Chapter 2- Communication and Culture Flashcards
culture
- the totality of learned, shared symbols, language, values, and norms that distinguish one group of people from another
- set of characteristics common among people
- we acquire our culture
- different than nationality, ethnicity
societies
- groups of people who share common cultures
- you can identify with more than one
in groups
-groups of people with whom we identify
out groups
- groups we see as different from ourselves
- being part of the outgroup can be exciting but also stressful
enculturation
process of acquiring/learning a culture
- can be done through imitation
- can be done subconsciously (taking on a accent, body language)
- can be done through direct instruction
co-cultures
- groups of people who share values, customs, and norms related to mutual interests or characteristic besides their national citizenship
- can reflect shared activities, beliefs, or characteristics
- many people identify with multiple co-cultures
- many co-cultures thrive online
- ex. freestyle genre, knitting, track 4, gardening
symbols
- cultures vary in their symbols
- symbol is anything that represents an idea
- flags and national anthems are both ex. of cultural symbols
values
- cultures vary in their values
- cultures values are the standards it uses to judge how good, desirable, or beautiful something is
- US American culture tends to value equal opportunity, material comfort, practicality and efficiency, achievement, democracy, free enterprise, and individual choice
- safety, power, kindness -> can be set to a similar/diff standard for diff cultures
languages
- cultures vary in their language
- approx 6,800 languages are used in the world today
- chinese, spanish, and english (in that order) are the 3 most commonly spoken language
norms
- cultures vary in their norms
- norms are rules or expectation that guide peoples behavior in a culture
- greeting norms and norms for politeness often vary considerably across cultures
- greetings
cultures vary in
- norms
- language
- values
- symbols
- 4 components of culture
individualistic cultures
- believe the individuals responsibility is to the him or herself
- capitalism
collectivistic cultures
- believe their responsibility is to their communities
- emphasize family, relationships, kindness
low context cultures
-taught to communicate directly and to say what they mean
high context cultures
- taught to convey meaning through subtle behaviors and contextual cues rather than through verbal directness
- avoids communication to avoid conflict sometimes
low power distance cultures
- believe that no one person or group should have excessive power
- equality
- community
- usually collectivistic
high power distance cultures
- certain groups have great power and the average citizen has much less power
- royal family
- usually individualistic
masculine cultures
- cherish traditionally masculine values
- ambition, achievement, and the acquisition of goods
- believe in sex differentiated roles
feminine cultures
- cherish traditionally nurturing behavior, quality of life, and service to others, and they tend not to believe in sex differentiated roles
- usually collectivistic
monochronic cultures
- view time as a finite commodity
- structure
- routine
- be on time
- dont waste my time
polychronic cultures
- view time as more holistic and fluid and less structured
- show up when you show up
uncertainty avoiding cultures
- drawn to the familiar and are relatively unlikely to take risks
- structured
- law and order
uncertainty accepting cultures
- open to novel situations and are accepting of people and ideas that are different from their own
- not afraid of the unknown
open minded
- be open minded about cultural differences
- be mindful
- avoid ethnocentrism
- cultural awareness
communication codes
- cultural awareness
- be knowledgeable about different communication codes
- cultures use different idioms (slang)
- different jargon (medical lang, acronyms)
- different gestures
flexibility and respect
- be flexible and respectful when interacting with others
- expect ambiguity
- appreciate differences in access to communication technology
- adapt to others
effective communicator
- self awareness
- adaptability