Table of contents introduction

Negative Stereotypes
Any form of stereotyping is potentially an obstruction to successful inter-cultural communication, because it will blind us to real differences that exist between the participants in a discourse. The most obstructive form of stereo­typing, however, is also sometimes called negative stereotyping. In such a case, the first step is to contrast two cultures or two groups on the basis of some single dimension. For example, someone might say that all Asians are inductive and all westerners are deductive in their introduction of topics. Such a statement may have some basis in observation, but it ignores the fact that in many cases Asians also use deductive strategies on the one hand, and on the other inductive strategies are frequently used by westerners.
The second step in negative stereotyping is to focus on this artificial and ideological difference as a problem for communication. Unfortunately, this step is essential for any analysis of intercultural discourse, and as a result, it requires a great deal of care in such analysis to forestall stereotyping. We might say, for example, that because Asians are inductive and westerners are deductive, it is difficult for them to communicate with each other easily or successfully.
If we have already forgotten that our first premise was somewhat over­simplified, that is, if we have already forgotten that both inductive strategies and deductive strategies are used in both cultures, and if we have forgotten that we can never classify all Asians together and all westerners together, it becomes natural at this step to jump to the conclusion that Asians and westerners can never successfully communicate with each other. This is false, of course, but at this step in the process it can easily be forgotten.
The third step, then, is to assign a positive value to one strategy or one group and a negative value to the other strategy or group. At this step, for example, a westerner might say the problem with intercultural communica­tion between Asians and westerners is that they refuse to introduce their topics so that we can understand them. The simple descriptive difference leads to the idea that somehow members of the other group are actively trying to make it difficult to understand them.
The fourth and final step is to regeneralize this process to the entire group. One reasserts the original binaristic contrast as a negative group con­trast. One might say, for example, that all Asians or all westerners are like this; they always try to obstruct communication. Often one final step is taken; these characteristics are assumed to be genetic or racial characteristics.
Negative stereotyping is a perennial problem in intercultural communi­cation. This is because these stereotypes are usually based on some accurate observation. It is accurate to say that in many instances there will be some difference in topic introduction between an Asian and a westerner. This is based on deeper assumptions being made about the face relationships one can adopt in certain communicative situations. It would be quite correct to say that in a communication between strangers, most Asians would be careful to use strategies of independence out of deference and respect for the other per­son. One of those strategies would be the rhetorical strategy of inductively introducing one's own topics.
It would also be correct to say that in communication between strangers, most westerners would try to bring the situation around to one of symmet­rical solidarity. This would be because of the value placed in most western societies on egalitarianism and individualism. One strategy which would be used to do this would be to use a deductive rhetorical pattern for the intro­duction of topics.
If we forget the deeper reasons why these rhetorical strategies are used, we can easily move into negatively stereotyping members of other groups who are working from different basic assumptions about the most respect­ful way to treat strangers. The result is an overall negative impression of members of the other group.