Adapting Communication to Cultures and Social Communities

Adapting Communication to Cultures and Social Communities By: Ashkia Louissaint, Kerena Grant, Leah Doornbos, Renaldo Strachan, Reney Clarke



IN THIS ISSUE 1 WHAT IS 3 UNDERSTANDING CULTURE? CULTURES AND SOCIAL COMMUNITIES 5 DIMENSIONS OF CULTURES AND SOCIAL COMMUNITIES -Multiple Social Communities May -Individualism/ Coexist in a Single Collectivism: Culture -Uncertainty Avoidance -Stand point Theory -Masculinity/ Femininity -Power Distance 9 NOW, RELATIONSHIP -Long term/ Short term BETWEEN CULTURE AND orientation COMMUNICATION 15 GUIDELINES FOR -We learn Culture in the ADAPTING process of COMMUNICATION TO communicating DIVERSE CULTURES AND -Communication is a SOCIAL COMMUNITIES: primary indicator of culture .Engage in Person-Centered -Communication Communication Expresses and Sustains -Respect Other’s Feelings and Ideas Cultures -Resist Ethnocentric Bias -Communication Is a -Recognize That Adapting to Cultural Source of Cultural Diversity Is a Process: Change -Resistance -Tolerance -Understanding -Respect -Participation

Reykjavi What is Culture? largestc CULTURE IS A SYSTEM OF IDEAS, VALUES, BELIEFS, CUSTOMS, AND LANGUAGE THAT IS PASSED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT AND THAT REFLECTS AND SUSTAINS A PARTICULAR WAY OF LIFE. IF WE WERE TO ASK YOU, IS IT MORE IMPORTANT FOR SOCIETY TO BE WELL-ORDERED OR TO PROVIDE PERSONAL FREEDOM TO ITS MEMBERS? OR DOES WINNING A REWARD REFLECT MORE ON THE PERSON WHO WON IT OR THEIR FAMILY? HOWEVER, YOU CAME UP WITH AN ANSWER WAS 1 INFLUENCED BY YOUR CULTURE. WHETHER IT PROMOTES INDIVIDUALITY OR COLLECTIVE WELL- BEING, OUR CULTURES DICTATE HOW WE LIVE. THUS, SIMPLY PUT CULTURE IS JUST AS WAY OF LIFE.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT 2 CULTURE IS, FIRST WE WILL DISCUSS UNDERSTANDING CULTURES AND SOCIAL COMMUNITIES, DIMENSIONS OF CULTURES AND SOCIAL COMMUNITIES. THEN, WE'LL EXPLORE FOUR IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION. LASTLY WE'LL DISCUSS GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVELY TO DIVERSE CULTURES AND SOCIAL GROUPS.

FIRST, UNDERSTANDING CULTURES AND SOCIAL COMMUNITIES : In understanding Cultures and Social Communities it is important that we know, Multiple Social Communities May Coexist in a Single Culture We typically think that where you live determines your culture which is partly true. You must know that although persons may live in the same geographic territory their cultures may be different. Social communities are members in groups of mainstream culture. Example: Where a large part of Western culture is being heterosexual, European, landowning and an able-bodied man who is Christian. A social community focuses more on the minorities that are still prevalent like homosexuals, transgendered people, people of color or persons who have religions other than Christianity. 3

Standpoint Theory Standpoint theory- claims that social groups within a culture distinctively shape members’ perspectives, perceptions, identities, expectations, and so forth. Someone can be a member of a social community and have perspectives that are shaped by the social community without being aware of it. However, it only becomes a standpoint when you become aware of the forces that create injustice or inequity. For e.g The person with the English friends may not be aware of the unfair treatment people of color experienced because white is the dominant group, but the one with the Hispanic friends may have been told about what their people went through so their views change. 4

Professor Doornbos Next, Dimensions of Cultures and Social Communities : Individualism/ Collectivism: 5 This refers to the extent in which we see ourselves as a part of and connected to our families, cultures and other systems. For e.g In countries such as Pakistan and China, they see themselves collectively and deeply tied to groups, families and clans. In Western cultures, persons mostly see themselves as individuals and act relatively independent.

