Communication In Our Lives, Fifth EditionCommunication In Our Lives, Fifth Editionby Julia T. Woodsby Julia T. Woods

Chapter 7Chapter 7

Communication and Communication and CulturesCulturesCommunication and Communication and CulturesCultures

Understanding CultureUnderstanding Culture Culture is a way Culture is a way

of lifeof life a a systemsystem of ideas, of ideas,

values, beliefs, values, beliefs, structures, and structures, and practices that is practices that is communicated by communicated by one generation to one generation to the next and that the next and that sustains a sustains a particular way of particular way of lifelife

Social CommunitiesSocial Communities

Groups of people who live within Groups of people who live within a dominant culture yet also are a dominant culture yet also are members of another group or members of another group or groups that are not dominant in groups that are not dominant in a particular societya particular society High-context communication styleHigh-context communication style Low-context communication styleLow-context communication style

Social Communities (cont’d)Social Communities (cont’d)

Gender as a social communityGender as a social community women and men socialized in sex-women and men socialized in sex-

segregated groupssegregated groups

gender differences regarding the gender differences regarding the primary basis of relationshipsprimary basis of relationships

different styles of listening different styles of listening

Other social communitiesOther social communities social class, race and ethnicitysocial class, race and ethnicity

Cultures Are SystemsCultures Are Systems

Aspects of a culture are Aspects of a culture are interrelated and work togetherinterrelated and work together

““You touch a culture in one place and You touch a culture in one place and everything else is affected.” everything else is affected.” (Wood quoting (Wood quoting Edward T. Hall, 2008, p. 161)Edward T. Hall, 2008, p. 161)

Communication and CultureCommunication and Culture Communication expresses and Communication expresses and

sustains culturessustains cultures verbal and nonverbal patterns reflect verbal and nonverbal patterns reflect

and sustain cultural valuesand sustain cultural values

Components of CultureComponents of Culture MaterialMaterial

tangible objects, physical substances tangible objects, physical substances altered by human inventionaltered by human invention

NonmaterialNonmaterial intangibleintangible reflect a culture’s valuesreflect a culture’s values influence behaviorinfluence behavior

Nonmaterial ComponentsNonmaterial Components BeliefsBeliefs

a conception of what is true, factual, a conception of what is true, factual, or validor valid

ValuesValues shared views of what is good, right, shared views of what is good, right,

worthwhile, and importantworthwhile, and important

Nonmaterial Components (cont’d)

Nonmaterial Components (cont’d)

NormsNorms informal rules guiding how members of informal rules guiding how members of

a culture act, think, and feela culture act, think, and feel

LanguageLanguage through the process of learning through the process of learning

language, we learn our cultures language, we learn our cultures beliefs, values, and normsbeliefs, values, and norms

Communication and Culture (cont’d)

Communication and Culture (cont’d)

Cultures are shaped by historical Cultures are shaped by historical and geographic forcesand geographic forces personal historiespersonal histories

traditionstraditions

cultural historycultural history

Communication and Culture (cont’d)

Communication and Culture (cont’d)

We learn culture in the process We learn culture in the process of communicatingof communicating

Communication and Culture (cont’d)

Communication and Culture (cont’d)

Cultures are dynamicCultures are dynamic InventionInvention

DiffusionDiffusion

Cultural CalamityCultural Calamity

CommunicationCommunication

Improving Intercultural CommunicationImproving Intercultural Communication

Resist the ethnocentric biasResist the ethnocentric bias ethnocentrismethnocentrism

using one’s own culture and its practices using one’s own culture and its practices as the standard for interpreting the as the standard for interpreting the values, beliefs, norms, and values, beliefs, norms, and communication of otherscommunication of others

cultural relativismcultural relativism cultures vary in how they think, act, and cultures vary in how they think, act, and

behave, as well as in what they believe behave, as well as in what they believe and valueand value

Improving Intercultural Communication (cont’d)

Improving Intercultural Communication (cont’d)

Recognize that responding to Recognize that responding to diversity is a processdiversity is a process ResistanceResistance

ToleranceTolerance

UnderstandingUnderstanding

RespectRespect

ParticipationParticipation multilingualmultilingual

WebsitesWebsites

Definitions of Definitions of CultureCulture

Intercultural Communication InstiIntercultural Communication Institutetute

Comparing Cultural Norms and VComparing Cultural Norms and Values alues

Proverbs from Around the WorldProverbs from Around the World

More WebsitesMore Websites

Y? The National Forum on PeopleY? The National Forum on People’s Differences’s Differences

An open discussion board of issues related to gender An open discussion board of issues related to gender and ethnicityand ethnicity

Center for Equal OpportunityCenter for Equal Opportunity Information on affirmative action, immigration and Information on affirmative action, immigration and

assimilation, and bilingual educationassimilation, and bilingual education

Falling Through the Net: DefiningFalling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide the Digital Divide

U.S. Department of CommerceU.S. Department of Commerce

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