review questions Flashcards
what is culture
-ongoing negotiation of learned and patterned beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors among members of a group.
-Culture is “negotiated,” because it is dynamic, and cultural changes can be traced and analyzed to better understand why our society is the way it is. The definition also points out that culture is learned, which accounts for the importance of socializing institutions like family, school, peers, and the media.
intercultural communication
Intercultural communication occurs when people with different cultural and co-cultural groups interact with each other.
dominant culture
The dominant culture is created by the group who is in power, runs the country, and makes laws and policies. The attitudes, beliefs, values, patterns of thinking, and communicative behaviors of the dominant group are the ones that have become normalized and are often viewed as ‘ideal’ or superior.
Co-culture Group
Co-cultural groups may have both similarities and/or differences from the dominant culture. For example, think about a co-culture related to gender Based on gender identity, what are some differences you’ve seen in values that men are supposed to embrace and values women are supposed to embrace? What about communicative differences when it comes to interacting with others? In U.S. America, men have been historically taught they should be assertive, dominant, confident, etc. whereas women are taught they should be caring, helpful, and demure.
culture and co-culture
Culture and co-culture(s) influence our behaviors, values, beliefs, patterns of thinking, and perception of our environment. Cultural and co-cultural identities distinguish groups of people from one another.
Human nature culture
The first is the belief that people are basically “good”. In these cultures, people will generally believe that you can put the right person in the right position and empower him / her to perform. The second belief is that people are basically “bad.’’ These types of cultures put an emphasis on control and monitoring of people. The final belief is that people are a mixture of “good” and “bad.’’ In these cultures, people believe personal development is possible, and investment in training and professional development is highly desirable.
Past orientation
where high value is placed on continuance of traditions. In these cultures, changes and plans are judged according to their fit with history and customs.
Short term orientation
aimed at quick results. In these cultures, changes and plans are judged on fast pay-off.
long term orientation
willingness to trade short-term gains for long-term results. In these cultures, changes and plans are judged on expected future benefit.
Single focused view
also referred to monochronic, uses of time place high concentration on one task or issue and people are committed to schedules.
multi focused view
Multiple-focused, or polychronic, uses of time emphasize on multiple tasks, with a priority on relationship building rather than on meeting deadlines.
Doing culture
where value is placed on action, accomplishments, achieving personal goals and improving one’s standard of living. These cultures follow external standards of measurement and are motivated by promotions, raises, bonuses and recognition.
Being cultures
value is placed on working for the moment, release from stress, and experience rather than accomplishment. These cultures put emphasis on job satisfaction and are not motivated by promises of future rewards.
low context cultures
information is given primarily in words and meaning is expressed explicitly. In other words, you are expected to say what you mean and mean what you say
high context cultures
information is transmitted not just in words but also through a variety of contexts, such as voice tone, body language, facial expressions, eye contact, speech patterns, use of silence, past interactions, status, common friends, etc. Members of high-context cultures might not say something directly as they may assume other group members will understand the indirect meaning.
formal communication cultures
importance is given to following protocol and social customs.
informal communication cultures
people feel more comfortable doing business in a more casual way without lots of rituals and ceremonies.
Private space cultures
personal space is valued, and clear borders and boundaries exist between one space and another. Ownership of space is important. Doors are to be closed, and knocking before entering is expected.
public space cultures
the boundaries between personal and public spaces are weaker and more flexible. Space is shared rather than owned. Doors are to be kept open, and access is free.
high power distance cultures
also referred to as hierarchy cultures, inequality is accepted. Structures are defined and differences in status are seen as normal. This type of culture satisfies a need for dependence and security. In professional settings, members of high-power distance cultures usually prefer groups where clear roles are assigned and there is a designated leader.
low power cultures
In low-power distance cultures, also referred to as equality cultures, inequality is thought to be unsatisfactory. While it may be unavoidable, it is considered correct to minimize it through legal, political, and economic means. In professional settings, members of low-power distance cultures do not accept that a manager has a given right to greater power and all member can participate in decision making.