Uncertainty Avoidance: This refers to the extent in which people want to avoid vagueness and ambiguity. For eg., In cultures like South Korean and Polish culture they strive to have everything spelled out as clearly possible to alleviate misunderstanding. Whereas, in Hong Kong and Sweden, they tolerate misunderstandings and have little expectations Masculinity/ Femininity: This refers to the extent to which a culture values 6 masculine characteristic such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, looking out for yourself and dominance versus cooperation, gentleness and living in harmony. For e.g., Cultures higher in femininity such as Norway and the Netherlands men and women are more gentle, cooperative and caring. While in Japan and Germany masculinity is more prevalent with both women and men being aggressive and competitive, but women less than men.

Power Distance This refers to the size of the gap between people with high and low power and the extent to which that is regarded as normal.. For eg. In India and China) the gap between low and high power is greater than others, this creates a societywhere the powerful are respected, and there is lower expectation of movement between classes, levels etc. In New Zealand, and Norway the gap of power is low. It is expected that people in power earned that power rather than gaining it because of their position. Long term/ Short term orientation This refers to the extent to which members of a 7 culture think long term versus short term. For e.g., Asian cultures thrive on principles of planning, hard work and respect for your elders with a long-term orientation. But, in Australia and Germany Y.O.L.O living is prevalent where they think of the present, do not save up for rainy days and do not have much respect for elders.The overall gain from long term orientations is called Confucian values, but even cultures whose cultures are not historically linked to this influence can still have long term orientations.

Question: Have you ever had a friend from somewhere else and noticed how different your cultural dimensions are? Can you share? 8

Professor Strachan Now, Relationship between Culture and Communication : Communication is closely linked to culture because it expresses, sustains and alters culture. There are five principles that connect communication and culture: 9

1.) We learn Culture in the process of communicating From the moment of birth, we begin to learn the beliefs, values, and norms of our society. We come to learn a culture’s perspectives through communicating, observing and interacting with others. In this way language, meaning and values are learned. For e.g., You learn how to address elders by how you see others address them, how elders address each other or how the media portrays them. 2.) Communication is a primary indicator of culture This is one of the best indicators that a culture or social community exists is communication. Because communication is the means by which we interact with others, persons from different cultures or social communities communicate differently and or have different meanings for communicative acts. For e.g., We have seen this a lot in our text where in Western culture eye-contact is a sign of respect and attentiveness, but in Asian culture is a sign of disrespect. Similarly, since Asian cultures value collectivism they address persons according to kinship bonds (my father’s uncle, my youngest daughter) and Western cultures value individualism, so they do not.

There are two types of communication styles as it pertains to culture Low context High context communication communication styles : styles: 1. Is very direct, explicit and Is indirect and undetailed. detailed. 2. People here are regarded as People here are regarded as inter- individuals therefore connected, so they assume others share their values and understandings communicators try not to assume 3. They share meanings and be They do not spell everything out. very precise. 4. Example: Someone may invite Example: when inviting friends over their friends for dinner and say for dinner, the person may say “Please “Come to our house at 7pm tomorrow, and we’ll eat around come to our home tomorrow evening.” 8:30. Feelfree to bring your baby Here this person assumes that the with you. When he gets tired, you can put him down in the guests automatically know that their guestroom” baby is welcomed, can lay in a guest room if he falls asleep, and that of course dinner will be served because who does not serve dinner in the evenings. 11

Exerciseeee Time: What do you call: That coconut drink that has rum in it? A meal that comprises of cracked conch and fries? That game where you throw tennis balls at each other and whoever the ball hits is out? Or, if you were in your room alone and someone scares you, what would you exclaim? 12

Communication Expresses and Sustains Cultures Communication simultaneously reflects and sustains cultural values. Communication is the mirror of a culture’s values and primary means of keeping them woven into the fabric of everyday life. For e.g., Westerners value time, and individuality and assertiveness, hence why they say things like “Let’s not waste time” and speak up for their ideas. Contrary, Asian Americans value self-restraint and the priority of reason over emotion, so they tend to avoid displaying emotion. Popular phrases such as “the early bird gets the worm” and “Nice guys finish last” are examples of how communication expresses American culture where they value initiative and aggressiveness is pivotal to winning. 13

