Interplay, 13th Edition chapter 02

CHAPTER 2Culture and Interpersonal Communication

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Section 1 CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION

Interplay

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Intercultural Differences

Culture and Co-Culture

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Culture= “language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs people share and learn.” (Samovar et al. 2007) Bound by

perception and definition

Intercultural Communication, defined:

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“Two or more cultures or co-cultures exchange messages in a manner that is influenced by their different cultural perceptions and symbol systems, both verbal and nonverbal” (Samovar et al. 2007)

Intercultural Differences as Generalizations

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Cultural practices aren’t totally different

Greater differences within cultures than between cultures

Generalizations don’t always apply

Co-Culture – Generational (Examples)

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Components of Co-Cultures

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Age (ex. teens, seniors)Generation Group (ex. Boomers, Gen X)

Ancestry & Nationality (ex. DARs)Geographic Region Race and Ethnicity

Socioeconomic StatusEmployment (ex. IBMers)

Educational Institition Hobbies & Interests (ex. pets, gamers)

Memberships (ex. frats)Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation – LGBTQ

Religion ( ex. Protestant, Catholic)

Culture and Co-Culture

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In-groups

Out-groups

Social identity

Co-culture

Intercultural Communication

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Degrees of cultural significance

Least intercultural: Cultural differences mean little

Most intercultural: Differences, backgrounds, beliefs noteworthy

Salience: Weight we attach to a particular person or phenomenon

Interpersonal and Intercultural

Communication

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Section 2CULTURAL VALUES AND NORMS

Interplay

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High versus Low Content Low-context culture

Language expresses thoughts, feelings, and ideas as directly as possible

High-context culture Relies heavily on subtle, often nonverbal

cues to maintain social harmony How do these cultural norms impact

communication?

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Individualism and Collectivism

Individualistic: Primary responsibility to help oneself

Collectivistic: Loyalties and obligations to the in-group: extended family, community, or work organization

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Power Distance

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Degree to which members of a society accept an unequal distribution of power

Low power distance: minimize distinctions between class and status

High power distance: obey authority

Uncertainty Avoidance Degree to which

members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous situations and how much they try to avoid them

High uncertainty avoidance: need clear rules and regulations

Low uncertainty avoidance: less threatened by the new and unexpected

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Achievement versus Nurturing

Achievement culture: Place a high value

on material success and focus on the task at hand

Nurturing culture Support of

relationships especially important

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Section 3CO-CULTURES AND COMMUNICATION

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Ethnicity and Race Race has little use in explaining

individual differences. Ethnicity is more commonly used.

Degree to which a person identifies with a group, usually on the basis of nationality, culture, or other unifying perspective

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Gender identity/Sexual orientation

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LGBTQ—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning

Being open can give a sense of being authentic and belonging to a supportive co-culture

Disclosure can be risky Social climate has

become more receptive to LGBTQ individuals

Age/Generation Age-related communication reflects

culture as much as biology. Western cultures honor youth. People who believe older adults have

trouble communicating are less likely to interact with them and more likely to use patronizing speech when they do interact.

Communication challenges can arise when different generations work together.

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Socioeconomic Status Working class,

middle class, upper class

First-generation college (FGC) students may feel intercultural strain of two worlds

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Section 4CODES AND CULTURE

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Verbal Codes Language and Identity

Language is related to personal identity

Verbal Communication Styles Directness or

indirectness Elaborateness or

succinctness Formality or

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Nonverbal Codes People of all cultures convey messages through facial expressions and gestures Tremendous range in nonverbal behaviors

But there are some commonalities Personal space variances can create difficult communication situations

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Decoding Messages Attribution

We form some sort of interpretation of what others’ words and actions mean.

Ambiguous behavior can be interpreted in several ways ex. A wink = can be interpreted as flirting or mean that you are kidding with or teasing someone

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Section 5DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

Interplay

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Developing Intercultural Communication Competence

Motivation and Attitude Desire

Tolerance for ambiguity Living with uncertainty

Open-mindedness Beware of

ethnocentrism Beware of prejudice Beware of

stereotyping

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Developing Intercultural Communication

Competence Requires:

Willingness to learn Mindfulness Passive observation Active strategies to learn about other people Use of appropriate self-disclosure

Patience and perseverance To understand the transition from culture

shock to adaptation

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Discussion Question: A Case Study

Our willingness to develop intercultural communication competence is affected by many outside factors One important factor is the tone set by national leaders Jingoism and xenophobia affect our willingness to

develop an understanding of people different from us

QUESTION: How do you think Trump’s comments about women, immigrants and other groups will affect the national dialogue between people of different cultures and co-cultures in the US? How might his comments set the tone across the country now that he is running for President and is leading in the polls?

Interplay, 13th Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/ProctorCopyright © 2015 by Oxford University Press, Inc.