Culture is a group of people in a social system tha

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Unit 1 Context – LectureUNIT 1 LECTURELECTUREFoundationsMPj04425250000[1].jpgWhat is cross-cultural or intercultural communication?Culture is a group of people in a social system that influences the way those people live. Culture canrefer to a disability group (e.g., deaf culture), religious group (e.g., Amish), ethnicity (e.g., TurkishAmerican, age (e.g., youth), sexual orientation (e.g., lesbian), nationality (e.g., Norwegian passport),immigration status (e.g., first generation American), social class (e.g., working class), geographical area(e.g., from the US west coast), gender (e.g., masculine), first language (e.g., grew up speaking Spanish),and more. Cultural influences affect the way we learn, process, communicate, and understand the world.Communication is the process of connecting meaning from one person to another. Communication is anextremely complex and limited process. The chances of one person attaching exactly the same meaningto something else is virtually impossible. A major reason is because each person brings his or her ownperspective to the communication context. The context is the environment or situation where thecommunication occurs.USAirForce.jpgPhoto Source: http://www.doi.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Intercultural communication is when the people involves people from different major cultures (e.g.,national group) or different microcultures (co-culture, such as Hispanic American). Cross-culturalcommunication implies that the communication is creating a crisscross communication, coming or goingto two different places. Effective cross cultural communication is when you have sensitivity to thecontext and perspective of the other person, who comes to the communication from a different culturalperspective.So, to communicate across cultures, one must be open, nonjudgmental, and see to see the otherperson’s perspective. The key is approaching other people as equals. No individual’s culture is betterthan anyone else’s, just different. Each person sees the world is the way that is accurate and truthful forthat individual. People do not have to agree with each other’s perceptions. If they want to communicatewith people of other cultures, however, they need to accept the validity of the other person’s point ofview as just as valid as their own. That sounds easy, but the process can be extremely complicated anddifficult.Directly quoted fromNeuliep, J. W. (2009). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach (4th ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Note, your professor may require a different textbook for this course.I. The Need for Intercultural CommunicationA. The Benefits of Intercultural Communication. International tensions in the Middle East, NorthernIreland, and Eastern Europe are striking examples of the need for effective and competent interculturalcommunication. In addition to demonstrating the need for competent intercultural communication, theinitial part of the chapter emphasizes that while the challenges of an increasingly diverse world aregreat, the benefits are even greater.1. Healthier communities2. Increased international, national, and local commerce,3. Reduced conflict, and4. Personal growth through increased tolerance.B. Diversity in The United States. This part of the chapter demonstrates that the United States isbecoming increasingly diverse. One need not travel to far away countries to experience the benefits ofintercultural communication described above.1.The results of the 2000 census profile the remarkable racial and ethnic diversity that has been ahallmark of American society. From 1990 to 2000, the U.S. population growth of 33 million people wasthe largest census-to-census increase in American history. In early 2008, there were approximately 303million people in the United States (i.e., roughly 4.5% of the world’s population). Of these people, nearly70% were White non- Hispanics, approximately 13% were Hispanic and 13% were Black non-Hispanic, 4%were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1% were American Indian.2. Overall, from 2000 to 2004 the U.S. population grew 4.3%. But different racial and ethnic groups growat different rates. For example, White non-Hispanics make up nearly70% of the U.S. population today.But Census Bureau data suggest that by the year 2050,the non-Hispanic White population will shrink toapproximately 50% of the population. Conversely, the Hispanic population will grow to nearly 25% of thepopulation and the Asian population will grow to about 8%. The Black population is estimated to remainrelatively stable at about 15% of the population by 20503. An increasing number of groups are revitalizing their ethnic traditions and promoting their culturaland ethnic uniqueness through language. Language is a vital part of maintaining one’s cultural heritage.According to 2003 data, nearly one in five people in the United States (i.e., 47 million) speak a languageother than English at home. Of those 47 million, nearly 30 million speak Spanish at home. Ten percentspeak an Indo-European language, and about 7% speak an Asian or Pacific Islander language.Interestingly, most of the people who speak a language other than English at home report that theyspeak English very well. When these people are combined with those who speak only English at home,more than 92% of the U.S. population has no difficulty speaking English.MPj04032820000[1].jpg4. Although the United States prides itself as a nation of immigrants, there is a growing sense ofuncertainty, fear, and distrust between different cultural, ethnic, and linguistic groups. These feelingscreate anxiety which can foster separatism rather than unity.5. Many Americans are frustrated, confused, and uncertain. Only through intercultural communicationcan such uncertainty be reduced. Only when diverse people come together and interact can they unifyrather than separate. Unity is impossible without communication. Intercultural communication is anecessity.C. Human Communication. Communication is everywhere. Even when they are alone, people