Different human groupings have adopted varying arts as well as other manifestations that show their human intellect. As such, there are behaviors, customs, ideas, and social behavior that are inherent in specific societies and cannot be found in other societies. The existence of these differences has created the need to study intercultural communication which revolves around creating an understanding of the various cultures, customs, and languages that are specific to certain people from different countries or regions ( Ioppolo, 2018) . A cultural visit engages a traveler with the lifestyle, art, religion, and architecture as well as the general culture of a given region.
In my cultural visit, my group will comprise students who are also my course mates. Our cultural visit will be in Thailand hence our destination. Thailand poses as a notable tourist destination in South East Asia. The kingdom which has a geographical area of over five hundred and thirteen square kilometers is known for its deep history as well as physical diversity. The objective of the trip will be seeking to learn more about the culture of the Thai people given its vast cultural heritage. During the cultural visit, the students expect to learn more about the collectivist nature of the Thai culture as well as the regard for non verbal communication among the people. Additionally, the concepts of power, culture, status, and ethnocentrism will prove integral for the learning experience. Noting that Thai people are culturally diverse, the cultural visit will be vital for creating a deeper understanding for intercultural communication not only as a subject but also a paramount aspect for enhancing the careers of the participating students.
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Individualism v Collectivism
Cultural differences exist among different peoples. Noting culture equates strongly with the boundaries of nation-states, the cultural differences are more visible between boundaries of these nation-states. One of the taxonomies that create cultural differences within the Thailand boundaries is individualism vs. collectivism taxonomy. In individualistic cultures, emphasis is given to the individual goals as well as the rights of an individual person. Individualists are usually motivated by the achievement of personal benefits and rewards thus setting these goals according to their view. Additionally, individualists are often comfortable working autonomously instead of being part of a team ( Menegon, Thai, & Hang, 2018) . On the other hand, collectivism denotes the culture of people that is usually motivated by the achievement of group goals. Cultures that are collectivist emphasizes the need for long term relationships with collectivist individuals often making individual sacrifices for the praise or benefits in order to recognize as well as honor the success of their teams. Usually, in collectivist cultures it may often turn out to be embarrassing for individuals to be honored or singled out of the rest of the team.
During the cultural visit, the group expects a significant level of collectivism with the Thai people, who are primarily Buddhist, often tending towards long-term commitment to the member groups ( Malikhao, 2017) . Studies in the Thai culture show that even if young married couples may set up their own households, the extended families often live with them. It is worth noting that the grandparents, aunts, cousins, and uncles live in the same household while assisting in bringing up as well as providing for their families. It is expected that members of groups exhibit high levels of loyalty to each other while taking the responsibility for each other with loyalty overriding most of the societal regulations and rules ( Anderson & Nathalang, 2001) . In addition to loyalty, Thai people have adopted non-confrontation attitudes in efforts to foster collectivism. It is worth noting that confrontation usually works to degrade loyalty which is detrimental to the group dynamics ( Malikhao, 2017) . In Thai culture an offence will lead to an individual losing their face which the Thai people are significantly sensitive not to lose especially in front of their groups. Noting that the students will make efforts to seek information on the culture of Thai people, they should not expect to get much information openly and especially during their first meeting with their sources ( Anderson & Nathalang, 2001) . Therefore, it will be critical for them to create personal relationships which require significant levels of patience to build.
Verbal and non verbal coding systems
The verbal and non verbal coding systems are critical communication. In intercultural communication verbal and non verbal coding systems defines the tools that are put in place for conveying meaning as well as intentions within a culture. Different cultures adopt varying tolls for sending out their messages thus it is vital to be aware of such tools to understand a certain culture effectively. Our group of students expects to learn much from the verbal and non verbal coding systems in Thailand. First, the Thai culture has been defined as extremely indirect which makes it difficult for them to use the word “no” in their conversations in business as well as social encounters ( Malikhao, 2017) . Studies in Thai culture show that they hold a preference for one to imply their position rather than directly state it ( Anderson & Nathalang, 2001) . The students are also expects that during their interactions with the locals, verbal communications are heavily reliant on relationships and hierarchies. As such, conversing with the peers, colleagues, and friends will be different from conducting conversations with bosses or elders. There are indications that the word “yes” in Thai culture does not always mean yes thus making it important to double check with the people they are conversing with that they indeed mean it ( Anderson & Nathalang, 2001) .
