Communication and social disadvantage

1. How can social and cultural disadvantages affect people's communication

Factors that contribute to being socially disadvantaged include poverty, social exclusion, material deprivation and low socio-economic status. Among the socially disadvantaged people, we can find e.g.:

• homeless people
• members of some ethnic minority
• immigrants and people from different cultural or religious backgrounds
• people with a social pathology (behavioural disorders, a hazardous sexual life, addictions, etc.)
• former inmates
• children raised in institutionalised foster care
• people with a specific kinds of disability (some Deaf people may consider themselves as a language and cultural minority).
• etc.

In some cases there can be a language barrier, but in fact, many communication problems in people with social or cultural disadvantages follows from the their tendency to create a specific minority subculture. Members of these subcultural groups may often use a special language, expressions different from the majority population language or express themselves in an ethically and culturally inappropriate manner (in some cases, it can be connected even to risky or pathological behaviour).

(Photo by Victoria Borodinova from Pexels)

Read the article on this website (https://www.rcslt.org/-/media/Project/RCSLT/rcslt-social-disadvantage-factsheet.pdf) and write down which areas of one's life may be affected by the situation of social disadvantage:

2. Communication strategies with socially disadvantaged people

It's different to communicate with a foreigner or with a member of some domestic subculture. The level of language barrier will be different in these cases. Nevertheless, in both cases, some communication difficulties may arise that are not directly related to the knowledge of the spoken language. Communication means meeting and understanding each other, and it is related to the acceptance or rejection of another person.

Tips for communication with socially disadvantaged persons

• communicate with respect for the person
• consider the level of language skills of the person adn adjust your speech to it (speak slowly, use simple words, make sure you he/she undertand well etc.)
• be tolerant of linguistic errors and language differences of the person
• be open, but also vigilant, don't let yourself be manipulated
• look for common topics, it makes understanding easier.

Watch the video and write down what helps refugees and migrants to master their communication in a foreign country: