The Global Village

Marshall McLuhan: “Global village”

“Members of every nation are

connected by communication

technology.”

Culture and Interpersonal Communication

Culture: The relatively specialized lifestyle of a

group of people. Includes: values, beliefs, ways of behaving and

communicating, artifacts

Cultural and other influences UNIVERSAL LEVEL: characteristics that are

shared by all humans (biological traits) INDIVIDUAL LEVEL: characteristics that are

unique to a particular individual. COLLECTIVE LEVEL: certain values,

attitudes, and, consequently, behavior, are shared with other members of a group (culture, subculture)

Acquiring culture Enculturation: learning culture into

which you were born

Acculturation: learning a new culture

Boundaries of cultures Not all members of a culture are alike; each

member has a unique view of their culture.

The differences are due, at least in part, to the existence of subcultures: groups within a culture whose members share many of the values of the culture but also have some values that differ from the larger culture.

Fundamental Concepts

In-groups

Out-groups

Social identity

Co-culture

Degrees of Cultural Significance Encounters fit along a spectrum of “interculturalness” Least intercultural: Cultural differences mean little Most intercultural: Differences, backgrounds, beliefs

noteworthy “Salience”: The weight we attach to a particular person or

phenomenon.

Interpersonal / Intercultural significance

American culture Liberty: the perception that a minimum of limitations

should be preserved Support for free enterprise Individual responsibility. Equality: Equal opportunity, but not equal outcomes. Democracy: Government accountable to the people. Civic duty: People should be involved in community

and civic affairs. Interpersonal Trust. Confident expectation of reliable

and truthful cooperation.

Cultural traits Power Distance Individualism / Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Achievement High- and Low-Context cultures

Individualism / Collectivism

The extent to which individuals are expected to look after themselves, as opposed to strong social and family ties that offer unconditional support and protection in exchange for loyalty.

Individualistic societies are characterized by open choices, while collectivistic societies are characterized by prescribed choices.

Power distance The extent to which the less powerful expect

and accept that power is distributed unequally. Power is distributed by the role ones play. Mother

- child, Boss - subordinate, Teacher - student. High Power distance usually indicates

authoritarian structures in governments. Low Power distance indicates more open

societies. Members are not punished for challenging authority.

Uncertainty Avoidance/Tolerance for Ambiguity

The extent to which uncertain or unknown situations are perceived as threatening.

High Uncertainty avoidance indicates a strong desire for stable and predictable relationships.

Often, not to lose security, people agree to conform. They agree to any form of social rules for the sake of security and peace.

Achievement versus Nurturing (Masculine/Feminine)

It measures the extent to which assertiveness, ambition, and achievement dominate in particular culture.

Societies characterized by achievement orientation judge individuals by their accomplishments, while societies with ascriptive values measure individuals by their group membership.

Interpersonal Trust. Trust can be defined as non

opportunistic behavior. A person whom we trust will not

take advantage of a situation to promote his own interest

High- Versus Low-Context

Anthropologist Edward T. Hall:

Low-context culture Language expresses

thoughts, feelings, and ideas as directly as possible.

High-context culture Relies heavily on

subtle, often nonverbal cues to maintain social harmony

Low‑ and High‑Context Communication

 High‑context messages  Message senders expect other people to know

what is on their mind and they are not specific when they talk; the listener is supposed to figure out what is happening.

High‑context communication tends to be indirect and vague.

Low‑ and High‑Context Communication

Low‑context messages They are characterized by the majority of the

information being in the explicit code. Message senders are expected to express

themselves clearly and directly, limiting the need for the listener to figure out what is happening.

Low‑ and High‑Context Communication

Low‑ and high‑context messages occur in both individualistic and collectivistic cultures, but

low‑context messages predominate in individualistic cultures and

high‑context messages predominate in collectivistic cultures.

Verbal Communication Styles

Three important differences: Directness and

indirectness Elaborateness

and succinctness Formality and

informality

Nonverbal Codes People of all cultures

convey messages through facial expression and gesture.

What similarities or differences in facial expression interpretations exist between cultures? Gestures?

What cultures have larger “personal space” zones?

How do personal space variances create difficult communication situations?

Developing Intercultural Communication Competence

Motivation and Attitude / Desire Tolerance for ambiguity / Living with uncertainty Open-mindedness

Beware of ethnocentrism Beware of prejudice Beware of stereotyping

Knowledge and skill Mindfulness Passive observation / Active strategies Use appropriate self-disclosure