UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATION ASSUMPTIONS
Case Study - To successfully understand the presuppositions of people you must know what values they hold at their sub-conscious level. Several years ago agricultural experts from the U.S. taught men in Transkei, South Africa, how to use modern fertilizer. However, soon the Transkei farmers complained that the Americans were exploiting them, did not care about their feelings, and were trying to oppress them.
Why did the farmers react with such anger? Apparently, the Transkei farmers considered that the experts had bewitched all of the neighboring farms. They assumed that because the only farms that prospered that year were the farms that used fertilizers, the other farms must have been cursed by foreign spirits. Consequently, the people in that area have refused the use of fertilizer of any kind. (Smith p. 45)
The American agricultural experts failed to understand the farmers’ presuppositions about witches. The penalty for being a witch was death in Transkei so no one wanted to be accused of having a successful crop while their neighbors had a poor harvest. The farmers assumed that only evil witches could have such power to give one farmer prosperity while his neighbor lived in poverty.
The real problem was failing to first understand the presuppositional perspectives of the people before the outsiders conducted their experiment. Speakers need to understand their audience’s assumptions before they can expect solid receptivity. This involves listening, observing, reading, and asking lots of questions of the people you are going to minister to.
Remember communication means involvement
1. Communication is what is heard, not only what is said.
Illustration: One Pastor in Cross Rivers State in Nigeria assumed that the people were hearing him correctly when he served holy communion saying, ``This is my blood which was given for you do this in remembrance of me.’’ However, some of the people in the audience thought that he was saying, ``I have sacrificed my blood as an offering for your sins and I will soon require you to give your blood for the sins of others.’’ It was a real surprise when the people tried to poison the Pastor’s children because they wanted to force him out of their area.
Let us learn how to make the effect of communication be the guide rather than simply our intents.
2. Clarify the goals of your communication before you begin. This will increase the possibility of effective communication by declaring your intentions up front.
Application: Purpose determines the content of your message. If people know what your original direction is they will be more apt to grasp the full scope and depth of your communication. This does not excuse you from mastering the content of your message, but it puts emphasis on the first five sentences in your message.
Application: Goals should be well thought through, directed, goal-oriented, and containing your thesis statement.
3. Learn how to communication change as an insider rather than as an outsider. Avoid destructive communication by alienating certain group members with your message. Direct your communication to the key change agents in the group who will be able to implement the changes long after you are gone.
Application: The ultimate effect of your communication will be determined by the change agents who have embraced your message.
4. Occasionally your communication can work as an injection against disease. When one gets an injection from a physician it can be for either preventative or curative value. In the same way some messages can serve the purpose of helping people avoid or solve their problems.
Sometimes the patient does not need to understand all of the means of prevention or cure, yet he can still enjoy its benefits. Tell people the right thing to do, even demonstrate and teach how to follow the better way.
Application: You will be delighted at how many people are eagerly looking for some kind of spiritual injection of faith, hope, love, or truth for their particular problem.
5. Learn to use sponsors when you are a new communicator. Perhaps you are a new speaker who is unfamiliar with the people you are speaking to. Ask God for sponsors who can vouch for your credibility.
Application: Ask several recognized authorities if they will attest to your background, faithfulness, and veracity. Usually you should pick someone who knows you and is willing to introduce you to his people and their activities. Be cautious about using marginal sponsors who are just on the edge of acceptability by his people. The sponsor must be someone who is firmly part of the new sub-culture, accepted by the authorities in his area, and able to communicate effectively with the people in language.
6. Communication works best when you are able to share time, talents, money, abilities, ideas, feelings, goals, attitudes, and your family with the people whom you are communicating.
Most effective missionary of the Evangelical Missionary Society of the Evangelical Churches of West Africa will assist their neighbors with their farm work while trying to start a new church. This allows the communicator to share his beliefs through multiple channels of patience, good works, conversation, attitudes, and eating.
Application: All of these serve as living demonstration of the truths he communicates through his teaching, preaching, and counseling. One missionary to China, John Goforth, conducted tours of his home. He explained that when he visited neighboring villages the word had spread about the white man who had opened his house for tea and biscuits. Almost instantly, his message was received with joy during his preaching tours to the surrounding villages.
7. Communication effectiveness may be predicated on the type of government the people are used to. Some people prefer authoritative kinds of rule where the chief makes the major decisions for the people. In a democratic society, the rulers are accountable to the people. The elected official is accountable to the people who have elected him.
Application: Communication must emphasize the benefits for the majority. If the majority is not pleased with the decisions of its rulers it simply votes in another representative government.