Communication Is a Source of Cultural Change Communication is a source of change in cultures and social communities. It acts as a catalyst for change by naming things in ways that shape how we understand them. This tool is used mostly by social movements who have prompted change and or changed cultural life, like the Civil Rights and Black Power movements who are motivated to asserting the value and beauty of black culture in America. E.g. Google has come to be known as a particular search engine. Environmental racism and environmental justice were coined to refer to the practice of locating toxic waste dumps and other environmental hazards in communities where the poor or non-whites tend to live. 14

Professor Grant Lastly, Guidelines for Adapting Communication to Diverse Cultures and Social Communities: In order to effectively live in this culturally diverse world, you must: Engage in Person-Centered Communication When we encounter people, our customs that we are not familiar with, we experience uncertainty. Thus, the Uncertainty Reduction Theory arises where we try to alleviate uncertainty since we find it uncomfortable. We do this, by asking questions, listening and observing others, thus learning about the culture. This helps us to have person-centeredness, where we consider another person’s perspective and use that to dictate how we communicate with them. 15

Respect Other’s Feelings and Ideas -Try your best not to undermine what others think, say or feel and using disconfirming language. -Refrain from speaking for others as well when they can speak for themselves, it is seen as rude and disempowering. -Do not assume you understand how a person feels or think, because cultures are different and hold different meanings. - Respect each person and their thoughts and feelings to be effective communicators. Resist Ethnocentric Bias Ethnocentrism is the tendency to regard ourselves and our ways of life as normal or more superior to others. It literally means to put our ethnicity (ethno) to the center (centrism) of the universe. This practice causes us to have false judgements about anything different from our cultures, I.e when we judge people from different cultures as less ambitious or civilized. To reduce this, we must: -Recognize that the way people think, behave, and what they believe, and value varies according to culture. In this way, we can acknowledge that a particular practice makes in one culture without approving it. Now, you can respect other cultures, even with there being different 16

Recognize That Adapting to Cultural Diversity Is a Process It takes time to develop the skill in communicating interculturally: Resistance: This is a common response to diversity, that occurs when we reject beliefs of a culture or social community. This often happens when we judge other cultures based on our own. Resistance can be expressed through hate crimes, and denial of other cultures lead to racial slurs, homophobic attacks as well as antisemitic messages. Assimilation happens when people give up their ways and adopt the ways of dominant culture. Philosopher Peter Berger calls this surrendering because it means to give up an original cultural identity for a new one. An example of this is, the era of Immigration in America where many persons left their homes because the country was referred to as a “melting pot,” where they could easily fit in or adapt to American culture. 17

Tolerance: This is a second response to diversity. -Tolerance accepts differences whether one approves of or even understands them. -Respect others rights to their ways even if you disagree with them. -Judgement still exists but is not actively imposed. - Is open-minded to accepting the existence of differences. -Less open-minded in perceiving the value of other lifestyles and values. Understanding: States that differences are rooted in cultural teachings with none being intrinsically best or right. -Builds on cultural relativism. -Realizes that values beliefs, norms and communication styles are rooted in distinct cultural perspectives. -Curiosity over judgement. For e.g. when conversing with a Japanese person instead of passing a judgement that they are rude for not having eye-contact, instead you learn what eye-contact means in Japan and ask questions in order to comprehend. 18

Respect: 19 Once we move away from judgements and come to understand the cultural basis for ways that differ from ours, we start to respect differences. -Acknowledges the differences but remain anchored to your own cultural customs. -Appreciates the differences. - Recognizes that you don’t have to adopt other’s ways in order to respect them. - Avoids ethnocentrism.

Lastly, 20 Participation: The incorporation of some practices and values of other groups into our own lives. Harvard professor Henry Louis believes that the ideal society is one where we build a common civic culture that celebrates both differences and similarities. -Helps develops skills for participating in a multicultural world. -Learn to be multilingual. Thus, you learn to not only speak a different language but different communication styles. I.e incorporating both feminine and masculine communication styles.

Source Communication Mosaics An Introduction to the Field of Communication By: Julia .T. Woods