The following paragraphs expand on the definitions of “communication” and “cultural context”īased on principles of constructivism, and then summarize the development of intercultural sensitivity as the basis for exercising competent intercultural communication.Ĭommunication is much more than a simple transmission of information: it is the mutual creation of meaning.
Intercultural communication is an approach to relations among members of these groups that focuses on the recognition and respect of cultural differences, seeks the goal of mutual adaptation leading to biculturalism rather than simple assimilation, and supports the development of intercultural sensitivity on the part of individuals and organizations to enable empathic understanding and competent coordination of action across cultural differences. It applies equally to domestic cultural differences such as ethnicity and gender and to international differences such as those associated with nationality or world region. The ongoing collaborations between many of the authors are funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation, as part of the ITM-DGD Framework Agreement.Intercultural communication is the study and practice of communication across cultural contexts. Note: Funding: No specific funding was provided for this study. Unraveling them will be important for discerning potential future scenarios, such as the first wave in virgin territories still untouched by COVID-19 and for future waves elsewhere. These unknowns and uncertainties require a deeper understanding of the variable trajectories of COVID-19. This paper tries to make sense of this variability-by exploring the important role that context plays in these different COVID-19 epidemics by comparing COVID-19 epidemics with other respiratory diseases, including other coronaviruses that circulate continuously and by highlighting the critical unknowns and uncertainties that remain. An important missing piece of the COVID-19 puzzle can be solved by learning from the variety of ways the COVID-19 epidemic is unfolding across the globe. But important knowledge gaps remain (unknowns). In only a few months, an enormous amount of scientific evidence on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 has been uncovered (knowns). But this variety of global trajectories is little described, analysed, or understood. Until now the insights gained on COVID-19 have been largely dominated by the COVID-19 epidemics and the lockdowns in China, Europe, and the United States. However, in different countries, the COVID-19 epidemic takes variable shapes and forms in how it affects communities. Since its emergence in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has spread to nearly all countries of the world in only a few months. It is very exceptional that a new disease becomes a true pandemic. University of Queensland - School of Public Health National Multisectoral Committee for Ebola Response Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale Yibeltal Assefa Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale Steve Ahuka-Mundeke Institute of Public Health Institute of Public Health Bangalore Jean Jacques Muyembe-Tamfumĭemocratic Republic of Congo - Ministry of Health Placide Mbala Institut de Médecine Tropicale Kéfilath BelloĬentre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et en Démographie Helmut Kloosĭepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California Peter Aabyīandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network Bandim Health Institute - OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research Andreas KalkĬenter for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute Prashanth N S Institute of Tropical Medicine Vincent De Brouwere University Of Sherbrooke Joël Arthur Kiendrébéogoĭepartment of Public Health, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Health Sciences Training and Research Unit Kristien Verdonck
Institute of Development Studies Ian Van EngelgemĮuropean Union - European Commission Mohamed Ali Ag Ahmed Health Systems Transformation Platform Gerald Bloom Institute of Tropical Medicine Narayanan Devadasan The University of Sydney - School of Public Health University of Sydney - George Institute for Global Health Stefaan Van der Borght National Institute of Public Health Seye Abimbola Institute of Tropical Medicine Jean-Paul DossouĬentre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et en Démographie Por Ir University of Antwerp - Department of Biomedical Sciences Remco van de Pas Institute of Tropical Medicine Edwin Woutersĭepartment of Sociology and Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Belgium. Gamal Abdel Nasser University Brecht Ingelbeen
Institute of Tropical Medicine Ritwik Dahake See all articles by Wim Van Damme Wim Van Damme