Noting the regard for non verbal communication in Thai culture, it is important to maintain personal space while avoiding direct contact. Invading personal space among Thai people is regarded as highly disrespectful with significant emphasis being put on the monks, elders, and teachers who are considered hierarchically on top thus deserving more personal space than others. Female students in the group are particularly expected not to touch monks while touching members of the opposite sex in public is unacceptable ( Anderson & Nathalang, 2001) . It is interesting to note that touching another person with the feet is prohibited since the foot is deemed as least sacred. Moreover, the group should expect that much of the communication will be in gestures. Studies show that in Thai culture, body language is used to determine individual mood in comparison to the tone as used by Americans ( Menegon, Thai, & Hang, 2018) . Moderation ought to be emphasized noting that smiling excessively is deemed as an indication of embarrassment. Therefore, during the cultural visit, the students should have high self awareness while paying close attention to others. Also, they should create meaning from non verbal communication rather than verbal communication and maintain a calm and patient state during conversations and interactions.
Concepts from class
While learning intercultural communication notable concepts have been introduced which form a critical foundation for the progression of the class. One of the fundamental concepts is culture, power, and status. Culture describes the ideas, social behavior, and customs that are specific to a certain people ( Ferri, 2018) . Status in intercultural communication refers to the external qualities of an individual such as age, education, wealth, and gender to which the culture ascribes. On the other hand, power in intercultural communication denotes the existing relationships between the participants in a culture who are constantly interacting ( Ferri, 2018) . In all cultures, there are existing relationships between power and status with the participants who feel dominated over often showing feelings of marginalization while those who are dominant within the culture may not recognize the extent of their power. Usually, the concepts of power and status maintain a state of equilibrium in cultures such that when the relationships shift, there arise fear, anxiety, anger, and upheaval. Regarding these concepts, the students participating in the cultural visit should expect that women in the Thai culture are often dominated by men ( Menegon, Thai, & Hang, 2018) . However, they are significantly respected such that they do not feel marginalized. Similarly, men are dominant in Thai culture. As result of the regard to respect and loyalty that the participants in the culture ascribe to, men do not look down upon the women noting that their collectivist attitude makes it the responsibility of every individual to take care of the others.
Another significant concept within intercultural communication is the ability to learn from others. The concept involves creating an understanding that there is much to learn from others when judgment for other cultures is avoided while maintaining respectful curiosity ( Ioppolo, 2018) . In this regard, individual learners must avoid ethnocentrism which is the tendency for one to incline towards the views of their group being correct and natural while others are aberrant. As such, the failure to learn from others is entrenched in the assumption that all cultures should conform to our culture thus making such individuals fail to adapt to diverse people and inhibiting their interaction.
Finally, the concepts of culture shock and adaptation are also critical in intercultural communication. Culture shock defines the stressful reaction that an individual exhibits when in a different unfamiliar culture ( Ferri, 2018) . On the other hand, adaptation defines the ability of an individual to slowly fit in the unfamiliar culture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Thailand provides a significant learning experience for intercultural communication. The South Eastern Asian country has a deep rooted culture that is characterized by collectivism. In this culture, individuals are responsible for their group members through upholding respect and loyalty. Factually, loyalty has been shown to override the other societal regulations and rules. Additionally, the culture has notable regard for non verbal communication which contrasts the American culture. There is need for maintaining physical space when interacting with others while physical contact with members of the opposite sex is prohibited. Women are prohibited from touching the monks while teachers, monks, and the elderly are regarded as the highest in hierarchy thus ought to be given the most respect. The cultural visit will provide immense experience for the learners with the concepts of culture, power, and status playing out in ensuring they learn. Additionally, keeping away from ethnocentrism will make it possible for the learners to gain more knowledge about Thai culture.
References
Anderson, W. W., & Nathalang, S. T. (2001). Thai Folklore: Insights into Thai Culture. Asian Folklore Studies , 60 (2), 371. doi:10.2307/1179074
Ferri, G. (2018). Intercultural Communication: Critical Approaches and Future Challenges . Basingstoke, England: Springer.
Ioppolo, S. (2018). Intercultural Communications: Connecting with Cultural Diversity . Mirabel Publishing.
Malikhao, P. (2017). Thai Buddhism, the Mass Media, and Culture Change in Thailand. Culture and Communication in Thailand , 1-16. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4125-9_1
Menegon, E., Thai, P., & Hang, X. (2018). Introduction. Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review , 7 (1), 1-8. doi:10.1353/ach.2018.0000
