9. Culture Flashcards
Define culture.
The ongoing negotiation of learned and patterned beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviours.
What are speech communities?
Culture developed among people who have regular direct contact with each other and have shared norms and values. Have similar ways of using and interpreting symbols
What are standpoints?
The position from which people see the world based on their status in society, since culture is defined by shared life experiences.
What are cultural institutions?
Culture defined by nationality, religion, ethnic heritage
How do cultures form and change? (3)
1) Selectivity: culture emerges when members select beliefs and practices as meaningful. It makes culture distinct because different culture groups focus on different things
2) Sharing: Culture is shared with new members (process known as “socialisation”). Members transmit information about culture to newcomers, then newcomers adopt the cultural practices
3) Change: culture evolves over time. Involves “invention” (new cultural practices) and “diffusion” (adopting cultural practices of another group)
What are Hofstede’s Dimensions? (6)
1) Power Distance Index: high means people accept a hierarchical order where no justification is needed. Low means people strive to equally distribute power
2) Individualism vs Collectivism: loosely-knit vs tightly-knit social framework
3) Masculinity vs Femininity: preference for achievement, heroism vs cooperation, modesty, caring etc
4) Uncertainty Avoidance Index: High means rigid code of belief; intolerant of unorthodoxy. Low means relaxed attitude where practice > principles
5) Long Term Orientation vs Short Term Normative Orientation: High means pragmatic, encourage modern education to prepare for the future. Low means maintain time honoured traditions, viewing societal change with suspicion.
6) Indulgence vs Restraint: allowing free gratification of basic and natural human drives vs suppress gratification
What are speech codes?
The system of symbols, rules and assumptions that people create to accomplish communication (within a culture)
What is the speech code theory?
People communicate based on their understanding of the meanings, norms and values that are relevant to a particular context (they change)
What are 3 communication devices that reflect culture?
1) Boundary markers: messages that indicate when an action is inappropriate within the cultural group (through ignoring, defining humour/obscenity, gossiping)
2) Myths: sacred stories where characters and their actions embody core cultural themes
3) Rituals: carefully scripted performances that mark culturally significant events. Reinforces cultural beliefs and social roles, helps create unity
What is intercultural communication?
Interaction that is guided by a person’s membership in a social group, rather than his/her unique qualities as an individual (e.g. adjusting word choices and non verbal behaviours)
What is the Communication Accommodation Theory?
Describes how cultural group memberships influence interpersonal interactions, since we tend to match communication behaviours of people we like/feel similar to, while exaggerating communication patterns that distinguish us from people we don’t like
What are 3 barriers to intercultural communication?
1) Ethnocentrism: tendency to see one’s own cultural beliefs as more correct, appropriate and moral than other cultures
2) Uncertainty & Anxiety: a lack of knowledge and fear of consequences that can make people unable to predict/enjoy intercultural interactions
3) Marginalisation: occurs when less dominant groups are treated as inferior or unimportant. Makes cultural differences more pronounced.
What is the anxiety/uncertainty management theory? (3)
How uncertainty/anxiety affect intercultural communication
1) Max threshold: highest amount that one can tolerate
2) Min threshold: lowest level before feeling overconfident, bored
3) Effective intercultural communication requires anxiety and uncertainty to remain between thresholds.
What are 4 effects of marginalisation?
1) Makes cultural differences more pronounced
2) When the marginalised communicate with members of the dominant societal group, they are forced to adapt to the very norms and values that marginalise them
3) The marginalised experience greater self-esteem & feel less isolated from society when they can communicate with people who share their marginalised status
4) People who are in positions of power may be perceived as condescending, inappropriate or weak if they try to reach out to the marginalised
