Each type of communication is characterized by special relations between the partners, by their orientation to each other. In this respect, the specifics of intercultural communication is the desire to understand the mind of the partner, the reasons for his feelings, his point of view and way of thinking. Therefore, in intercultural communication, it is necessary to consider the communicative behavior of representatives of another culture it as part of their culture, not of their own, to understand it, that is, there should be more empathy than sympathy.

            The sympathy has spread in various forms of communication, and it implies that the person mentally puts himself in the place of another. But at the sympathy are used their own ways of interpreting the behavior of others. According to the theory of Benneth, if we follow the "Golden rule of morality" ("do unto others as would have them do unto you") when dealing with other cultures, we show sympathy in it, because we consider the acceptability of their behavior from their point of view.

            The specificity of intercultural communication lies in the fact that the empathetic approach becomes crucial in it, i. e. mental, intellectual and emotional penetration into the inner world of another person, into his feelings, thoughts, expectations and aspirations. The empathy is based on the assumption that, given similar circumstances, all humans experience the same feelings and emotions, and this allows them to understand other points of view, ideas and various cultural phenomena. On this basis, there is a person's ability to imagine himself in the place of another person, to accept his worldview, to understand his feelings, desires, actions. Everything here is based on the experience of the other person, not on our own. In this regard, Bennett offers an alternative to the "Golden rule of morality" - "the platinum rule", which expresses the essence of the empathic approach: "do unto others as they have done unto themselves". It is not necessary to prove that the use of sympathy in interaction with other cultures inevitably leads to the misunderstanding. Conversely, the use of empathy with its desire to understand the issue of cultural differences inside and to find the necessary ways and means for mutual understanding greatly increases the likelihood of the fact that the understanding will emerge between partners. For this, it is just necessary to remember and to adhere to the essential characteristics of the empathy:

• listen carefully to what they say; seek to understand how feel other people;

• have a sincere interest in what others have to say;

• develop empathy for the needs of the others; to have the ability to understand the perspective of another. 

            In psychology, there are special methods by which you can increase the sensitivity of people to experience each other. One of them is the method of adjustment, which is often used intuitively by many people, trying to understand the state of the other person. It is that you need to try to adapt to the partner through the imitation of his external behavior as closely as possible: to take a similar position, to adopt a pace of speech peculiar to him in the moment, etc. If you are able to do it, his feelings open up and there is a sense of understanding of the partner. No one culture exists in isolation. In the course of its life, it is forced to constantly refer to the past or to the experience of other cultures. This appeal to other cultures is called "the interaction of cultures". In this interaction, the obvious fact is the cultures communicate in different "languages". The fact is that each culture, in the process of its development, creates various systems of signs that are its peculiar carriers. The creating of signs is a purely human characteristic. In animals, the existing signs and signals are only associated with the behavior and characteristics of life or the other. These signs aren't created specially by animals, they evolved during the process of evolution of species and are transmitted genetically. Only a man consciously creates his signs, they are not innate, since they represent the form of existence of human culture. However, this human ability at the same time

 creates the problem of understanding and perception of foreign cultures. 

Culture and behavior

            Throughout all its history, humans created a huge number of behavior signs, without which any type of activity is impossible. For a man, possessing these signs and sign systems means its inclusion in relationships with other people and with culture. 

            Depending on the destination, several types of signs have been created and applied. 

1. The signs-copies which reproduce various phenomena of reality, but they are not this reality themselves (photos). 

2. The signs-indicators that carry some information about the subject (patient temperature). 

3. The signs containing, on agreement, an information about subjects about which they inform (a school bell). 

4. The signs-symbols that carry an information about the subject, basing on the extraction of some properties or characteristics from it (national emblem). 

            Human behavior is the product of millions of years of evolution, it is laid genetically, and also due to our affiliation to any group, gender, age, personal life experience, level of education and many other factors. Despite these differences, people in all cultures become interconnected in various relationships, in the context of which they meet, they exchange ideas, do certain actions, etc. The meaning of each specific action is often necessary to understand, because it is not always obvious, but often it is hidden in traditional notions of what is normal, that are also different in different cultures and socio-cultural groups. This difference can be traced on the example of the tradition of exchanging gifts, common in many cultures. 

            Many German entrepreneurs remember that, during their first contacts with partners from Asian countries, those last presented them a variety of gifts, which were noted in the records as souvenirs. German businessmen, as a rule, are not ready to accept gifts, especially at the first contact, and even from complete strangers. Most often, these gifts served as a basis for conclusions about the mercenary motives of the partners’ behavior. The problem of the role of gifts had a very different meaning for the representatives of Asian cultures. According to their views, business relationships first and foremost should be based on interpersonal relationships. Therefore, according to their assumptions long-term relationship should begin with the creation of strong personal relationships. First, the partner is thoroughly checked for the reliability and for conformity values. Once it becomes clear that the partners match each other and have long-term interests, initially established relationships are maintained through a continuous exchange of signals and a kind of "investments" (gifts, souvenirs). According to the Asian model of behavior, the establishment of personal relations in business contacts is seen as a necessary condition for it. For the success of business contacts in the Asian model, along with personal relationships, it is necessary to establish a system of mutual obligations (you - to me, me - to you). It is important as a prerequisite for each subsequent phase of communication. This system of relations should be created at the very beginning of the business relationship. Therefore, it cannot be the last link of communication, as in the West. In the West, people try to avoid any actions that may look like a bribe. Invitations and gifts are considered as an undesirable influence or even an attempt at bribery. The Western model of business behavior is based on strict and categorical ethics, admitting of no exceptions. 

