Features of Culture

North Seattle Community College

Beginnings 2009

Culture and Cultural Communication

Definition of Culture:

Culture is a system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are shared by a group of people. It includes customs, language, and material artifacts. These are transmitted from generation to generation, rarely with explicit instructions.

“Culture is the medium evolved by human beings to survive. Nothing in our lives is free from cultural influences. We are culture” (Edward T. Hall).

Features of Culture:

· styles of dress

· ways of greeting people

· beliefs about hospitality

· importance of time

· values

· beliefs about child raising

· attitudes about personal space/privacy

· celebrations/holidays/customs

· music

· concept of self

· work ethic

· religious beliefs

· concept of beauty

· attitude toward age

· role of family

Questions:

How do you think you learned your culture?

How do you think your culture shaped you? How has it influenced your values, preferences, and beliefs?

Despite the differences in culture, what are some things that everyone has in common?

How does culture shape the way we see ourselves, others, and the world?

Characteristics of Culture:

· culture is not innate; it is learned (wisdom stories)

· culture is transmitted from one generation to another

· culture is based on symbols (verbal, nonverbal)

· culture is subject to change (cultures are dynamic, living systems; they do not exist in a vacuum)

· culture is ethnocentric (your own culture is the lens through which all other cultures are evaluated)

· culture is inter-related (touch it in on area, it affects the whole)

· culture is mostly unconscious

Culture as an Iceberg:

What aspects of culture are visible? What are invisible? How might items below the line affect those above?

Nitza Hidalgo’s “Three Levels of Culture”:

· The Concrete – most visible and tangible level of culture

· The Behavioral – how we define our social roles, the language we speak, and our approaches to nonverbal communication. This level reflects our values. (includes language, gender roles, family structure, political affiliation, etc.)

· The Symbolic – our values and beliefs. The key to how we define ourselves. Includes values systems, customs, spirituality, religion, worldview, beliefs, etc.

What is Multicultural Communication?

Multicultural communication is communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbolic systems are different enough to alter the communication event.

Barriers to Effective Multicultural Communication:

· Ethnocentrism

· Different language codes

· Stereotypes and prejudices

· Assuming similarity

Bridging Differences in Background and Culture

· seek information about another culture

· understand another’s world view

· think of yourself as a detective

· learn about the other culture’s customs, art, history

· learn about the language

· be other oriented

· ask questions

· develop mindfulness

· develop flexibility

· tolerate ambiguity

· avoid negative judgments about another culture

A Way to Begin: Multicultural Small Group Conversations

· country/culture of origin

· educational system

· eating/food

· gestures and greetings

· clothing

· language

· religion and holidays

· family

· dating, courtship, marriage

· social and economic conditions

· work and economy

· recreation/health

· history and government