Weeks 1-3

Question 1

Cultural Essentialism

Answer 1

This is the theory that people can be categorised by their cultures, and that people within those cultures will have the same set of qualities to a certain degree, which stays the same.

Question 2

Cultural Relativism

Answer 2

A more flexible view of people’s identity in relation to culture, and that an individuals qualities such as values, beliefs, etc, should be considered in relation to their culture, and that means that no culture is ‘better’ than another.

Question 3

The deterritorialisation of culture

Answer 3

Culture historically has been confined to a geographical location. Now, since increased globalisation, it is shifting to no longer be defined by place.

Question 4

Cross-cultural communication
Intercultural communication
Intracultural communication

Answer 4

Cross-cultural communication is the communication between people clearly acknowledging the differences in culture
Intercultural communication is focusing on the shared space of people from obviously different cultural backgrounds
Intracultural communication is communication between those who share the same dominant culture, but are seperated into different sub cultures.

Question 5

Modernist vs Postmodernist approaches to culture

Answer 5

Modernist view is also called positivist or cultural essentialism, and views culture as something permanent and unchanging, and believes that all people from that culture can be defined by that, in the same ways.
Postmodernist approach believes that by considering culture, the nature of a persons beliefs and views can be better understood. It sees culture as more flexible in nature.

Question 6

Cultural scripts

Answer 6

Cultural scripts are used to describe what is ‘acceptable’ and ‘normal’ within communication, by a particular culture. Each culture will have a different cultural script, therefore different expectations and acceptance of what is a ‘normal’ way to communicate.

Question 7

Agency

Answer 7

Agency suggests that free will exists and enable individuals to step outside the structure of their culture and form their own beliefs and values.

Question 8

Contrastive Rhetoric

Answer 8

The theory of contrastrive rhetoric shows how the structure of someone’s writing is influenced by culture. For example, for essays, the writing pattern can be defined per culture.

Question 9

Hall’s High Context Cultures

Hall’s Low Context Cultures

Answer 9

High context cultures refers to cultures that rely more on non-verbal communication, are less direct, more collectivistic, are less fast to culturally change. E.g., Japan, China, the Arabic World
Low context cultures are cultures that are more direct in communication, rely more on verbal communication, individualistic in nature, and tend to change faster. E.g., USA, Germany, & Scandinavian countries

Question 10

Williams’ Dominant, Emerging and Residual Culture

Answer 10

Dominant culture refers to the main culture which can be seen at the present. Emerging culture is new culture that we are seeing being created. Residual culture refers to culture that were dominant in history, and have stayed to influence todays culture. All three exist at once.

Question 11

Hall’s ‘silent language’

Answer 11

This term is used to describe the cultural behaviours in communication that we are unaware of, that exist not in words but in other ways.

Question 12

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (linguistic relativity)

Answer 12

This is the theory that language has the ability, and does, people’s behaviours, actions, and cognitivity. This contrasts with the idea that behaviour and thoughts affect language.

Question 13

Polychronic orientation to time

Monochronic orientation to time

Answer 13

Time is seen as more flexible and fluid in polychronic orientation to time, with value placed on multitasking.
In monochornic orientation to time, one task is generally achieved at a time, and there is value placed on time management, schedule, and orderness.

Question 14

Hofstede’s 
‘Collectivism vs individualism’
‘Uncertainty vs avoidance’ 
‘Power distance’
‘Masculinity vs femininity’
‘Confucian dynamism’ 
'Self-restraint vs indulgence'

Answer 14

The idea that every culture has a place somewhere between these two, and it is a spectrum.
Power distance refers to how strong the role of social heirarchy is in the culture
Masculinity vs feminity refers to whether the culture is more focused on task or on person
Confucian dynamism refers to long-term orientation (persistence, heirarchy, sense of shame) or short-term orientations (personal steadiness, protecting face, respect for tradition, reciprocation of favours).

Question 15

Registers

Answer 15

This refers to formality in speech and what level you are portraying

Question 16

Metamessages

Answer 16

This is in regard to how words are delivered, and how there are messages in this that are not in the words.

Question 17

Speech acts

Answer 17

How speech can have actions behind it, such as greetings, thanking, farewelling, swearing, apologising, and how this has high cultural content.

Question 18

Conversation Analysis

Answer 18

This refers to analysis of everyday communication and conversation, and the interactional norms that have a high cultural content; turn taking, feedback tokens, adjacency pairs, opening and closing conversations, and repairs to communication.

Question 19

Interactional norms vs pragmatic norms

Answer 19

Interactional norms is regarding how behaviour is seen as normal or accepted depending on the culture
Pragmatic norms refer to rules that are in language that are more set in stone, defined, and inflexible

Question 20

The Evil Eye

Answer 20

This refers to someone who has things, that other people do not have, and this person has the fear that those other people will be envious of what they have.