Communication and Culture Chapter 3 Culture is a learned system of thought and behavior that belongs to and typifies a relatively large group of people; it is the composite of their shared beliefs, values, and practices. Understanding Culture Culture is learned through communication Through these processes, you acquire a set of shared perceptions and develop models for appropriate behavior Worldview: the framework through which you interpret the world and the people in it Much of your worldview is not obvious Culture affects communication As we learn culture through communication, we also use communication to express our culture We frequently communicate our worldview when we present ourselves for strategic purposes Worldview reflected by media Intercultural Communication Matters People from different cultures with different worldviews perceive the world quite differently Intercultural Communication: communication between people from different cultures who have different worldviews The answer to intercultural misunderstanding is not to hide under a rock or only associate with people like you A Diverse Society In order to function competently as a member of such a diverse society, you need to be able to communicate appropriately and effectively with a wide array of individuals Two key parts: understanding your cultural expectations for communication and respecting those of others Mobility Must be ready to address cultural differences 6 in 10 adults have moved to a new community in their lives More than 1 in 5 say the place they are living now is not “home” You will, almost without exception, communicate at some time or another with people from outside your culture/hometown both face-to-face and through media Mediated Interaction We communicate electronically more and more each year Internet and other technology allows us to connect with far-off family members and friends, plus individuals from around the country—or around the world. Even Americans who don’t have access to these technologies, traditional media still makes exposure to different cultures possible Diverse Organizations Any job you take will involve some degree of intercultural communication Being aware of the way that culture impacts communication is especially crucial to business communication across borders Communication and Cultural Variations Scholars have identified seven major communication variations across cultures: High and Low context Collectivist and Individualist orientations Comfort with uncertainty Masculine and Feminine orientations Approaches to power distance Time orientation Value of emotional expression These variations fall on a spectrum, they are not opposites High and Low Context Cultures Culture has a big impact on how direct we are in our use of language and how much we rely on other, nonverbal ways to communicate High-context: use contextual cues—such as time, place, relationship, and situation—to both interpret meanin.

1. Communication and Culture
Chapter 3
Culture is a learned system of thought and behavior that belongs
to and typifies a relatively large group of people; it is the
composite of their shared beliefs, values, and practices.
Understanding Culture
Culture is learned through communication
Through these processes, you acquire a set of shared
perceptions and develop models for appropriate behavior
Worldview: the framework through which you interpret the
world and the people in it
Much of your worldview is not obvious
Culture affects communication
As we learn culture through communication, we also use
communication to express our culture
We frequently communicate our worldview when we present

2. ourselves for strategic purposes
Worldview reflected by media
Intercultural Communication Matters
People from different cultures with different worldviews
perceive the world quite differently
Intercultural Communication: communication between people
from different cultures who have different worldviews
The answer to intercultural misunderstanding is not to hide
under a rock or only associate with people like you
A Diverse Society
In order to function competently as a member of such a diverse
society, you need to be able to communicate appropriately and
effectively with a wide array of individuals
Two key parts: understanding your cultural expectations for
communication and respecting those of others
Mobility
Must be ready to address cultural differences
6 in 10 adults have moved to a new community in their lives
More than 1 in 5 say the place they are living now is not
“home”
You will, almost without exception, communicate at some time
or another with people from outside your culture/hometown
both face-to-face and through media
Mediated Interaction

3. We communicate electronically more and more each year
Internet and other technology allows us to connect with far-off
family members and friends, plus individuals from around the
country—or around the world.
Even Americans who don’t have access to these technologies,
traditional media still makes exposure to different cultures
possible
Diverse Organizations
Any job you take will involve some degree of intercultural
communication
Being aware of the way that culture impacts communication is
especially crucial to business communication across borders
Communication and Cultural Variations
Scholars have identified seven major communication variations
across cultures:
High and Low context
Collectivist and Individualist orientations
Comfort with uncertainty
Masculine and Feminine orientations
Approaches to power distance
Time orientation
Value of emotional expression
These variations fall on a spectrum, they are not opposites
High and Low Context Cultures
Culture has a big impact on how direct we are in our use of
language and how much we rely on other, nonverbal ways to
communicate
High-context: use contextual cues—such as time, place,

