Cultural Heterogeneity In Global Communication Essay

We are all very different, yet we are all the same.
In global communication, how do you cope with cultural heterogeneity?
Not that long ago, the world was confronted by a horrific image of a drowned and deceased little boy Aylan Kurdi, who was stranded along a Mediterranean beach lying face down in early September 2015. The image went viral and made global headlines, which caused the Western world to wake up and acknowledge the refugee crises and change the way the government looked at refugees. This incident raised the following moral question worldwide: “How did we let it get this far?” The refugee crises have made us wonder whether we have always had cultural phobias such as xenophobia and hate. Or is it perhaps that globalization and digitalization have caused problems in

It is the carrier of cultural expressions (Hamelink, 2015a). Matei (2006), states that cultural heterogeneity is the exchange between different cultures, where regional and local ethnic identities are embraced even when global connections across regional and national borders become stronger. In order to cope with cultural heterogeneity in global communication, some skills need to be accomplished among citizens worldwide. The first skill that is required for intercultural communication is the acceptance of multiple identities, which means the capacity to recognize your own internal dialogues- the symphonies in your head- and the many conversations we conduct with ourselves (Hamelink, 2015b). In this globalized world, it is common to only reach out to people who look like ourselves and avoid those who are different. Research has shown that people perceive others more likable when they resemble themselves (Van der Pligt & Vliek, 2017). This means that in a globalized world, people tend to avoid those who are perceived as different and unfamiliar. Having a perception of “us