Essay Sample on Cross-Cultural Stereotypes and Communication

Their cultural beliefs and ethical norms determine the behaviour of the people in society. The culture stated how different people behave and live in their society. Cultural differences of people living in a particular state have always been the main point of conflict. In the society of law enforcement, understanding the culture of the citizens when solving a conflict is a challenge. The law enforcement unit defines how the citizens are treated as per the law and their culture. On the other hand, the ethnic communities understand how the law works, therefore knows what works for them when in trouble. The world will know the cases that happen in one country or c community through media platforms.

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Cross-cultural stereotypes and communication in law Enforcement

There are different stereotypes related to cultural differences and communication between the police and ordinary citizens. These stereotypes are described from the two case scenarios as analysed below:

Lack of proper communication

The police and citizens must understand how culture works and their way of life. Communication is the key to understanding why an individual did what is not allowed by law. In scenario 1, the police took away the children of Seng Chang and Kaying Lor after reports of several cut marking in their bodies in the beliefs of child abuse. By law, the situation of the four kids is a sign of child abuse and is punishable, but in the side of culture, the parents were treating the kids by traditional means. The police failed to communicate with the parents on the cause of the bruises; instead, they took the kids away from their parents. This stereotyping brought the wrong judgement of parenting styles of the family. The police could have avoided taking away the kids if they asked the parents for reasons for the cuts.

Difference in Behaviour

Different cultures shape how the individual behaves in the community. Therefore with the diverse culture around the world, the behaviour of the people differs. What is accepted by one community will not be necessarily accepted by law? The conflicts that arise from behavioural differences have become a challenge to solve by law. A competent police officer will identify the individual's needs without them elucidating. In this regard, therefore, from the second Scenario, the killing and retaliation was racially motivated and aligned to behavioural differences of the citizens of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Hmong Culture. Hmong communities hunt without the restriction of private property laws, but in Minnesota and Wisconsin, hunters do not invade private property without a hunting licence. If the citizens were competent in cultural differences, there would be no killing and sentencing.

Hostile stereotypes

In this stereotyping, the communities clashes in cultural behaviour. The misunderstanding caused by the hostility of the cultural beliefs and trend of the communities, made cultural communication challenging, therefore leading to conflicts that cannot be resolved by law. The two scenarios describe how Hostile stereotypes affect the individuals involved in the conflict. The police referred the case of Hmong family as child abuse while it is a traditional method of treating diseases. In scenario 2, the deer hunters from the Hmong culture were treated as offenders by law for trespassing private property, yet they did not know how it works.

From the above analysis, it is, therefore, essential for the police officers to have a clear understanding of the cross-cultural differences among the citizens in their states. The police training school should include training about cultural differences. Also, the police department must promote cultural awareness among the citizens involved.

Training of the police officers about the importance of cultural diversity will instil the necessary skills and knowledge that will help them solve related cross-cultural conflicts. The law enforcement units need to understand how ethnic beliefs and norms affect the social life of an individual. The enacted laws do not include what other cultures believe to be right to them. In scenario 1, the police were not aware of the cultural practices of the Hmong community. The children were, therefore separated from their parents to believe that they were being abused. When the family appeared in court, they were cleared of the charges because there was no clear indication of child abuse. If the police were fully aware of the cultural beliefs, the children would not have been taken away, and the parents charged in court.

The police departments, therefore, should develop policies that will allow the inclusion of diverting to prevent judgments based on what the law dictates to be right. The developed strategies and policies will guide the police in handling cultural-based conflicts. The communities are growing diversely; the cultural values and virtues, therefore, are becoming complex. In this regard, both the community and the police should be aware of the challenges associated with cultural differences.

The citizens must be trained with proper skills and knowledge for a better understanding of cultural context. The media platforms are the best promoters of cultural information. Many people today are using the internet, watching the news and connecting. The culture department in the country can utilise the platforms in sharing information about the concept of culture and the importance of communication.

The conflicts that cross-cultural stereotypes cause are challenging to resolve. The citizen might be convicted for doing something wrong according to the law but acceptable by their culture. Also, the police will arrest the citizens without the knowledge of the culture. It is therefore essential to training both the citizens and the police on the cultural context to avoid future misunderstandings.

References

Cultural diversity and cultural competency for law enforcement. (2019, March 20). Police Chief Magazine. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/cultural-diversity-and-competency/

Cultural diversity and cultural competency for law enforcement. (2019, March 20). Police Chief Magazine. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/cultural-diversity-and-competency/

Wilcoxen, W. (2007, January 16). Wisconsin authorities reveal details of Hmong hunter's death. MPR News. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/01/16/huntercharged

Wisconsin hunting season opens amid racial tension. (2005, November 7). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4993208?storyId=4993208