ABSTRACT
Even though the cultural diversity of the population in the United States has increased in the last few decades, communication between people from different cultures and/or ethnic groups is still relatively rare. Most people have little contact with members of other cultures/ethnicities in their daily lives that is not role-related . Some people avoid interacting with members of other cultures/ethnicities and/or view them as "undesirable" people. Either response can lead to members of other cultures/ethnicities being treated in a morally exclusive manner (i .e., outside the boundary for which moral values apply; Optow, 1990) . When others perceive that they are seen as undesirable and/or believe they are being treated in a morally exclusive fashion, they may respond with frustration or aggression (e .g ., the unrest in Los Angeles in 1992) . Individually, however, we can make a difference in the relations between groups in society . To improve relations between groups in society , we must individually communicate as effectively as we can with members of other cultures/ethnicities and be able to adapt our communication when
necessary. lOur purpose in this chapter is to isolate strategies individuals can use to accomplish these goals. We begin with a brief overview of the theoretical perspective used throughout the majority of the chapter.
