, comes from the Latin backchat for between, and thedictionary defines colloquy as exchanging information. Martin and Nakayama(2011) define intercultural communication as the interaction between people fromdifferent cultural backgrounds.Importance of perusal Intercultural CommunicationIntercultural communication is getting more and more significant due to the advance ofglobalization and increasingly multicultural work environments. It is indispensablebecause of our increasing characterization to masses of other polishes. Because of this, thecultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication skills that come with studying in aforeign country are extremely want after by employers who seek to earn a competitiveedge and break into foreign markets.CultureCulture is brought up to a group or residential district, which shares commonexperiences that shape the way its members u nderstand the cosmos (Marya Axner, 2013).Academic researchers often start out with the observation that culture is a word with avery vague meaning. Or rather, a word with lots of different meanings. A culture is aunique combination of rituals (such as greeting and parting), sacred beliefs, ways ofthinking (such as the earth was created), and ways of behaving (such as women can marryat 14 years of age in Iran) that unify a group of people.Festivals Celebrated In MalaysiaMalaysia is a multiracial country consisting of the three primary races in the nation.Looking for for make waterness from one another, especially from the elder members of the menage is an important custom in this portion of the universe, which leads to HariRaya Aidilfitri. This usage is thought as a way of abandoning past animosity, andstrengthening bonds between family members and acquaintances. Eid Ul Fitr is usuallycelebrated to give thanks and to celebrate their success in completing the month-prospicient timefa sting period of Ramadan. The festival commemorates the end of Haj, which is theMuslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It also marks thewillingness of the Islamic prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act ofobedience to Allah (God).Handing out red envelopes to children during the Chinese New year is one of thecustoms traditions in this festival. Aged people and married couples usually are the onesthat take in these handouts. The centuries old legend includes a report of a terriblemythical monster who preyed on villagers. On this day, families travel long distances tomeet and make merry. Though the holiday is only around a hebdomad long, traditionally it is a15-day holiday during which firecrackers are lit, drums can be heard on the streets, redlanterns glow at nighttime and red paper cutouts and chirography hangings are hung ondoorways.The famous festival among the Indians is Diwali or Deepavali that marks the victory ofgood over evil. On every Di wali day, the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as a token ofprosperity. Annemarie (n.d) discovered that people wear new clothes, share sweets andlight up firecrackers on this very day. It is stated that the fireworks are used to f rightfielden theevil spirits away, temporary hookup the light embraces prosperity in the form of Lakshmi. Thepreparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, four orfive kumkum are put on, and then it is sated with water for the nigh days oil bath.EtiquettesGood eating etiquette is one of the common important rules of feeding. Malays admiregood 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. Theright hand is only used to eat, pass, touch or handle anything while the left hand is neverused to eat because it is filthy.As for the Chinese, generally hosts a welcoming banquet while the foreign guests shouldreciproca te toward the end of their visits. It is a must to arrive exactly on time for abanquet to show punctuality and courtesy. The guest of honor is always placed at the spotof the room, facing the door. It is utter that chopsticks are usually used and it is consideredvery rude to tap the chopsticks on the. The chopsticks are supposedly put neatly on the control panel or on the chopstick rest.Not to mention, the Indians as well, have their own etiquette of eating. Food must not berefused when one is being served but it is all right to be the first to finish eating. Hinduhosts are never supposed to let their guests plates be empty. The guests should alwaysassure the host that it is fine by interest the hosts style of eating. If utensils are notused, the right hand is used to eat. Spoon is a must use to take food from communal dishit is a rude way to use fingers.TaboosIn every culture, there are always the Dos and Donts. It depends on a person, whether tobelieve the superstitious act or not. In Malaysia, the three primary races share somecommon similarities when it comes to taboos. It is said that taboos were believed by theancestors, a very long time ago and it is because to bring good moral value to theyounger generation. Wasting money on unnecessary things just to make the celebration wide-ranging and merrier is not encouraged by the Muslims. Besides that, those that are celebratingHari 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 sweepingthe house a day before new year is bad as it will be throw the Ong away. Familieswould be gathered for dinner to build a stronger bond with each other. No matter howbusy one would be, it is a must to celebrate this festival without deficient it. Swearing orjinxing something during new year, is said to bring bad luck to the family throughout therest of the whole year.For the Indians, during Deepavali, candl es would be lit up, and that is one reason why is itcalled The Festival Of Light and to get rid of the evil. Coloured rice would be used todecorate the porch floor and is called Kolam. It is encouraged to wear bright coloursduring the festival, because it is said that white and black symbolize sadness.ConclusionEvery culture brings out the traditions that were believed by the ancestors, once and it iscarried on by the following generation. This leads to good moral values and etiquettes in apersons self. It is important to learn that intercultural communication is importantbecause we are highly exposed of other cultures. This brings us to understand a personsculture more deliberately as we are curious and try to relate ourselves to others. Bylearning a persons 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.ReferencesAhmed, S. Naumann, E. (2014). Intercultural Communication. Retrieved fr om http//www.internations.org/magazine/intercultural-communication-15409Annemarie. The significance of diwali. Retrieved from http//www.auroville.org/society/diwali.htmAxner, M. (2013). Section 1. reason Culture and Diversity in Building Communities. Retrieved from http//ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culture-and-diversity/mainCultural Etiquette. Retrieved from http//www.read-write-now.org/UserDir/Documents/Cultural Etiquette.pdfGuhanatha, S. (2009). Thaipusam. Retrieved from http//www.myhindupage.org/index.php/thaipusamHari 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.htmlLisa, 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 int roduction. 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/