arebombarded with communication. Human communication–that is, the ability to symbolize and uselanguage–separates humans from animals. Communication with others is the essence of what it meansto be human. Communication is the vehicle by which people initiate, maintain, and terminate theirrelationships with others.Welcome in various languages.II. The Nature of Human CommunicationA. Process. A process is anything that is on-going, ever-changing, and continuous.B. Dynamic.The terms "process" and "dynamic" are closely related. Part of what makes communication aprocess is its dynamic nature. Something that is dynamic is considered active and/or forceful.C. Interactive-Transactive.Communication is interactive and transactive because it occurs betweenpeople. Communication requires the active participation of two people simultaneously sending andreceiving messages.D. Symbolic. A symbol is an arbitrarily selected and learned stimulus that represents something else.Symbols can be verbal or nonverbal. Symbols are the vehicle by which the thoughts and ideas of oneperson can be communicated to another person.E. Intentional. Perhaps one of the most debated issues regarding the communication process centersaround intentionality. Intentional communication exists whenever two or more people consciouslyengage in interaction with some purpose. Unintentional communication may exist, however. In thisbook, the type of communication that will be discussed is intentional communication.F. Contextual. Communication is dependent on the context in which it occurs. A context is the cultural,physical, relational, and perceptual environment in which communication occurs.G. Ubiquitous. That communication is ubiquitous simply means that communication is everywhere, doneby everyone, all of the time. Humans are constantly bombarded with verbal and nonverbal messages.Wherever one goes there is some communication happening.H. Cultural. Culture shapes communication and communication is culture bound. People from differentcultures communicate differently. The verbal and nonverbal symbols we use to communicate with ourfriends and families are strongly influenced by our culture.MCj04319290000[1].gifIII. Human Communication ApprehensionA. Many people experience fear and anxiety when communicating with others, particularly in situationssuch as public speaking, class presentations, a first date, or during a job interview. The fear or anxietypeople experience when communicating with others is called communication apprehension (CA)B. There are four types of CA, including traitlike CA, context-based CA, audience-based CA, andsituational CA.1.Traitlike CA is an enduring general personality predisposition where an individual experiences CA mostof the time across most communication situations.2. Context-based CA is restricted to a certain generalized context, such as public speaking, groupmeetings, or job interviews. Persons with context-based CA experienced anxiety only in certain contextsand not others.3. Audience-based CA is triggered not by the specific context, but by the specific person or audience withwhom one is communicating. Hence, persons with audience-based CA experience anxiety whencommunicating with strangers, or their superiors.4. Situational-based CA, experienced by virtually everyone, occurs with the combination of a specificcontext and a specific audience. For example, students may only feel anxious interacting with professorswhen they are alone with the professor in the professor’s office.MCj04319390000[1].gifIV. The Nature of CultureIn this book, culture is defined as an accumulated pattern of values, beliefs, and behaviors, shared by anidentifiable group of people with a common history and verbal and nonverbal symbol system.A. Culture as an Accumulated Pattern of Values, Beliefs and Behaviors. Cultures can be defined by theirvalue and belief systems and by the actions of their members. People who exist in the same culturegenerally share similar values and beliefs. The values of a particular culture lead to a set of expectationsand rules prescribing how people should behave in that culture.B. Culture as an Identifiable Group of People with a Common History. Because the members of aparticular culture share similar values, beliefs and behaviors, they are identifiable as a distinct group. Inaddition to their shared values, beliefs and behaviors, the members of a particular culture share acommon history.C. Culture as a Verbal and Nonverbal Symbol System. The verbal and nonverbal symbols with which themembers of a culture communicate are culture bound. Although two cultures may share the same verbalcode they may have dramatically different verbal styles. Nonverbal codes systems vary significantlyacross cultures also.D. Microcultural Groups. Within most cultures there are groups of people, or microcultures, that coexistwithin the mainstream society. Micro-cultures exist within the broader rules and guidelines of thedominant cultural milieu but are distinct in some way, perhaps racially, linguistically, or via their sexualorientation, age, or even occupation.MCj01742170000[1].gifV. A Contextual Model of Intercultural CommunicationIntercultural communication occurs whenever a minimum of two persons from different cultures ormicro-cultures come together and exchange verbal and nonverbal symbols. A central theme throughoutthis book is that intercultural communication is contextual.A. Intercultural communication occurs within a variety of contexts, including a cultural, micro-cultural,environmental, perceptual, and socio-relational context. The general theme of this book, as representedin the model, is that intercultural communication is defined by the interdependence of these variouscontexts. See the diagram in your textbook.RibbonCutting.jpgPhoto Source: http://bobp31.homestead.com/858630.jpg (Links to an external site.)B. Intercultural Communication and Uncertainty. When we interact with someone from a differentculture we are faced with a lot of uncertainty. Uncertainty about the other person may make us feelnervous and anxious.1. Some types of communication situations may be more or less anxiety producing than others. Initialinteraction with