Sources of (Mis)perception and (Mis)understanding in U.S.-China Communication

Abstract

Using the ethnographic method of participant-observation and casefocused thick description, I have found that in intercultural communication between Chinese and Americans, many misperceptions and misunderstandings occur which neither side is aware of due to differences in communication patterns at the psycho-cultural or deep culture level. However, an educated level of awareness of such differences at the deep culture level could help reduce the chances of formulating and escalating such misperceptions and misunderstandings and in turn enhance the chances to conduct more constructive interactions between the two cultures at all levels and all sectors. The current paper aims to uncover such sources and processes and to propose ways to ease future Sino-American interactions in political, business and social contexts from the perspective of intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is interpersonal in nature. I argue that due to globalization, Sino-American relations is becoming increasingly interpersonal. More and more people from both the countries are meeting and talking more and more frequently and longer and longer for political, business and social purposes. Misperceptions and misunderstandings occurring in their interactions due to differences in deep culture between the two peoples still remain out of the interactants’ mutual and selfawareness and contribute negatively to the relationship between the world’s most advanced country and the world’s largest developing country. Even though so much has been known about each other by each other at the level of high culture, folk culture and other aspects, little is known about each other by each other at the deep culture level. Thus, the perspective of interpersonal/intercultural communication focusing on the