Language and Labels and Co-Cultural Communication...Oh My!

Dr. Mark Orbe (Chapman, 2010)

Communication scholar Mark Orbe (1998) articulated a co-cultural theory of communication, which discusses how language works between dominant and non-dominant groups. According to Orbe, due to the power relations between co-cultural groups, dominant groups, either consciously or unconsciously, create systems of communication that reinforce how the dominant groups see the world (Martin & Nakayama, 2013). These systems present a dialectical struggle for non-dominant groups due to the fact that these systems may not represent how they make sense of the world around them. They are then presented with a series of strategies to help navigate their communication.

The power relations between co-cultural groups not only presents implications for how non-dominant members navigate communication systems, but it also highlights the "power" effects of the labels that we use. As humans, we have a natural inclination to make sense of the world around us and one of the ways that we cognitively process our experiences is by creating categories and assigning labels. We use labels as mental shortcuts to help us make sense of who we are and who other people may be. These shortcuts are not necessarily "bad," but they do present challenges for co-cultural communication because oftentimes these labels are invoked without any knowledge or understanding of their history, meaning especially for the non-dominant group, and the current implications. As Martin and Nakayama (2013) point out, the power of labels can be seen in the use of "Hispanic" as a label for Spanish-speaking people living in the U.S. despite the fact that this term is embedded in a history of colonialism for cultural groups native to Central, Latin, and South America.

(Jordan, 2012)

Also, the term "native American," which is rejected by indigenous cultures in the U.S.and considered a term that only white American use (Martin & Nakayama, 2013).

Co-cultural theory and the power effects of  labels impacts the language that we use to describe cultural groups. For me, what comes to mind when I reflect on the intersection of these concepts is the recent discussion surrounding the newly crowned Miss America, Nina Davuluri.

(Sawfirst.com, 2013)

Nina has been labeled by U.S. media as an Indian-American, a New Yorker, and a practicing Hindu (Cavaliere, 2013; Hafiz, 2013). On social media, she has been falsely labeled a Muslim, Arab, and a terrorist (Hafiz, 2013). Here are some articles on Davuluri and the U.S public's reaction to her win: Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and Global Post.

(Sohail, 2013)

So what are the implications for intercultural communication? For this blog response, I would like you to find your own case of co-cultural communication and the power of labels. Find a recent (ideally within the past year) example that demonstrates the relationship between dominant and non-dominant groups and the labels that we use. Find three articles that explore the case you have selected and include a description of these articles to begin your blog. Then explain how this case is connected to co-cultural theory and the power of labels. Finally explore the implications of this relationship by answering the following questions: What is the relationship between the language we use and the ways that we perceive reality? And why is it important to be aware of social positions in terms of language and intercultural intercultural communication?

References

Chapman, M. (2010, July 31). Summer institute for diversity education honors first trainees. Compass. Retrieved from http://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/09-10/7/SIDE-diversity-742.cfm

Hafiz, J. (2013, September 16). Nina Davuluri's Miss America 2014 win prompts Twitter backlash against Indians, Muslims. The Huffington Post. Retreived from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/16/nina-davuluri-miss-america-religion_n_3934428.html

Jordan, M. (2012, April 4). Hispanics like clout, not the label. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303816504577322723349114252.html

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. 

Sawfirst. (2013, September 17). The 2014 Miss America competition – show. Retrieved from http://www.sawfirst.com/nina-davuluri-miss-america-2014-2013-09-17.html/the-2014-miss-america-competition-show-17

Sohail, S. (2013, September 13). Miss America 2014 faces racist comments on Twitter. Retrieved from http://www.ivillage.ca/blog/entertainment/tv/miss-america-2014-faces-racist-comments-twitter