Having spent some of my professional life, and some of my personal life, trying to communicate with people from different cultures, I've found the cultural barriers to good communication are several.  The most obvious are nationality, language, and ethnicity.

And, of course, in every country, there are those regional differences.  While they seem the most pronounced in the United States, I suspect they are at least as obvious within China and other geographically large and densely populated countries.  Within Canada, there are regional differences in accent, and even in similes and metaphors, but in general, other than the language barriers inherent in Canada's French and English official languages, and Inuktituk and a variation on it that are recognized languages in Nunavit, Canadians can understand each other.

Unless one of the Canadians in the conversation is an engineer.   I'm slowly coming to the view that engineers share a life-view, a vocabulary, and a way of thinking and working that can be fully understood and appreciated only by other engineers.  I'm referring in particular to computer engineers, but it may apply equally to other branches of the field. 

I recognize that the same kind of cultural bonds may exist within other fields, and between those other fields and the rest of the world.  Medicine comes to mind.  But surely there is no other profession or practice that is so important in so many countries that they can fully expect to speak their language and hope that others will adapt to their view and approach.

One could compare engineers among professions to Americans among nationalities.  We all know that Americans are sure that if they repeat themselves slowly enough and with sufficient volume, the person to whom they are speaking --no matter where in the world they are -- will be able to understand them.  With engineers, it's as though if they speak the language long enough, among themselves, the rest of the world will be forced to learn their language, in order to communicate with them. 

I have no objection, of course, to learning foreign languages.   Including the language spoken by engineers.  I'm even prepared to do my best to interpret for them, so that the rest of the world understands their intentions and powers.  But I'll be damned if I'm going to give up my language for theirs.  I'm the translator!  I become useless to them if I begin to think, talk and work like them.  But one of the peculiarities of the tribe is their failure to believe that any other language can be as elegant, as perfectly structured, as effective as theirs.

As a proponent of multiculturalism, I am trying to go beyond mere tolerance to true acceptance of this tribe that seems to have become so central to my personal and professional life.  Now, if only I could get them to understand the value of other cultures.... that's a challenge that will occupy me for years, I suspect.

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