文化移情

The Development of Cultural Empathy in

Intercultural Communication

外国语言学及应用语言学

姜作超

Contents

Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------2 Ⅰ. Empathy--------------------------------------------------------------2 1.1Definition of Empathy-------------------------------------------------------------------2 1.2Features of Empathy---------------------------------------------------------------------3Ⅱ. Hindrances to Empathy-------------------------------------------4 2.1 Constant Self-focus----------------------------------------------------------------------4 2.2 Ethnocentrism----------------------------------------------------------------------------5 2.3 Dogmatism--------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 2.4 Lack of Motivation-----------------------------------------------------------------------5 Ⅲ. Development of Cultural Empathy------------------------------6 3.1Four Advices for Improving Cultural Empathy---------------------------------------6 3.2 A Proposed Model for the Development of Cultural Empathy----------------------7 Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------9 References------------------------------------------------------------------11

Introduction

Intercultural communication has long been an important prerequisite of human coexistence on the earth. While encountering people with different cultural backgrounds, we will inevitably meet the differences in language, food, dress, social behavior, and so on.

It is different cultural systems that underlie these superficial differences. Culture influences the way people perceive the world and process information. Differences in the way by which people interpret the world around them contribute greatly to misunderstandings in intercultural communication (Borisoff, Victor 1989). It is because of these various cultural factors that most misunderstandings arise to cause frustration or breakdown in intercultural communication. A famous Native American proverb tells us “We should not judge another personal until we have walked two moons in his moccasins.”That is, we need to develop empathy, the ability to see things from the point of view of others.

Empathy has long been regarded as an important element of intercultural competence, and it offered a primary means of facilitating interpersonal understanding across cultural differences.

This paper is composed of three parts except an introduction and a conclusion. The first part is a brief introduction to empathy, including definition and features. The second part introduces several hindrances to empathy. The last part is the development of cultural empathy, including four advices and a proposed model for the development of cultural empathy in intercultural communication.

Ⅰ. Empathy

Developing and employing cultural empathy requires understanding of the concept of empathy as it occurs in intercultural communication.

1.1Definition of Empathy

“Empathy”came from a German word “Einfühlung”,which was used as an aesthetic doctrine during the late nineteenth century. In its original usage, it meant “feeling into” (Goldstein and Michaels, 1985). It was used to refer to the tendency of