KIM ARORA

The Concept of Culture

Culture

Is a learned set of shared interpretations

Is about beliefs, values, and norms

Affects the behavior of a relatively large group of people

Communication

Is the vehicle by which culture is expressed

Is directly effected by communication patterns

What is culture?What is culture?• the the Latin colo, -erecolo, -ere, ,

with its root with its root meaning "to meaning "to cultivate“The word cultivate“The word cultureculture, from . , from .

• Culture refers to Culture refers to the universal the universal human capacity to human capacity to classify, and classify, and communicate their communicate their experiences experiences symbolically. .

What is culture?

Culture - has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behaviors and systems of belief.

Aspects of Culture

Physical aspectsObjectsActions

Mental aspectsThoughtsBeliefsValuesInventionsRules

What is culture?

A common way of understanding culture is to see it as consisting of four elements that are "passed on from generation to generation by learning alone":

values norms institutions Artifacts.

What is culture?

Values comprise ideas about what in life seems important.

American’s- AchievemnetsAsians- Family oriented

ValuesIt is a central & most basic motivating

belief that shapes our goals & motivations.Our attitude is always an outgrowth of our

values.Values define: What is moral? What is

competent? What is desirable behaviour?

Value SystemA value system is a set of consistent 

ethic values more specifically the personal and cultural values and measures used for the purpose of ethical or ideological integrity. A well defined value system is a moral code.

Concept:Every culture has its own value system.One thing can be a moral value in one

culture, it can be immoral in some other culture.

Learning from one’s own culture is called Emic knowledge.

Learning from other’s culture is called Etic knowledge.

What is culture?

Norms consist of expectations of how people will behave in various situations.

USA-Open/Broad minded, Shake hands to greet n give a Kiss

India- narrow minded, Namaste or hug if very close.

What is culture?

Institutions are the structures of a society within which values and norms are transmitted.

Marriage- arrange or love. Family will choose or the bride or groom

What is culture?

Artifacts—things, or aspects of material culture derive from a culture's values and norms. Taj Mahal – epitom, monuments

Spritual beliefs- mythologies (mahabharata and Ramayana)

Definitions:• Culture is learned, socially acquired

traditions & life styles of the members of society, including their patterned, repetitive ways of thinking, feeling & acting. – M. Harris.

• Culture lends significance to human experience by selecting from it & organizing it. It refers broadly to the forms through which people make sense of their lives, rather than more narrowly to the opera or art museums. – R. Rosaldo.

Meaning:1. Culture includes all aspects of human activity, from the fine

arts to popular entertainment, from everyday behaviour to the development of sophisticated technology. It contains the plans, rules, techniques, designs, and policies for living.

2. Culture is a shared way of life that includes values, beliefs, and norms transmitted within a particular society from generation to generation through symbolic learning and language.

3. Culture is the historical accumulation of symbolic knowledge that is shared by a society.

4. Culture is a name for what people are interested in, their thoughts, their models, the books they read & the speeches they hear, their table gossip, controversies, historical sense and scientific training, the values they appreciate, the quality of life they admire. All civilizations have their culture. It is climate of their civilization.

5. Culture is fabric of meaning in terms of which human beings interpret their experience & guide their action.

Perspectives:It means to understand importance of a

particular thing as compared to others.Perspective of culture means the attitude

and understanding of two different things: Eastern & Western.

Western PerspectiveIndividualistic DemocracyMaterialismStatus of women: equalCapitalismExpressiveness

Eastern CollectivismAristocracy- upper classSpiritualismGender BiasCommunalismIntimacy

How is Culture Passed On?

Culture is learnedEnculturation- what surrounds us, our familySituational learning Social learning (observation)

Symbolic learningSigns and symbols

symbolizationSymbols and culture

national symbols

How is Culture Passed On?Culture is shared

Public and individual meanings…but differently shared

Language & culture:Presence of language makes man’s culture

rich, since through language culture can be shared.

Today, language plays important role in developing our culture & also making our culture known to the people of other cultures.

Learning a foreign language will make an individual learn about the culture as well.

Geographical Factors & culture:The geographical location of a particular

country also plays an important role in the development of a particular kind of culture.

The climatic conditions would play a role in determining the culture of that place.

