Chapter 5: influence of culture on communication (II)

Question 1

Types of identities

Answer 1

• Racial
• Ethnic
• Gender
• National
• Regional
• Organization
• Personal
• Age/ Class
• Cyber & Fantasy

Question 2

Identity

Answer 2

• Self-conception or self-image that we derive from our family, gender, cultural, ethnic and individual socialisation process.
• Abstract, dynamic concept (Hall).

Question 3

Social groups

Answer 3

Tow or more individuals who share a common identification of themselves or perceive themselves to be members of the same social category

2 types

• Membership groups
• Reference groups

Question 4

Membership groups

Answer 4

• Groups we belong to, not what we CHOOSE.
• When we are conscious of belonging to groups or social categories.

(Janice and Smith) Factors that led to us maintaining our associations with membership groups:

• positive rewards (e.g: status, prestige and friendship)
• Avoid social isolation.
• Natural restraints (e.g: family, race)

Question 5

Reference groups

Answer 5

• Groups we look for guidance in how to behave.

- The closer our values coincide= greater chance that these gaps are reference gaps to us.

Question 6

Majority groups and minority groups

Answer 6

Schaefer (79): 5 characters of minority group membership

1. Differential treatment.
2. Either physical or cultural characteristics that make them stand out from the majority group.
3. Hence, membership of minority gaps not voluntary.
4. Tend to associate/ marry members in the same group.
5. Strong group solitary since minorities are aware of their subordinate status.

Question 7

2 types of minority groups

Answer 7

1. Racial groups
2. Ethnic groups
   - distinctive linguistic, religious, cultural or national characteristics.

Use ethnicity instead of race.

Question 8

In-groups and Outgroups

Answer 8

In groups:

• we are concerned about the welfare.
• willing to corporate without demanding equitable returns.
• separation from our in-groups will lead to discomfort or even pain.

-Tendency for collectivistic countries to draw such distinctions.

Question 9

Consequences of drawing distinction between in group and out group

Answer 9

• We expect other members in our in-groups to behave and think similar to us.
• We see more variability in in-groups than out groups.
• In group bias (arguably more obvious in collectivistic cultures)
• Less anxiety when interacting with in-groups.
• More accurate in predicting behaviours of in-groups.

Question 10

Social categorisation

Answer 10

• Ordering of social environment that in a grouping that makes sense to the person.
  e. g: men and women, Americans and chinese.
• Collectivistic cultures define the self in terms of social categories more often.
• Learnt through socialisation

Question 11

Social identities

Answer 11

Emerges from the tension between our need to be seen as similar to and fit in with others and our need to be seen unique.

Knowledge + value + emotional attachment (to the membership- for all 3)

Question 12

Dimensions of Social identities

Answer 12

Voluntary-involuntary
Desirable-undesirable

-How we see ourselves vs how others see us

Question 13

4 components of our collective self-esteem

Answer 13

• private collective self-esteem involves the degree to which we evaluate our social group positively.
• Are we good members of our social groups?
• Our perceptions about how others evaluate our social groups.

Question 14

Social identities that influence ICC

Answer 14

Ethnic
Gender
Cultural
Age
Social class
Role

Question 15

Racial/ Ethnic identities

Answer 15

(Yinger, 94) Key ingredients to define ethnic groups:

1. Perceived to be diff from others in terms of lang, religion etc
2. members also perceive themselves to be different
3. Take part in shared activities built around common origin and culture.

Question 16

Assimilation vs Pluralism

Answer 16

Assimilation: giving up one culture and taking on characteristics of another.
Contact –> competition –> accommodation –> assimilation.

Pluralism: When ethnic identification facilities self-interest, it will be made self-evident; it is left latent when it would hinder.

Question 17

Strength and content of ethnic identity

Answer 17

Strength:
-Strong vs “colour blindness”

Content of ethnic identity
-Depends on national heritages and strength of identities

Question 18

Role identities

Answer 18

Role: set of behavioural expectations associated with a particular position in a group.

-We tend to conform to role expectations (clarity of role definition + consensus on role expectations)

Question 19

Identity management theory

Answer 19

• Cultural and relational identities as center.
• When unsure of others’ cultures, managing intercultural encounters using stereotypes is dangerous.
• Ability to manage face indicates the individual’s interpersonal comm competence.

Question 20

3 faces of developing intercultural relationships (Cupach and Imahori)

Answer 20

1. “Trial-and-error”: finding similar grounds.
2. Enmeshment of identities into a mutually acceptable and convergent one.
3. Negotiating identities

Question 21

Identity Negotiation theory (Ting-Toomey)

Answer 21

• The more secure individuals’ self-identifications are, the more they are open to interacting with members of other cultures.
• Individuals’ resourcefulness in negotiating identities is affected by effectively managing the security-vulnerability and inclusion-differentiation dialectics.

Question 22

Co-cultural theory (Orbe)

Answer 22

-Interactions among underrepresented and dominant group members. (E.g: women, homosexuals, nonwhites.)

• Co-cultural members generally have one of 3 goals for interactions with dominant grp members:
  1. assimilation
  2. accommodation
  3. separation.