Chapter 5

Understanding

Culture

John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

What Is Culture?

Culture is an established, coherent set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices shared by a large group of people.

Influences include:

nationality, ethnicity,

religion, gender,

sexual orientation,

physical abilities,

and even age.

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Culture Defined

• Culture is learned.

• Culture is communicated.

• Culture is layered.

• Culture is lived.

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Co-cultures

In any society, there are groups of people who

have more power than others.

Co-cultural Communication Theory: The

people who have more power within a society

determine the dominant culture.

Co-cultures: formed by members of a society

who don’t conform to the dominant culture

Co-cultures (cont.)

Members of co-cultures develop communication practices for dealing with members of the dominant culture. They may:

• Use overly polite language

• Suppress reactions to offensive comments

• Try to excel to counteract negative stereotypes

• Conform to negative stereotypes in an exaggerated way

• Try to act, look, and talk like members of the dominant culture

• Openly disparage their own co-culture

• Express co-cultural identity through appearance, actions, and words

PrejudicePrejudice occurs when stereotypes reflect rigid

attitudes toward groups and their members.

Stereotype Content Model: Prejudice centers on

two judgments made about others: how warm and

friendly they are and how competent they are.

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Prejudice (cont.)

Benevolent prejudice occurs when people

think of a particular group as inferior but also

friendly and competent.

Hostile prejudice occurs when people have

negative attitudes toward a group of individuals

whom they see as unfriendly and incompetent.

Cultural Influences on

CommunicationSeven characteristics shape our intercultural

communication:

1. Individualism versus collectivism

2. Uncertainty avoidance

3. Power distance

4. High and low context

5. Emotion displays

6. Masculinity versus femininity

7. Views of time

Individualism versus

CollectivismPeople in individualistic cultures value

independence and personal achievement.

People in collectivistic cultures emphasize group

identity, interpersonal harmony, and the well-being

of ingroups.

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Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty avoidance is a measure of how

different cultures tolerate and accept

unpredictability.

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Power DistancePower distance is the degree to which people in a

particular culture view the unequal distribution of

power as acceptable.

High and Low Context

People in high-context cultures use relatively

vague and ambiguous language to convey

important meanings.

People in low-context cultures tend not to

presume that others share their beliefs, attitudes,

and values. They strive to be clear and direct in

communication.

Emotion DisplaysDisplay rules are the cultural guidelines for when,

where, and how people should and shouldn’t

express emotion.

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Masculinity versus Femininity

Masculine cultural values include the

accumulation of personal wealth as an indicator of

success, assertiveness, and personal

achievement.

Feminine cultural values emphasize

compassion, cooperation, relationship health, and

quality of life for all people.

Views of Time

People with a monochronic

time orientation view time as

a precious resource that

can run out.

People with a polychronic

time orientation view time as

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be spent, saved, or guarded.FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Creating Intercultural

CompetenceIntercultural competence: the ability to

communicate appropriately, effectively, and

ethically with people from diverse backgrounds

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World-Mindedness

World-mindedness: the ability to accept and

respect other cultures’ beliefs, values, and

customs

Ethnocentrism: the belief that one’s own cultural

beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices are

superior to others’

• It is the opposite of world-mindedness.

Attributional Complexity

Attributional complexity: acknowledging that other

people’s behaviors have complex causes

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Communication

Accommodation

Communication accommodation theory: People

adapt their communication when they seek social

approval, when they wish to establish relationships,

and when they view others’ language use as

appropriate.