someone, or interacting with someone from a different culture may produce heightenedanxiety. If we are too anxious about interacting with strangers, we tend to avoid them. This type ofcommunication anxiety can be labeled intercultural communication apprehension; that is, the fear oranxiety associated with either real or anticipated interaction with people from different groups,especially different cultural or ethnic groups.C. Intercultural Communication Apprehension. Successfully interacting with someone from a differentculture requires a degree of communication competence. Most models of communication competenceinclude a cognitive, affective, and behavioral component.1. The cognitive component refers to how much one knows about communication.2. The affective component includes one’s motivation to approach or avoid communication.3. The behavioral component refers to the skills one has to interact competently.MPj04445160000[1].jpgVI: Fundamental Assumptions About Intercultural CommunicationA. Assumption #1: During intercultural communication, the message sent is usually not the messagereceived.1. Whenever people from different cultures come together and exchange messages they bring with thema whole host of thoughts, values, emotions, and behaviors that were planted and cultivated by culture.This process of encoding, decoding and interpreting is filled with cultural noise. To this extent, allintercultural exchanges are necessarily, to some extent, charged with ethnocentrism.B. Assumption #2: Intercultural communication is primarily a nonverbal act between people.1. Some researchers have suggested that as much as 90 percent of all communication is nonverbal.Cultural values, the expression of intimacy, power, and status and among communicators is typicallyaccomplished nonverbally through paralinguistic cues, proxemics, haptics, oculesics, and olfactics.C. Assumption #3: Intercultural communication necessarily involves a clash of communicator style.1. In the United States we value, and employ, a very direct and personal style of verbal communication.Personal pronouns are an essential ingredient to the composition of just about any utterance. Manycultures, however, prefer an indirect and impersonal communication style. In these cultures, there is noneed to articulate every message. True understanding is implicit, coming not from words but fromactions in the environment where speakers provide only hints or insinuations.D. Assumption #4: Intercultural Communication is a Group Phenomena Experienced by Individuals.1. Whenever we interact with a person from a different culture we carry with us assumptions andimpressions of that other person. The specific verbal and nonverbal messages that we exchange areusually tailored for the person based on those assumptions and impressions. Often times suchassumptions and impressions are based on characteristics of the other person by virtue of his/hermembership in groups such as his/her culture, race, sex, age, and occupation group. In other words, wehave a tendency to see others, not as individuals with unique thoughts, ideas, and goals, but rather as an“Asian,” or a “woman,” or an “old person,” or “a cab driver.” In other words, we do not see the person,we see the groups to which the person belongs.E. Assumption #5: Intercultural Communication is a Cycle of Stress and Adaptation.1. When we come together with a person from a different culture, we may feel uncertain, apprehensive,and anxious. Such feelings are stressful. We can learn and adapt to such stress and eventually grow.During intercultural communication we have to be mindful that the communication strategies we usewith persons with whom we are familiar may not be effective with persons from other cultures. Thus, wehave to learn to adapt and adjust our communication style.LECTUREThe Cultural ContextMPj04394530000[1].jpgDirectly quoted fromNeuliep, J. W. (2009). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach (4th ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Note, your professor may require you to read a different book for the course.I. Individualism CollectivismA. The most relevant feature of individualism is valuing personal independence. Valuing personalindependence involves putting an emphasis on personal responsibility and freedom of choice, personalautonomy and achieving self-fulfillment. Moreover, individualists strive to maintain distinctive personalattitudes and opinions and prefer self-directed behavior and independence of groups. Individualists tendto see themselves as unique from others. Emphasis is placed on individuals’ goals over group goals. Inindividualistic cultures, social behavior is guided by personal goals, perhaps at the expense of othertypes of goals. Individualistic cultures stress values that benefit the individual person. The self ispromoted because each person is viewed as uniquely endowed and possessing distinctive talent andpotential. Individuals are encouraged to pursue and develop their abilities and aptitudes.B. The central ingredient of collectivism is the assumption that groups bind and mutually obligateindividuals. Collectivism is linked to a sense of duty to group, interdependence to others, harmony, andworking with the group. In collectivistic societies group goals have precedence over individual goals.Collectivistic cultures stress values that serve the ingroup by subordinating personal goals for the sake ofpreserving the ingroup. Collectivistic societies are characterized by extended primary groups such as thefamily, neighborhood, or occupational group in which members have diffuse mutual obligations andexpectations based on their status or rank. In collectivistic cultures people are not seen as isolatedindividuals. People see themselves as interdependent with others (e.g., their ingroup) whereresponsibility is shared and accountability is collective.C. Although they sound like opposite dimensions of cultural variability, individualism and collectivism arenot mutually exclusive; that is, they can coexist within a person of any culture. The degree ofindividualism or collectivism within an individual may be triggered by the social context and one’s