individualistic culture
the bonds between individual members are relatively loose. People are independent and expected to take care of themselves, or at most, the nuclear family. Guilt and fear of loss of self-respect are central to social control. The “I’’ predominates over the “We.’’ Individual identity is key, and speaking one’s mind is a sign of honesty. Individualist cultures emphasize individual expression and personal responsibility.
collectivist culture
individual interests are placed second to group interests. Groups protect their members in exchange for loyalty and obedience. Social control is based on the fear of losing face and the possibility of shame. Identity is therefore based on the social network to which a person belongs. Harmony, rather than speaking one’s mind, is a key value. Laws and rights differ from group to group, and political power is held by interest groups.
competitive cultures
achievement, assertiveness and competition are reinforced. In these cultures, social and gender roles also tend to be distinct. Men are expected to be assertive, tough, and driven by material success. Women, on the other hand, are expected to be modest, nurturing, and concerned mainly with the quality of life. When competitiveness is valued, the culture is predominantly materialistic, with an emphasis on assertiveness and acquisition of money, property, goods, etc. High value is placed on ambition, decisiveness, performance, speed and size.
cooperatives cultures
characterizes cultures in which social and gender roles overlap. Everyone is expected to demonstrate modesty, nurturing, and a concern for the quality of life. Being sympathetic to one’s fellow human beings is important with an emphasis on relationships. High value is placed on consensus and intuition. In a competitive culture, people live to work. In a cooperative culture, people work to live.
intercultural communication
pertains to your ability to appropriately and effectively communicate in cultural and co-cultural contexts.
Improving intercultural communication
Observe the situation without making judgments. When communicating with other (co)cultures, our first judgment about ‘‘those people’’ is often mistaken and/or based on stereotypes. Observing, non-judgmentally, can help us to understand others’ mindset and minimize biases and preconceptions.
2
Tolerate ambiguity. When communicating across (co)cultures, there are many situations that are ambiguous and make us feel uncomfortable. Patience and perseverance are very important qualities of a competent communicator.
3
Practice perception-flipping. All of us behave as we do because we believe our ways are valid and, often, superior. Before criticizing someone else’s behavior, we should try flipping our perception to see the other person’s point of view. In other words, put yourself in their shoes.
4
Reframe our questions. If we ask ourselves ‘‘How can they be so rude?’’ or ‘‘Why are they so insensitive?!’’ we are expressing a negative assumption about the other person. Reframing these questions to, ‘‘What is the reason behind their behavior?’’ prevents us from getting trapped in our own assumptions and allows us to explore the other’s frame of reference without bias.
5
Cultivate motivation and view communication as an opportunity for personal growth and development. This is especially important for members of dominant groups who often have more power and privilege in situations. This power creates an imbalance and it is often the members of nondominant groups who are expected to conform and adapt to the behaviors of the dominant group. Regardless of our co-cultural groups and identities, we should all develop the motivation to be more competent communicators.
Code
a socially constructed, historically transmitted, system of symbols, premises, rules, and meanings pertaining to communicative conduct (Covarrubias, 2002). In other words, a code is a set of rules associated with conduct, a guideline for what is acceptable (or not acceptable) in particular situations, and for what a person should (or should not) do.
dialectical approach
dialectic is a relationship between two opposing concepts that constantly push and pull one another (Martin & Nakayama, 2010). To put it another way, thinking dialectically helps us realize that our experiences often occur in between two different phenomena. This perspective is especially useful for communication because—when we think dialectically—we think relationally. This means we look at the relationship between aspects of communication rather than viewing them in isolation.
Dichotomies
dualistic ways of thinking that highlight opposites, reducing the ability to see gradations that exist in between concepts. Dichotomies such as good/evil, wrong/right, objective/subjective, male/female, in-group/out-group, black/white, and so on form the basis of much of our thoughts on ethics, culture, and general philosophy, but this isn’t the only way of thinking
cultural individual dialectic
captures the interplay between patterned behaviors learned from a cultural group and individual behaviors that may be variations on or counter to those of the larger culture. This dialectic is useful because it helps us account for exceptions to cultural norms.
difference-similarities dialetic
allows us to examine how we are simultaneously similar to and different from others.
static dynamic dialectic
suggests that culture and communication change over time yet often appear to be and are experienced as stable.
