Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Communication- Culture (205- 209)

Doing Identity (geographical/ ethnicity)
*Communication creates community and culture
Culture is viewed from the perspective of others (“their culture”)
Ethnocentric bias: our culture is superior to all others

*Cross cultural communication (structurally/ geographically based)
*Intercultural communication (cultural interactions and barriers)

*Transacting Culture (society- coded system of meaning: beliefs, heritage etc...)

What are some features of your culture? What defines your culture? How do you learn that? (205- 209)

*Structure Based Cultural Characteristics (210-217)
Context (high context society- meanings are complex and dependent on many variables:
history, family, relationships etc. / low context society- message itself means everything)
*Collectivism: stresses the group/ Individualistic: individual centered.
*Time (monochronic- straight line, polychronic- simultaneous use of time)
*Conflict (as opportunity- normal, negotiable, confrontational, necessary) (ad destructive- disturbing the peace, members should adapt, ineffective, disciplinary)

What are the characteristics of American society? Mexico? China? England? (210- 217)

*Membership (217- 225)
*Identifying (race, geography, environment) not limited to these!!
*Inherent belonging by location, heritage, rules) co- cultures: cultures within larger cultures
*Imbedded behavior (accent, manners etc.) speech communities: culture varies over time, how do we show our culture
*Culture talk (cultural persuadables: topics that are unnecessary to explain due to common and shared understanding)
*Codes (restricted: taken for granted assumptions, elaborated: language to differentiate meanings and individuality)

What are the factors that show you are a member of your culture? How do these factors differ depending on whether we are in our culture or outside of it? (217- 225)

*Individualistic vs. collectivist cultures (see above)

What does it mean to be from a individualistic culture to you??