The document delves into the interplay between communication and culture, highlighting how cultural symbols and meanings vary across different societies. It emphasizes that communication is a dynamic process shaped by personal experiences and cultural norms, and explores various examples of how culture is learned through art, proverbs, and media. Additionally, it discusses ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, and the significance of cultural expressions in shaping social values and individual identity.

1. COMMUNICATION
& CULTURE

2. flag
death & mourning
etiquette
dress
ethics
aging
freedom
immigration
work
play
individualism
taboos
courtship
formality
HOW DID YOU ACQUIRE
YOUR BELIEFS & VALUES?

3. SYMBOLS & CULTURE
Symbols don’t cary the same meaning across cultures
Culture influences the meaning of symbols

4. ?
Communication is symbolic
• Words have no inherent meaning
• Symbol: arbitrary signals created by humans to
represent experiences, objects, or concepts
• Referent: the object or experience to which a
symbol refers
Communication is personal
• Meaning is in the people, not in the words
REASONS FOR AMBIGUITY

5. Communication is a
systematic process in which
people interact with and
through symbols to create
and interpret meanings.

6. Communication is a dynamic
process in which people
attempt to share their thoughts
with other people through the
use of symbols in particular
settings.

7. SIGNIFIERS & REFERENTS
Thoughts / Reference
Symbol Referent
C H A I R
an open back
wooden red chair
with lattice
scrollwork and
velvet cushion
Symbol
Thoughts / Reference

8. Consider the meaning of the following words:
COMMUNICATION IS PERSONAL
Meaning is in the people, not in the words
Beauty
Excellence
Love

9. Arbitrary
yet powerful

10. GREEN
Requires your brain to respond to conflicting information
Takes longer because the mind automatically determines the semantic
meaning of the word (it reads the word "green" and thinks of the color
"green"), and then must override this first impression with the identification
of the color of the word -- a process that is not automatized.
60 second brain game

11. What is your
doctor’s job?

12. Which should be named? Streets or Blocks?
When should you pay your doctor?

13. JAPAN
Naming the block
or the space in
between blocks?

14. CULTURAL ICEBERG
HARMONY
Avoiding conflict is
valued.
There were apparently too many conflicts
with place names and numbers were
adopted.
View of Language
Numbers are considered
more objective than
language. Objectivity is
better than subjectivity.
HISTORY
Value history of a space.

15. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN
Greeting behaviors

16. A near-mouth kiss between former Soviet President Mikhail
Gorbatchev and East German Leader Erich Honecker

17. A cheek kiss between the Iraqi President and the U.S.
ambassador to Iraq

18. An air kiss between the Saudi King and President Bush

19. A facial touch between Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer

20. A hand kiss between Jacques Chirac and Secretary of
State Condoleeza Rice

21. Cultural Relativism:
none is superior - no need to adopt it though
VIEWS
ON
CULTURE Ethnocentrism
my culture’s form of greeting is superior
=

22. Cultural Relativism:
all cultures are different, none is superior
VIEWS
ON
CULTURE
Ethnocentrism:
use of one’s own culture & its practices as the standard
for interpreting the values, beliefs, norms of other cultures

23. CULTURE
What is
?
and what is its relationship to communication

24. You learn your culture via
communication and at the
same time, communication
is a reflection of your
culture.

25. Set of human-made objective and subjective elements that in
the past have increased the probability of survival and
resulted in satisfaction for the participants in an ecological
niche, and thus became shared among those who could
communicate with each other because they had a
common language and they lived in the same time and place.
• Transmitted through communication, not genes
• Learned and shared
• Based on symbols
• Dynamic

26. ENCULTURATION VS.
ACCULTURATION
National GeographicTV Report
How is culture passed on?

27. Set of human-made objective and subjective elements that in
the past have increased the probability of survival and
resulted in satisfaction for the participants in an ecological
niche, and thus became shared among those who could
communicate with each other because they had a common
language and they lived in the same time and place.
• Transmitted through communication, not genes
• Learned and shared
• Based on symbols
• Dynamic

28. Class is about what members
of particular cultures have
learned and how that
“learning” might influence
intercultural comm.

29. • Culture is learned through proverbs
• Culture is learned through folktales, legends. myths
• Culture is learned through art
Your book provides numerous examples to illustrate each
(pages 45-54). Find an example of your own and briefly
explain it. So find an example illustrating how culture is
learned through proverbs; an example of how it's learned
through folktales/legends/myths, and one on how it's
learned through art. Make sure each of your 3 examples is
an example not listed in the book.
WHAT DID CULTURE TEACH
US ABOUTTHE FOLLOWINGTHINGS?