E.g.- Eskimos live in Antarctica, which is a very cold place so they have developed a culture which according to their environmental needs.

Culture and Conflict

Intractable conflict is almost always, at least in part, cultural conflict. Thus cultural fluency and self-knowledge are imperative to resolving conflict.

Cultural Fluency consists of understanding…• What culture is• How it works• The inter-relationship of

- Culture - Communication- Conflict

Self-Knowledge - understanding one’s own cultural lenses

Characteristics of CultureCulture VariabilityCulture integrity

What is Communication?Transmission and reception of meaning

through the manipulation of symbols, language and context

It involves a sender who encodes a message and a receiver who decodes the message

Types of Communication

Interpersonal Communication (Dyad)Intrapersonal Communication (Within)Mass CommunicationGroup CommunicationPublic CommunicationBusiness CommunicationIntra-cultural CommunicationIntercultural/International Communication

Media of CommunicationFace-to-FaceTelephoneBroadcast MediaVerbalNon-verbalDigital- information superhighway

(Internet)Which other media of communication can

you identify?

What Is Culture?The customary ways in which humans live.

For example; diet, family forms and processes, social organizations, and religions.

Ethnic Group or Culture GroupThe cultural heritage, or aspects of culture,

that a group shares and attempts to hand down from one generation to the next through learning.

12 Aspects of Culture or Ethnicity

1. History-time period and conditions under which a group migrated or immigrated.

2. Social Status Factors – education, occupation, income3. Social Group Interaction Patterns: Intra-group (within

group relations) and Inter-group (between-group relations)

4. Value Orientation – standards by which members of a culture judge their personal actions and those of others.

5. Language and Communication: Verbal and Nonverbal6. Family Life Processes – gender roles, family dynamics7. Healing Beliefs and Practices – attitudes and beliefs

about health.8. Religion – spiritual beliefs and practices9. Art and Expressive Forms – art, music, stories, dance,

etc.10. Diet/Foods – preferred food eaten by groups.11. Recreation – activities, sports for leisure, etc.12. Clothing – types, styles, and extent of body coverings.

Personal Culture – Core IdentityIncludes everything an individual finds

meaningful, beliefs, values, perceptions, assumptions, and framework about reality.

Developed through social interaction with family and others in your environment.

Self-Awareness“Many people never acknowledge how their

day-to-day behaviors have been shaped by cultural norms and values and reinforced by families, peers, and social institutions. How one defines ‘family’, identifies desirable life goals, views problems, and even says hello are all influenced by the culture in which one functions”.

Requires self-knowledge of own culture in order to know when cultural limits are likely to be pushed, foreseeing potential areas of tension, and conflict with specific client groups.

Why Become Culturally Competent?

EthnocentrismThe belief that one’s own group or

culture is superior to all other groups or cultures.

The tendency of most people to use their own way of life as a standard for judging others; now also indicates the belief, on the part of most individuals, that their race, culture, society, etc., are superior to all others

Xenocentrism is a political neologism, coined as the antonym of ethnocentrism.

Xenocentrism is the preference for the products, styles, or ideas of someone else's culture rather than of one's own.

Cultural DiversityEthnocentrism: When a culture feels that it

is superior to other cultures. It is tendency of group to regard its own ways as superior & look down upon the ways of others.

Cultural DiversityEthnicity

Based on perceived differences in ancestral origins or descent and shared historical and cultural heritage.

Different from race, which used to be thought to be based on physical differences among people.Race was originally conceived of as the correlation

between culture/behavior and superficial physical traits.

Global CultureContinents of World- Asia--- Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Mynamar, Maldvies, Mayasia, Singapore, Japan, China, Bhutan, srilanka, Indonesia, Hongkong

- Africa- Egypt- North America- South America- Australia- Newzeland- Europe- France, Germany, Italy- Antartica

White peopleBlack peopleRed indiansBrowns

GLOBAL CULTUREWHEN GOING OFFICEMEETINGSSCHOOLEATING HABITSTABLE MANNERSDRESSING

POP/ PULP CULTURE

Characteristics of popular culture Constantly changingBased in large, heterogeneous groups of

peopleBased mainly in urban areasMaterial goods mass-produced by

machines in factoriesPrevailing money economy

Characteristics of popular culture More numerous individual relationships, but

less personalWeaker family structureDistinct division of labor with highly

specialized professions and jobsConsiderable leisure time available to most

peoplePolice, army, and courts take the place of

family and church in maintaining order

Culture ShockCulture shock is the difficulty people have

adjusting to a new culture that differs markedly from their own.