socialrelations. Individuals can be characterized by specific combinations of individualist and collectivisttendencies. A person may find that individualist relations may be motivated in particular situations, suchas in business relations, whereas with family members the relationship is collectivist.Variation can be seen in individualist and collectivist attitudes in different types of relationships such aswith one’s spouse, parent, neighbor, or coworker. Recent research suggests that competitiveness is not anecessary feature of individualism, however. Americans generally score higher in individualism thanJapanese. But when competitiveness is included in the measurement of individualism, the differencebetween Americans and Japanese disappear (i.e., they score the same on measures of individualism.D. Because there can be considerable within country-variation, labeling a particular country or culture asindividualistic or collectivistic is difficult and may lead to overgeneralizations. Are Americans (i.e.,European Americans) more individualistic and less collectivistic than others groups? In general, theanswer is yes, Americans are more individualistic and less collectivistic than other groups. In comparisonwith nearly 50 other countries, Europeans Americans are more individualistic than all but twelve.Regarding collectivism, Europeans Americans were lower in collectivism as well. There were exceptions,though, where Americans were higher in collectivism than New Zealand, France, Singapore, Tanzania,Egypt, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.Intercultural Conversation Between Individualist and Collectivist Cultures1. In this exchange, Mr. Patterson, an American manager working in Korea, is meeting with his supervisorMr. Wyman, who is also American. The United States is considered more individualistic than Korea. Mr.Patterson reports to Mr. Wyman about some changes he has made within several of his sales teams.Later, Park Young Sam, their Korean counterpart, enters into the dialogue.E. Although the United States is considered individualistic, considerable regional variation exists. Due toecological, historical, and institutional practices, the Deep South is the most collectivistic region of theUS. Defeat in the Civil War, the institution of slavery, relative poverty, and the prominence of religion allcontribute to the collectivistic tendencies of the South. In addition, the Southwest, having been settledby Mexican and Spanish populations before white settlers entered the area, is also considered fairlycollectivistic. Hawaii, too, has a culture different from that of the rest of the US with approximately 65percent of its population coming from Asian cultures. Hence, much of the culture has collectivisticcharacteristics. Hawaii, too, would be considered collectivistic. On the other hand, the Mountain Westand Great Plans is thought to be the most individualistic region in the US.1. In their research Vandello and Cohen created an index of collectivism designed to measurecollectivism in different regions of the US. Their index was composed of eight items, including thepercentage of people living alone, percentage of elderly people living alone, percentage of householdswith grandchildren in them, divorce to marriage ratio, percentage of people with no religious affiliation,average percentage of voting Libertarian over the last four presidential elections, ratio of peoplecarpooling to work to people living alone, and percentage of people self-employed. Their index showed ageneral pattern of relative collectivism in the South, particularly in the former slave states with maximumindividualism in the Great Plains and Mountain West. Montana was the most individualistic state andHawaii was the most collectivistic.F. A given culture’s orientation toward individualism or collectivism has important behavioralconsequences for that culture’s members. Among collectivists, social behavior is guided by the group.Along with group membership come prescribed duties and obligations. Among individualists, socialbehavior is guided by one’s personal attitudes, motivations, and other internal processes. Whereindividualists are taught to compete, the collectivist learns to cooperate.G. The Pancultural Self. Yet there is a growing body of literature that suggests that the individual self ispancultural. That is, that the individual self is more fundamental to self-definition than the collective selfacross all cultures. In other words, people in all cultures strive to maintain and achieve positive self-regard as a primary motivation. Current research suggests that both individualistic and collectivisticcultures sanction and even endorse self-enhancement, but via different means. In individualistic andcollectivistic cultures, a person’s motivations for behavior and self-definition stem primarily from one’spersonal identity and an independent sense of self. In both individualistic and collectivistic cultures, selfenhancement is sanctioned through upward mobility, status seeking and general promotions of the self.In both types of cultures, people engage in strategic efforts to self-enhance.China2.jpgII. High and Low Context CommunicationA. The degree to which interactants focus on these contexts while communicating varies considerablyfrom culture to culture. For example, some persons choose to focus more on the verbal codes than onthe nonverbal elements while others will actively monitor the nonverbal elements of the context.Edward Hall describes the former as low context and latter as high context.B. High context cultures generally have restricted code systems. Users of a restricted code system relymore on the contextual elements of the communication setting for information than on the actuallanguage code. Within a high context transaction, the interactant will look to the physical, sociorelational, and perceptual environment for information. Of particular importance is the socialrelationship between the interactants, especially their status. Because interactants in a high contextculture know and understand each other and their appropriate role, words are not necessary to conve…

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