31. CULTURE IS LEARNED THROUGH ART

32. ”The Scream” by
Edvard Munch

33. Social and Political Structures:
Isolation and Alienation:The lone, anguished figure against
the swirling, chaotic backdrop emphasizes the individual's
isolation and disconnect from society.This reflects anxieties
about modern life, characterized by rapid industrialization,
urbanization, and the breakdown of traditional social
structures.
Existential Dread:The scream itself represents a universal
human experience – the fear of the unknown, the fragility of
life, and the anxieties of modern existence.This resonated
with a growing sense of societal and individual uncertainty in
the late 19th century.

34. Religious Beliefs and Practices:
Subjective Experience:While not explicitly religious, the
painting delves into the realm of the psychological and
spiritual.The figure's torment suggests a spiritual crisis, a
grappling with existential questions about life, death, and the
meaning of existence.
Expressionism: "The Scream" is a key work of Expressionism,
an artistic movement that emphasized subjective emotions
and inner experiences over objective reality.This aligns with a
shift away from traditional religious dogma towards a more
introspective and individualistic approach to spirituality.

35. Social Values and Norms:
Beauty Standards:Traditional notions of beauty and harmony
are subverted.The distorted figures and unsettling colors
challenge conventional aesthetics, reflecting a growing
interest in exploring the darker aspects of the human
condition.
Mental Health: "The Scream" can be seen as an early
representation of mental health struggles, such as anxiety and
depression.This reflects a growing awareness of psychological
states and a shift towards greater openness in discussing
mental health (though still nascent in the late 19th century).

36. The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
between 2670 BCE and 2504 BCE

37. • Social and Political: Reflects the immense
power and wealth of the pharaohs, the central
figure in Egyptian society.
• Religious: Closely tied to the Egyptian belief in
the afterlife and the importance of preserving the
pharaoh's body for the journey to the
underworld.
• Economic: Construction
required a massive mobilization of
labor and resources, demonstrating
their economic power.
• Social Values: Emphasizes the
importance of the afterlife and
the divine status of the pharaoh.

38. “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso
Picasso painted Guernica at his home in Paris in response to
the 26 April 1937 bombing of Guernica, a town in the Basque
Country in northern Spain, by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

39. • Social and Political: A powerful anti-war statement,
depicting the horrors of the Spanish Civil War and
criticizing the role of fascism. Reflects the suffering of
innocent civilians and the destructive power of war.
• Social Values: Challenges traditional notions of
beauty and heroism, emphasizing the importance of
social justice and peace.

40. The Creation Of Adam - Michelangelo (1512)
What story does it depict?”

41. Social and Political Structures:
Patronage: Commissioned by the Pope for the Sistine Chapel.
Highlights the power of the Papacy and its patronage of the
arts during the Renaissance.
Religious Beliefs and Practices:
Biblical Narrative: Serves as a visual interpretation of a core
Christian belief and reinforces the importance of the Bible as
a source of truth and authority.
Social Values and Norms:
Divine Power: Depicts the awe-inspiring power of God,
reinforcing the belief in a divine creator and the importance of
faith and obedience.

42. ”Mona Lisa” by
Leonardo daVinci
- 1503

43. • Social Values: Embodies
Renaissance ideals of humanism
and individualism, focusing on the
psychological complexity and
inner life of the individual.
• Economic: Commissioned by
wealthy patrons, reflecting the
flourishing art market.
• Beauty Standards:
Embodies Renaissance ideals of
beauty, with her delicate features,
graceful posture, and enigmatic
smile. Emphasizes the
importance of individual
expression and self-awareness.

44. CULTURE IS LEARNED THROUGH MEDIA

45. Mass social learning
Media not only offer
info & entertainment but
also tell us about our
cultural identity and
contribute to shaping
our beliefs & values.
“Offers an honest perspective on modern family life through a
straight, gay, multicultural, and traditional family.”

46. Culture is learned through media
Think of popularTV or streaming shows. Pick one or two
that all of you are familiar with and explain what this show
teaches us about culture. Make sure your example is an
example not listed in the book.

47. WHAT DID CULTURE TEACH
US ABOUTTHE FOLLOWINGTHINGS?
role of silence importance of attractiveness
view of aging
proclivity for activity over meditation
importance of foreign languages
view of conflict

48. Acculturation, Integration, Loss of Cultural Identity?
ACCULTURATION

49. ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
Worldview
Religion
History
Values
Social systems/orgs
Language