Cultural values serve important functions such as providing identity, explaining behaviors, regulating in-groups and out-groups, and enabling adaptation. Key cultural value dimensions include individualism vs. collectivism, small vs. large power distance, weak vs. strong uncertainty avoidance, feminine vs. masculine, and independent vs. interdependent self-construal. Cultural values shape communication and behaviors in important ways but do not determine the behaviors of every individual member of a culture.

1. Essential Cultural Value Patterns

2. Analyzing Cultural Values Identity Meaning Function Explanatory Function Boundary Regulation Function Adaptation Function Functions of Cultural Values

3. Analyzing Cultural Values “Cultural value patterns form the basic criteria through which we evaluate our own behaviors and the behaviors of others. They cue our expectations. . .They serve as implicit guidelines for out motivations, expectations, perceptions, interpretations, and communicative actions.” Cultural values patterns serve functions, i.e. there is a reason we develop cultural value patterns. (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2005, p. 54).

4. Analyzing Cultural Value Functions: Identity Cultural beliefs and values provide the anchoring points to which we attach meanings and significance to our complex identities. The identity meanings we acquire within our culture are constructed and sustained through everyday communication.

5. Analyzing Cultural Value Functions: Explanation “It’s just what we do.” Cultural values explain “why.” When we are with our own groups, we fill-in the blanks about “why” we do what we do. . .when we are with people not of our own culture, we need to be able to explain “why” we believe or behave in a certain way.

6. Analyzing Cultural Value Functions: Boundary Regulations Boundary regulation function shapes our in-group and out-group attitudes in dealing with people who are culturally dissimilar. In-groups are groups with whom we feel emotionally close and with whom we share an interdependent fate. Out-groupsare groups with whom we feel no emotional ties, and at times, we may experience great psychological distance from them and even feel competitive against them.

7. Analyzing Cultural Value Functions: Adaptation Cultural values or principles facilitate the adaption processes among the self, the cultural community and the larger environment.

8. Discovering Cultural Values Identity Power Uncertainty Sex Roles Analyzing Cultural Value Dimensions

9. Analyzing Value Dimensions: Discovering Cultural Values Cultural values form the implicit standards by which we judge appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in a communication episode. While cultural values exist on a large scale, they do not explain all the behaviors of every member of the culture. Family socialization, individual life experiences, popular culture, and immigration or intergroup contact experience will all have differential effects on the value formation process of the individual in a society. The question: WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

10. Individualism / Collectivism Value Pattern The first and most important dimension that shapes our sense of self is the individualistic/collectivist value pattern. Individualism refers to the broad value tendencies of a culture in emphasizing the importance of individual identity over group identity, individual rights over group rights, and individual needs over group needs. Individualism promotes self-efficiency, individual responsibility, and personal autonomy. Examples: North America & Europe (1/3 of the world population) Collectivism refers to the broad value tendencies of a culture in emphasizing the importance of the “we” identity over the “I” identity, group rights over individual rights, and in-group needs over individual wants and desires. Collectivism promotes relational interdependence, ingroup harmony, and ingroup collaborative spirit. Examples: Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, South America, and the Pacific islands (2/3 of the world population)

11. Individualism / Collectivism Value Pattern

12. Small and Large Power Distance Value Pattern Power distance refers to the extent to which individuals subscribe to the ideology of equal power distributions and the extent to which members adhere to unequal power distributions in an interaction. Small Power Distance cultures tend to value equal power distributions, equal rights and relations and equitable rewards and punishments on the basis of performance. Large Power Distance cultures tend to accept unequal power distributions, hierarchical rights, asymmetrical role relations and rewards and punishments based on age, rank, status, title, and seniority.

13. Small and Large Power Distance Value Pattern

14. Uncertainty Avoidance Value Pattern Weak (or Low) uncertainty avoidance cultures encourage risk taking and conflict-approaching modes. Strong (or High) uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer clear procedures and conflict-avoidance behaviors.

15. Uncertainty Avoidance Value Pattern

16. Feminine / Masculine Value Pattern

17. Meaning Destiny Time Space Additional Cultural Value Dimensions

18. Additional Value Orientation Patterns

19. Independent v. Interdependent Self Horizontal v. Vertical Self Internal v. External Locus of Control Individual Socialization Development

20. Independent v. Interdependent Self The terms independent self-construal or interdependent self-construal refer to the degree to which people conceive of themselves as separate or connected to others. Independent construal of self involves the view that an individual is a unique entity with an indivdiuated repertoire of feelings, cognitions, and motivations. Interdependent construal of self involves an emphasis on the importance of fitting in with relevant others and ingroup connectedness.

21. Horizontal v. Vertical Self Horizontal self-construal prefers informal-symmetrical interactions regardless of people’s position, status, rank, or age. Vertical self-construal prefer formal-asymmetrical interactions with due respect to people’s positions, titles, life experiences, and age.

22. Internal v. External Locus of Control Locus of control reflects the destiny value orientation. Internal locus of control tend to emphasize free will, individual motivation, personal effort, and personal responsibility over the success or failure of a task. External locus of control emphasize external determinism, karma, fate and external forces shaping a person’s life happenings and events.

23. Ting-Toomey, S. & Chung, L.C. (2005). Understanding Intercultural Communication. New York: Oxford University Press. References