Chapter 2: Thinking about Culture

• Culture - ongoing negotiation on learned beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors.
• Culture Covers:

  • Nationality
  • Race
  • Ethnicity
  • Religion
  • Class
  • Gender
  • Region
  • Religion
• Intercultural Communication - between people with different cultural identities.
• Other-focused orientation - normal or standard one
• Ethnocentrism - superior to other cultures.
• INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE – ability to communicate effectively and appropriately.
• Cross Cultural Characteristics:

  • Context
  • Time
  • Conflict
  • Conflict Management
• Types of Context:

  • High context - non verbal and contextual cues.
  • Low context - verbal communication.
• Types of Conflict:

  • Conflict as opportunity - normal and useful
  • Conflict as destructive - unnecessary and must be avoided.
• Types of Conflict Management:

  • Dominating Style - another to satisfy individual desires regardless of consequences.
  • Integrating Style - open discussion about the conflict to reach a solution that satisfies everyone involved.
  • Compromising Style - demands that everyone must give up something to reach a solution.
  • OBLIGING STYLE – involve giving up one ' s position to satisfy another's.
  • AVOIDING STYLE – People avoid the conflict entirely by failing to acknowledge its existence
• Dimensions of Culture ( Geert Hofstede )

  • Individualism - independence
  • Collectivism - interdependence
  • Low Power Distance - equality
  • High Power Distance - inequality
  • Masculinity - men and women expected to do
  • Femininity - quality of life
  • Uncertainty Avoidance - threatened
• Barriers to Intercultural

  • Anxiety
  • ASSUMING SIMILARITY INSTEAD OF DIFFERENCES
  • Ethnocentrism
  • Stereotypes
  • Prejudice