4. relationship, and situation—to both interpret meaning and send
subtle messages
Low-context: uses very direct language and relies less on
situational factors to communicate
Collectivist and Individualist
Collectivist cultures: individuals perceive themselves first and
foremost as members of a group and communicate from that
perspective
Emphasize cooperation and group harmony, group decision
making, and long-term, stable friendships
Individualist cultures: value individuality, autonomy, and
privacy
Little attention to hierarchy and status based on age or family
connections
Individual initiative and achievement are rewarded; individual
blame and credit are assigned
Comfort with Uncertainty
Uncertainty avoidance: all cultures, to some degree, adapt their
behaviors in order to reduce uncertainty and risk
High uncertainty avoidance cultures: more anxious about the
unknown, so their behaviors are adapted to minimize risk and
uncertainty
Low uncertainty avoidance culture: higher tolerance for risk and

5. ambiguity
Masculine and Feminine Orientations
The way an entire culture values and reflects characteristics that
are traditionally—even stereotypically—associated with one sex
or the other
Masculine culture (achievement culture): value ambition,
assertiveness, achievement, and competitiveness
Feminine culture (nurturing cultures): value relationships and
quality of life
Studies consistently find different scores for men and women
within larger cultures
Approaches to Power Distance
Power distance: the way in which a culture accepts and expects
the division of power among individuals
High power distance: people with less power accept their lower
position as a basic fact; experience more anxiety when
communicating with those of higher status
Low power distance: tolerate less difference in power between
people and communicate with those higher in status with less
anxiety
Time Orientation
Time orientation: way that cultures communicate about/with
time; frequently overlooked cultural dimension
Monochronic cultures: treat time as a limited resource or a

6. commodity that can be saved or wasted; time used to structure
activities and stick to schedules; attend to one person or task at
a time
Polychronic cultures: attend to multiple people or things at a
time; don’t adhere closely to schedules and change plans often
and easily
Value of Emotional Expression
Value of emotional expression varies among cultures; some
associate it with strength while others associate it with
weakness
Collectivist cultures tend to use hyperbole—vivid, colorful
language with great emotional intensity and exaggeration
Individualist cultures tend towards understatement—language
that downplays emotional intensity or importance of events
often with euphemisms
“the rivers ran red with the blood of the slaughtered” vs. “there
were a number of casualties”
"Terminate with Extreme Prejudice"
CO-Cultural Communication
Co-cultures: groups who’s members share at least some of the
general culture’s system of thought and behavior, but which
have distinct characteristics or group attitudes that both unify
them and distinguish them from the general culture
Our communication is intrinsically tied to our co-cultural
experience

7. Social Identity and Intergroup Communication
Social Identity theory: you have a personal identity (sense of
your unique individual personality) and a social identity (part of
your self-concept that comes from your group memberships
Ingroups: groups which we identify with and we feel that we
belong to
Outgroups: the “others” outside our group
Social Identity and Intergroup Communication
Intergroup communication: discipline that focuses on how
communication within and between groups affect relationships
The comparisons we make have a tremendous impact on
communication
Our identification and communication shift depending on which
group membership is made salient at a given moment
Ways in which social identity perceived by others influences
communication on many levels
Intercultural Communication Challenges
With all existing cultural variations and multitude of individual
and co-cultures, communication difficulties will arise
We experience challenges and confusion with intercultural
communication

8. Anxiety
Ethnocentrism
Discrimination
Anxiety
“What if I do something offensive?” or “What if I embarrass
myself?”
Natural part of any new experience
Ethnocentrism
Belief in the superiority of your own culture or group and
tendency to view other cultures through your own lens
We communicate from the perspective of our own group without
acknowledging other perspectives
Ethnocentrism is NOT the same as cultural or ethnic pride
Discrimination
Behavior toward a person or group based solely on their
membership in a particular group, class or category
One group is favored, the other is harmed
Positive stereotypes can have similarly discriminatory effects
We treat ingroup members more favorably than members of an
outgroup
Interpret ingroup behaviors more favorably
Behavioral affirmation: seeing or hearing what you want to see
or hear in the communication of assorted group members
Behavioral confirmation: we act in a way that makes our
expectations about a group come true