The shock of moving to a foreign country often consists of distinct phases, though not everyone passes through these phases and not everyone is in the new culture long enough to pass through all five

Melting PotThe melting pot is a metaphor for a

heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture. It is particularly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States; the melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.

There are no fixed symptoms ascribed to culture shock as each person is affected differently.

Phases in the Culture ShockHoneymoon phase: During this period, the

differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new foods, the pace of the life, the people's habits, the buildings and so on. During the first few weeks, most people are fascinated by the new culture.  This period is full of observations and new discoveries. Like most honeymoon periods, this stage eventually ends.

"When an individual sets out to study, live or work in a new country, he or she will invariably experience difficulties with language, housing, friends, school, work..."

Negotiation phase: After some time (usually three months but sometimes sooner or later, depending on the individual), differences between the old and new culture become apparent and may create anxiety.

Excitement may eventually give way to unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as one continues to experience unfavorable events that may be perceived as strange and offensive to one's cultural attitude.

Language barriers, stark differences in public hygiene, traffic safety, food accessibility and quality may heighten the sense of disconnection from the surroundings.

Due to the strain of living in a different country without parental support, some students might develop additional symptoms of loneliness, ultimately affecting the lifestyle as a whole. International students therefore often feel anxious and have a higher pressure in adjusting the new cultures. This is even more valid when the cultural distance is wide, as logical andspeech patterns are different and a special emphasis is put on rhetorics.

Adjustment phase: again, after some time (usually 6 – 12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more "normal". One starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the culture, and begins to accept the culture ways with a positive attitude. The culture begins to make sense, and negative reactions and responses to the culture are reduced.

Mastery phase:In the mastery stage assignees are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages. It is often referred to as the biculturalism stage.

Advice: Culture shock can occur not only after a honeymoon phase, but also directly upon arrival to the country.

One may immediately begin to miss your home country, even things disliked and miss your home foods, family, friends, etc. It is not advisable to sleep excessively, isolate yourself or have anger towards your host people. It is possible to write, spend time with the host family, or people, and try to adjust yourself to the culture, including eating even if you are not hungry and sleeping at normal times, not when tired, and adjusting yourself to the time change.

Reverse culture shock: Reverse Culture Shock (a.k.a. "Re-entry Shock", or "own culture shock") may take place — returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same effects as described above. This results from the psychosomatic (mental) and psychological consequences of the readjustment process to the primary culture.

 The affected person often finds this more surprising and difficult to deal with than the original culture shock.

Outcomes: There are three basic outcomes of the Adjustment Phase:

-- Some people find it impossible to accept the foreign culture and integrate. They isolate themselves from the host country's environment, which they come to perceive as hostile and see return to their own culture as the only way out. These "Rejectors" also have the greatest problems re-integrating back home after return.

-- Some people integrate fully and take on all parts of the host culture while losing their original identity. They normally remain in the host country forever. This group is sometimes know as "Adopters".

-- Some people manage to adapt the aspects of the host culture they see as positive, while keeping some of their own and creating their unique blend. They have no major problems returning home or relocating elsewhere. This group can be thought to be somewhat “cosmopolitan”.

Transition shockCulture shock is a subcategory of a more

universal construct called transition shock. -- excessive concern over cleanliness and

health--feelings of helplessness and withdrawal--irritability--glazed stare--desire for home and old friends--physiological stress reactions

--homesickness--boredom--withdrawal--getting "stuck" on one thing--excessive sleep--compulsive eating/drinking/weight gain--stereotyping host nationals--hostility towards host nationals

Cultural cringe, in cultural studies and social anthropology, is an internalized inferiority complex which causes people in a country to dismiss their own culture as inferior to the cultures of other countries.

It is closely related, although not identical, to the concept of colonial mentality, and is often linked with the display of anti-intellectual attitudes towards thinkers, scientists and artists who originate from a colonial or post-colonial nation.