Many African societies are generally consensus oriented. Most decisions are not made by a vote. Instead, ideas and viewpoints may be expressed, but the decision is achieved as a group. This comes only after everyone has had a chance to express their views.
Illustration: Most Africans prefer consensus leadership where the people discuss their feelings until a consensus or group agreement is made before major decisions are enacted. This is generally the slowest of the three types of governing structures. No individual can establish his opinion until it has been formed and agreed upon by the group. The consensus style of government usually develops the greatest degree of support from the people being governed.
The people then feel that they are apart of the decision and will support its implementation. The major problem with consensus leadership is that the feelings of the group can be easily swayed by circumstances rather than upon principles, policies, and set standards of truth.
One key to communicating through a consensus society is to observe the following principles:
A. Allow for multiple discussions of ideas and feelings of the group.
B. Try to win the favor of the key influencers in the group through individual conferences.
C. Try to prevent emotional confrontations between people.
D. Make unity a high priority in your group consensus communication.
E. Try to make all people equal in their importance and contributions.
F. Try to not make yourself out as too far ahead of the group. Try to fit in a one more member of the group.
G. Try not to communicate as a threat to anyone in the group. You may find you will win a few battles, but you will lose the war.
H. The ideal is unity in a consensus society. Minimize any appearances of division by pitting one group against another. Phil. 2:2 says, ``Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose!’’
I. Groups decide best when they can understand the choices and commit themselves to a particular course.
J. Group pressure can be used successfully by communicators. Learn to emphasize the groups’ desires over any individuals.
K. Authority will derive much of its strength from the strength of the people.
L. Status is gained by the willingness to share the riches with other people. These riches can be money, ideas, equipment, resources, books, people, truths, or work. It is not possible to accumulate wealth and still be an accepted part of society. This anti-social stinginess is considered as a threat to the unity of society. Eventually, that person will be forced to leave the protective network of his society.
Application: Therefore, the accumulation of wealth is very difficult in a pure consensus society. You can use this to promote giving to the causes of the qualitative and quantitative growth of your church!
M. You can use consensus leadership by enforcing truth through group pressure and peer pressure. This is changing rapidly in the urbanizing church of Africa which is becoming more individualized.
Application: The more urbanized an area, the more capitalized, individualized, and commercialized it becomes. Nevertheless, the unified African society still the predominates its governing structures.
N. Try to maintain group involvement in a community project. The project may be the growth or building of a new church. The support of a missionary. The support of a seminary or Bible college student who will come back and Pastor their church. When a community works together on a joint project it will generally have the most long lasting benefits.
O. Promote group awareness of the positive changes through communicative meetings. This will increase the group participation. The group knows that if the innovation does not work, they can always bail out the individuals who tried to pioneer the new idea, decision, or project.
P. Instill group responsibility not just individual responsibility in your communications. African societies tend to respond positively to group accountability and support as a part of their cultural makeup. Promote the concepts of the body of Christ from I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.
Q. It is the process of continual communication that binds a group together. The more frequent and qualitative the communication, the greater the adhesion of the group.
R. Communication will help individuals know how to better play their roles in the group. In the Lotuho society the ``mouth-man’’ re-states everything a public speaker says at gatherings of Lotuho men. This helps guarantee understanding and reducing conflict.
Illustration: Among Toposa people, daily meetings of the men allow discussion on subjects of interest to the entire village. Opinions are formed in the crucible of discussion. Therefore, rituals, discussions, and sharing work enhances all types of communication for any speaker.
S. Communicate at the culture’s appropriate time, manner, and circumstances.
Application: Bruce Olson in his book, Bruchko, tells how he evangelized the Motilone Indians of Venezuela of South America. He planted the message of Christ within their communication networks. He talked to his close friend who later became a leader among the people. At the appropriate time, circumstance, and manner, Olson’s friend told the rest of the tribe about Christ in a singing contest that was a highlight of the Motilone year. Belief in Christ then spread rapidly through the tribe. He used the communication methods that had been used in their own channels to declare the new message.
T. Learn what the group of people talk about and use these topics to communicate the truths of the scripture.
Application: Whenever I attend a African wedding, I know people will come from all over with news. By listening to the new kinds of information shared at weddings, one can learn a great deal from the stories exchanged, problems people are facing, and the new social networks that are forming. Only when a pattern of social communications is understood can a communicator learn how to use these trends for real lasting changes.
U. Good communicators appreciate the synergistic way that public and interpersonal communication works. They will first help individuals make small choices which will develop into actions, readjustments, and patterns of behavior. It is at this point that the public becomes aware of the communication and takes an interest. This symbiotic relationship between public and private communication is a key to watching churches grow.
Conclusion: Inward belief is incomplete without outward commitment that effects the public’s perceptions.
