2. What is culture?
“Culture
-the attitudes and beliefs, ways of thinking,
behaving and remembering shared by
members of that community.” (Kramsch
1996).
3. What is culture?
• Anthropological Culture
The ways that people of a certain group
behave/live among themselves.
• High culture
The art, music, theater, literature created
by culture
• Popular culture
Contemporary music/films/trends
4. What is culture?
Surface culture
• Dress
• Clothing
• Gestures
• Music
• Art
• Architecture
Deep culture
• Worldview
• Language
• Kinship systems
• Social organization
5. Deep culture
• Worldview
Orientation toward religion, humanity, nature,
and the universe.
• Language
Medium to transmit culture
• Kinship systems
Importance of different family roles and the
relationships between family members
• Social organization
Importance of relationship among group
members
6. The importance of Values
• Cultural values identify behavioral
characteristics that members of the
society consider important and valuable.
• Serve as a mechanism of social control
by determining how members of a culture
should behave.
• Core values vs. peripheral values
7. The importance of values
• Talk to a partner and discuss following
questions:
• What are some important values in Thai
society?
• What do you think are some important
values in North American culture?
8. Dynamics of culture systems in one
main culture
• Individual members of one culture may
differ in the values and adopt several sub-
cultures.
• Boundaries are only loosely defined
Culture can be shared by people from
different geographical locations.
• Values and systems can change over time
9. How we see other cultures
• Influence of our own culture
using our own cultural framework for
interpretation
• Result
- a biased view which is may cause
stereotypes
10. How we see other cultures
Person who is culturally more… …can perceive behavior of foreigners
from other cultures as…
Collectivists Insulting, stressed, heartless, rude
Individualist Dishonest, corrupt
Large Power Distance oriented Disrespectful, improper, rude
Small Power Distance oriented Bossy, arrogant (high status person)
Cowardly (low status person)
Feminine Aggressive, selfish
Masculine Weak (of men); unfeminine (of
women)
Strong Uncertainty avoiding Unprincipled, not moral
Weak Uncertainty avoiding paranoid
11. Cross-cultural Communication
• Cross-cultural Communication is the process of
sending and receiving messages between people
whose cultural background could lead them to
interpret verbal and non-verbal signs differently.
12. Why is Cross-Cultural
Communication important ?
◦ Business Opportunities
◦ Job Opportunities
◦ Improves the contribution of employees in a diverse
workforce
◦ Sharing of views and ideas
◦ Talent improvisation
◦ An understanding of diverse market
Globalization: Cross border movement of people, goods and
data brings more and more cultures into contact with one
another and increases the potential of cross culture
communication.
13. Overcoming cross cultural
communication barriers
Tips for improving cross cultural communication
• Observe but don’t interpret according to your own culture –don’t
form stereotypes
• Don’t assume you understand non-verbal signals
• Don’t take behavior personally even if it’s insulting in your culture
• Develop an awareness of your own non-verbal signals and how they
might be offensive
• Understand your own stereotypes and learn about other cultures
with openness.
• Don’t evaluate behavior as good or bad
• Accept the fact that cross cultural communication causes stress
