10.4324_9781315404189-9.pdf - CHAPTER 8 Ethics and the...

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C H A P T E R
C H A P T E R O U T L I N E
Ethics and the
Communication
of Diversity
8
Elements of Diversity
Intercultural Communication
The Concept of Culture
Cultural Rules of Communication
Reservations about Cultural Rules of
Communication
Ethical Perspectives on
Intercultural Communication
Coordinated Management of Meaning
Theory
Dialogical Communication
Third-Culture Building
Communication and People with
Disabilities
People-First Language
Dialogical Ethics Applied to
Disabilities
Rawls: Contemporary Social Justice
Kant’s Deontological Ethics and
Disabilities
Applications: Tolerance and
Diversity: Hate Speech, Political
Correctness
Case Study: Security and Tolerance
Questions for Analysis of the Case
Chapter Summary
Questions and Topics for Discussion
Notes
The USA Today on September 30, 2004, reported that minorities are becoming
a majority in more and more parts of the United States.
1
In 280 counties out
of 3,141 in the country, Whites who are not Hispanic are no longer in the
majority. The trend has accelerated since then. In 2014, 50.2% of children
five years of age were designated as minorities. The Census Bureau projec-
tions predict that by 2060, 56.2% of the total population of the United States
will consist of what are now defined as minorities.
2
As a state, California has
not had an ethnic majority for several years, and Texas is rapidly approach-
ing or may already have joined California in that designation. Major cities
such as Denver and Detroit do not have a specific racial or ethnic major-
ity either. Furthermore, the so-called demographic upheaval means that the

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Issues, Settings, and Applications
majority–minority divide is no longer a simple Black-and-White affair, given
the growing populations of Asian and Hispanic background. As part of this
trend, we may soon find that the word “minority,” used as a demographic
category, will no longer be used or even considered acceptable. Concerning
the ethics of labels for people, many people now object to the term “minor-
ity” anyway as implying diminished importance or status.
Issues related to communication and diversity raise major concerns in
many different arenas—as clearly shown in the news and online and social
media. As this book is being written, the movement Black Lives Matter high-
lights protests about police treatment of African American citizens, espe-
cially in major cities. Campuses across the country focus on sexual assaults,
suggesting the existence of a rape-culture in some places. Political campaigns
have turned a spotlight on fears concerning immigrants into the country,
especially from areas such as Latin America or Muslim countries—these fears
often imply a racist or nativist attitude. Religious discrimination has also
become more prominent, especially in regard to people of Islamic Faith.