9. Improving Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication can be improved with effort
Changing thinking: increase our knowledge about cultures and
co-cultures; develop more complex ways of thinking about a
culture
Changing feelings: experience greater enjoyment and less
anxiety in our intercultural exchanges
Changing behavior: when thoughts and feelings are altered,
behavioral changes occur; the result is developing better
interpersonal relationships
Be mindful
Be aware of your behavior and behavior of others
Intercultural sensitivity: mindfulness of behaviors that may
offend others
Desire to learn
Learning culture-specific information can be very useful as a
starting point in intercultural communication
Overcome intergroup biases
Intergroup contact theory: interaction between members of
different social groups generates a possibility for more positive
attitudes to emerge
Mindlessly putting people from different groups together can
backfire as well
Need good quality contact outgroup members
Accommodate Appropriately
Accommodation: process in which you adapt and adjust your

10. language and nonverbal behaviors
Convergence: when speakers shift their language or nonverbal
behaviors toward each other’s way of communicating
Overaccommodate: going too far in changing your language or
changing your language based on an incorrect or stereotypical
notion of another group
Practice your skills
Listen effectively
Think before you speak or act
Be empathetic
Do the right thing
Speaking Italian
Communication: Essential Human Behavior
Chapter 1
A Functional Perspective
How do we communicate in relationships?
Express affiliation
Achieve goals
Influence others

11. How we communicate
Symbolic
Create meaning via language and symbols
A necessity for a shared code
All agree on the meaning ascribed to those symbols
Linked to culture
Culture is powerful; includes language, other symbols, rules and
norms regarding behavior
How we communicate
Doesn’t need to be intentional
Based on expressed emotions and body movements; giving vs.
giving off information
Occurs through various channels
Process by which we exchange those symbols amongst each
other
Transactional process
A process that involves two or more people acting in both
sender and receiver roles
Once a message is sent, it cannot be reversed!
Competent Communication
Process Oriented
Emphasize what is said and how it is said
Mutual satisfaction is the gauge of success
Ethics
Appropriate and effective
Behavioral flexibility
Make sure to meet your goals!

12. From: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, September 9, 2011 11:42 A.M.
To: [email protected]
Subject: hey
hey, sorry i missed class today . . . i had a little too much fun
last nite had a rough time waking up;)
can you E-mail me your teaching notes ASAP? Tnx.
E-Mail Etiquette: How Not to Communicate with Your
professor
Competent Communication
Communication requires skill
Behavioral routines based on social understanding
Many times unskilled and unaware
Correct use of technology
Presents different obstacles and avenues
Perceptions change depending on the context

13. Linear Model
Interaction Model
Competent Communication
Application Paper #1
Prompt: Take a theory(s) or concept(s) that has been covered in
class and apply it to a real world situation/example. The goal of
this assignment is for you to demonstrate that you understand
the ideas we are covering in class and can apply them! Your
situation/example can be a personal one (perhaps an experience
you recall that illustrates something we talked about in class) or
a current event (something that has happened within the past
few years covered in the news). If you are feeling creative and
want to apply a fun twist, you can even try and create a simple
experiment to test one of these concepts out and see how people
react to them. By the end of this assignment, I should know that
a) you understand what this concept is, b) you know how this
concept applies in everyday life, and c) you understand how
important this can be.
Format: Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length, typed in 11

14. or 12 point font, double spaced, with 1 inch margins. Have your
name, the course number, and the assignment name single
spaced in the top right hand corner. You do not need to cite or
have a references section.
Structure: The first part of your paper should clearly identify
and define the theory(s) or concept(s) you plan on discussing;
be sure to include all relevant and related information. The
second part of your paper is the situation/example you plan to
apply what you have learned in class; be sure to show how the
situation/example you present is relevant to the theory(s) or
concept(s) you are discussing! The last part of your paper is
your opportunity to reflect: how could this have gone better or
worse? Is this an example of good communication skills and
awareness? What do you think could be done better next time?
Rubric:
-Rough Draft (must be on time and minimum two full pages): 5
points
-Writing Quality (spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc): 4
points
-Fulfilling assignment goals (see Structure): 6 points
Total: 15 points
Surname 1
Student’s Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Human Communication Concepts
From time immemorial, humans have been able to achieve
social order and interact with each other through the
communication process. As such, the communication process
plays an important role in individual development, brings about

