The Global Village
Marshall McLuhan: “Global village”
“Members of every nation are
connected by communication
technology.”
Culture and Interpersonal Communication
Culture: The relatively specialized lifestyle of a
group of people. Includes: values, beliefs, ways of behaving and
communicating, artifacts
Cultural and other influences UNIVERSAL LEVEL: characteristics that are
shared by all humans (biological traits) INDIVIDUAL LEVEL: characteristics that are
unique to a particular individual. COLLECTIVE LEVEL: certain values,
attitudes, and, consequently, behavior, are shared with other members of a group (culture, subculture)
Acquiring culture Enculturation: learning culture into
which you were born
Acculturation: learning a new culture
Boundaries of cultures Not all members of a culture are alike; each
member has a unique view of their culture.
The differences are due, at least in part, to the existence of subcultures: groups within a culture whose members share many of the values of the culture but also have some values that differ from the larger culture.
Fundamental Concepts
In-groups
Out-groups
Social identity
Co-culture
Degrees of Cultural Significance Encounters fit along a spectrum of “interculturalness” Least intercultural: Cultural differences mean little Most intercultural: Differences, backgrounds, beliefs
noteworthy “Salience”: The weight we attach to a particular person or
phenomenon.
Interpersonal / Intercultural significance
American culture Liberty: the perception that a minimum of limitations
should be preserved Support for free enterprise Individual responsibility. Equality: Equal opportunity, but not equal outcomes. Democracy: Government accountable to the people. Civic duty: People should be involved in community
and civic affairs. Interpersonal Trust. Confident expectation of reliable
and truthful cooperation.
Cultural traits Power Distance Individualism / Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Achievement High- and Low-Context cultures
Individualism / Collectivism
The extent to which individuals are expected to look after themselves, as opposed to strong social and family ties that offer unconditional support and protection in exchange for loyalty.
Individualistic societies are characterized by open choices, while collectivistic societies are characterized by prescribed choices.
Power distance The extent to which the less powerful expect
and accept that power is distributed unequally. Power is distributed by the role ones play. Mother
- child, Boss - subordinate, Teacher - student. High Power distance usually indicates
authoritarian structures in governments. Low Power distance indicates more open
societies. Members are not punished for challenging authority.
Uncertainty Avoidance/Tolerance for Ambiguity
The extent to which uncertain or unknown situations are perceived as threatening.
High Uncertainty avoidance indicates a strong desire for stable and predictable relationships.
Often, not to lose security, people agree to conform. They agree to any form of social rules for the sake of security and peace.
Achievement versus Nurturing (Masculine/Feminine)
It measures the extent to which assertiveness, ambition, and achievement dominate in particular culture.
Societies characterized by achievement orientation judge individuals by their accomplishments, while societies with ascriptive values measure individuals by their group membership.
Interpersonal Trust. Trust can be defined as non
opportunistic behavior. A person whom we trust will not
take advantage of a situation to promote his own interest
High- Versus Low-Context
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall:
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
Low‑ and High‑Context Communication
High‑context messages Message senders expect other people to know
what is on their mind and they are not specific when they talk; the listener is supposed to figure out what is happening.
High‑context communication tends to be indirect and vague.
Low‑ and High‑Context Communication
Low‑context messages They are characterized by the majority of the
information being in the explicit code. Message senders are expected to express
themselves clearly and directly, limiting the need for the listener to figure out what is happening.
Low‑ and High‑Context Communication
Low‑ and high‑context messages occur in both individualistic and collectivistic cultures, but
low‑context messages predominate in individualistic cultures and
high‑context messages predominate in collectivistic cultures.
Verbal Communication Styles
Three important differences: Directness and
indirectness Elaborateness
and succinctness Formality and
informality
Nonverbal Codes People of all cultures
convey messages through facial expression and gesture.
What similarities or differences in facial expression interpretations exist between cultures? Gestures?
What cultures have larger “personal space” zones?
How do personal space variances create difficult communication situations?
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
Knowledge and skill Mindfulness Passive observation / Active strategies Use appropriate self-disclosure