            In the cited example, two opposing value systems are opposed to each other: Western desire for autonomy and the Asian system of mutual dependence. While in Western culture of entrepreneurial the behavior of participants is determined by the requirements of economic rationality, in Asia, on the contrary, relationships of mutual dependence have crucial significance. This example shows that a universal "normal behavior" does not exist. The rules of the culture to which we belong, are as well relative and have no universal significance. To understand the behavior of the representative of another culture, you need to figure out what behavior is traditional for this culture. In case of incompatibility of the rules of behavior of another person and of your own, it is necessary to begin the establishment of common rules of behavior. 

            The history knows a great number of facts, when the attempts of different cultures to establish mutual contacts and relations ended unsuccessfully. Most of the failures were due to personal reasons, to the other party's shortcomings or just to a language misunderstanding. Cultural differences were cited very rarely as the cause of the unsuccessful communication. This is because the causes of this kind often remain hidden from the communicating parties.


             The fact that people's behavior in the communication process is determined by several factors of varying importance and influence. Firstly, this is due to the peculiarity of the mechanism of enculturation, whereby the mastering of his native culture by a man is carried out simultaneously on both the conscious and the unconscious level. In the first case, this happens through the socialization by education and training, and in the second, the process of development of his native culture by a man occurs spontaneously, under the influence of various life situations and circumstances. Moreover, this part of human culture, as is shown by special studies, is no less significant and important in his life and behavior, than the conscious part. In this respect, the culture can be compared to a drifting iceberg, only a small part of which on the surface of the water, but the main part of the iceberg is hidden under water. This invisible part of our culture is mostly in the subconscious and manifests itself only when there are extraordinary, unusual situations when dealing with other cultures or their representatives. A subliminal perception of culture is of great importance for communication because if the behavior of the communicants is based on it, then it becomes especially difficult to make the participants of the communication to create other frameworks of perception. They are not able to consciously identify the process of perception of another culture. 

The image of the iceberg allows you to clearly understand that most of the patterns of our behavior which are products of culture, used by us automatically, just as we automatically perceive things from other cultures without thinking about the mechanisms of this perception. For example, in American culture, women smile more often than men; this type of behavior was learned unconsciously and has become a habit. To this day, Jews reading the Torah, lean back, mimicking the pose of the rider of the camel. This style, originated many centuries ago, its meaning is lost to history, but the movement remained, and passed from generation to generation as an element of culture. Many of these behaviors are unconscious-like in origin and expression. 

            Secondly, not less important factor, determinant of communicative behavior, is the situation which Hosh defined as "cultural glasses". It is that most people consider their own culture as the centre and the measure of all things. A normal person usually is not aware that the samples of his behavior and ways of perception is painted with his own culture and that people of other cultures have a different point of view, system of values and norms. 

            The daily behavior of most people is characterized by a naive realism. They believe that the world is what they imagine it, and consists of innumerable self-evident things, objects, people, events that are perceived as natural and normal. As a rule, people are not aware of the relativity of their worldview. This often creates the belief that own culture is superior to others. Then other cultures are underestimated in comparison with their own. All that deviates from its own norms, habits, behavioral patterns, is considered as base, ugly, immoral. This consciousness of the superiority of "their" forms an appropriate model of behavior with arrogant disdain for other cultures. 

            Thirdly, the behavior of people in the communication process is also determined by environment and the circumstances of communications. Our actions are not the same in a different setting. The human location (auditorium, restaurant, office) imposes a certain line of conduct. Consciously or unconsciously, we follow appropriate rules of conduct accepted in this culture. For example, behavior in religious temples in different cultures differ greatly. So, in Mexico, men and women go to church together and stand in silence during the service. In Iran, on the contrary, men and women do together and during the service they sing Psalms. The circumstances surrounding the communication also dictate the requirements for the behavior of the participants. Contacts between people can occur for a variety of reasons: rewarding, productive meeting, sports and games, dances, requiem. In each case, under the circumstances behave differently. For example, in one culture the norm of at wedding the norm of silence and solitude, in the Jewish, Russian and many other cultures, this event is accompanied by loud music, dancing and fun. 

            Fourthly, communicative behavior is determined by of the amount of time and of the part of day in which communication takes place. The lack of time people usually attempt to end the conversation and terminate a contact to do something more important and necessary. In American culture, the factor of time is of particular importance. There all actions are strictly scheduled by time on each of them is given its corresponding number. As Hall said: "For Americans, the distribution of time is an indicator of how people relate to each other, as that matter to them, and record their position in society". Each case communication takes place any time of the day, which also affects its character. In order to understand this, try yourself to answer the question: in what way will you respond to a phone call at 2pm and 2am? 

            Practically, intercultural communication at the individual level is a clash of different worldviews, in which the partners are not aware of the differences of opinions, consider their vision of the world "normal", seeing the world from his point of view. The behavior of communicating is characterized by a situation where a matter of course one side meets granted another. First, as often happens, found public understanding found, i.e. the realization that "something is wrong" that the opinion and understanding are not the same. While not questioned one’s- "for granted", and ethnocentrists engaged position to the partner attributed to stupidity, ignorance or malice. 

            And at the same time, everyone can probably remember a situation from your life when dealing with other people was clear, understandable and easy. Is communication with loved ones, with close friends, when everything was happening by itself, without any tension and hesitation. In such situations there is a natural desire to understand the other person, not to offend him, not to do something wrong, etc. This type of communication and understanding of a person is called empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another's place, to look at everything through his eyes, to feel his state and to incorporate it in their behavior and actions. It implies greater sensitivity, sensitivity to the status of the partner.