15. cohesiveness among people of the same and different cultures,
and hence enhancing civilization across the cultural divide.
Communication has been seen as the process of transmitting
ideas, information, and attitudes through the use of symbols,
words, and pictures with the aim of influencing behavior in
people. The message transmitted must have a source and a
destination, and is send through a particular medium. This
interaction between sender and receiver must have meaning to
both for effective communication to have occurred and happen
within a social context with defined rules pertaining to the
origin, flow and consequences of the messages.
According to the Shannon-Weaver model of communication, the
communication process must have some basic elements that
include: source, message, channel, receiver and feedback.
Communication takes two main forms; verbal and nonverbal
communication. Verbal communication involves the use of
language (oral), the written word and use of visual apparatus
like maps, advertisements among others. Non-verbal
communication deals with the use of body language like
posture, facial expressions, tone of voice and gestures.
President Obama’s National Democratic Convention speech and
the importance of effective communication
Effective human communication aims at persuading, inspiring
and bringing about understanding and hope to people with
shared destiny and aspirations. To be able to achieve this,
president Obama convincingly delivered a speech that espoused
the ordinary Americans beliefs, needs and way forward.
Through use of non-verbal cues like eye contact, firm and
friendly handshakes and hugs, most people identified with him
as a peoples president. Sharing his believe that all Americans
had a common destiny and shared principles of hard work and
resiliency amidst hard times and that the US is the greatest
nation on earth defined by the diversity of her people, he had
their backing during the elections. Through use of extraordinary
oratory skills, appropriate body language, correct technology
and interaction with his audience, he managed to achieve his

16. goals. His re-election was an indication of the appropriate
feedback to his message to the American people.
It is important to note that the American president has a unique
perception of the aspirations of the American people. His health
care reforms, commonly referred to as Obamacare, are one
example in study. By asking the American people to walk the
talk and travel the hard and difficulty road challenged them to
re-examine their perceptions of what they want despite the
highly charged political climate, and gave them the choice to do
what was right. His reaching out to the Latinos and black
people, who comprise the minority, shows someone who has
adequately dealt with and understands that the perceptual
barriers to communication like cultural myopia, stereotyping
and racial prejudice can hinder effective communication. This
has also been reflected in his foreign policy and his engagement
with the Arab states, where he is categorically been on record
saying that all options are open in dealing with the crisis in the
middle east, and in particular the Iran nuclear program. This
appreciation of diversity served him well in his engagement
with Islamic countries, and their approval of him. President
Obama has successfully documented his life, attitudes,
challenges and aspirations in his books. This points to someone
whose sense of self-concept, self-esteem and self-efficacy is
well grounded and hence his interaction with others is
meaningful and self confidence he exudes. He has, in a sense,
come to be a revered world figure and influential personality on
the world stage alongside other icons like Nelson Mandela. His
self presentation and disclosure as a loving husband, father and
president has endeared many people world over to him.
The world has become a global village and as such cultural
interactions are common place. Different cultural practices view
the world through different prisms and thus for cohesiveness
and co-existence, people have to take time to learn and
appreciate other peoples cultures. The president of the United
States is of different cultural backgrounds and religions and he
has embraced his genealogy wholesomely. To effectively deal

17. with discrimination, ethnocentrism, racism and xenophobia,
understanding that we are uniquely born and brought up in
varying cultural platforms, then acceptance of other people way
of life is the way forward. Communication ensures that
society’s shared values are respected and embraced.
Finally, president Obama’s speech effectively engaged with his
audience, and this was evident on the emotions that electrified
the convention. The challenge then comes in the form of
whether, at the end of his second term, he will have delivered
his promises to the American people. This will be an
appropriate feedback to them for the re-eleting him.
President Obama's National Democratic Convention speech and
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18. peoples president. Sharing his believe
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defined by the diversity of her
people, he had their backing during the elections. Through use
of extraordinary oratory skills,
appropriate body language, correct technology and interaction
with his audience, he managed to
achieve his goals. His re-election was an indication of the
appropriate feedback to his message to
the Americanpeople.
It is important to note that the American president has a unique
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