Understanding Culture: Key Concepts

• Culture is a complex system of shared patterns, traditions, beliefs, values, norms, symbols, and meanings within a community.

Key Points of Culture

• Culture consists of shared systems of meanings in a society.
• These systems transmit through daily interactions across generations.
• Culture aids members in adapting and surviving in their environment.

Iceberg Metaphor

• Surface-level culture includes observable aspects like fashion, trends, and pop culture.
• Intermediate-level culture includes symbols, norms, and explicit communication cues.
• Deep-level culture involves underlying values, beliefs, and assumptions that drive behavior.
• Seafloor-level culture relates to universal human needs like safety, inclusion, and well-being.

Intercultural Communication

• A symbolic exchange process occurs where individuals from different cultural communities negotiate shared meanings in interactive situations and larger sociocultural environments.

Key Components of Intercultural Communication

• Symbolic Exchange involves the use of verbal and nonverbal communication.
• Process-Oriented communication is dynamic, interdependent, and irreversible.
• Negotiation of Shared Meanings includes content (factual information), identity (self and other perceptions), and relational meanings (power distance, emotional closeness).

Cross-Cultural vs. Intergroup Communication

• Cross-Cultural Communication is a comparative analysis of communication across cultures, such as comparing conflict styles.
• Intergroup Communication is communication shaped by group membership factors like age, gender, or status.

Functions of Culture

• Identity Meaning is when culture frames the answer to "Who am I?" through shared beliefs, values, and norms.
• Example: U.S. culture emphasizes individualism, while Chinese culture values collectivism and filial piety.
• Explanatory Frame: Culture reduces uncertainty by offering norms to understand behaviors.
• Example: Public displays of affection (PDA) are acceptable in some cultures but not in others.
• Boundary Regulation differentiates between in-groups and out-groups, shaping emotional ties and attitudes.
• Ecological Adaptation occurs as culture evolves with environmental demands, rewarding behaviors that align with ecological needs.
• Example: Hunting societies value competition, while farming societies emphasize cooperation.
• Cultural Communication coordinates cultural values, norms, and practices through communication.

Characteristics of Intercultural Communication

• Symbolic Exchange uses verbal (content) and nonverbal (affective) symbols.
• Process: Communication is transactional and irreversible; missteps cannot be undone.
• Negotiation of Shared Meanings includes content, identity, and relational meanings.
• Interactive Situation: Physical, psychological, and cultural features of the setting influence communication.
• Intergroup Perception is shaped by cultural conditioning, stereotypes, and biases.
• Cultural Expectations create norms for appropriate behavior derived from cultural values.
• Sociocultural-Macro Environment Factors like politics, economics, and history shape interactions.

Challenges in Intercultural Communication

• Ethnocentrism: Viewing one's culture as superior to others.
• Stereotypes: Overgeneralized views of individuals or groups based on limited evidence.
• Well-Meaning Clashes (Brislin, 1993) are when misunderstandings occur when individuals follow their cultural norms without realizing others may have different norms.
• Example: Direct eye contact signifies respect in the U.S. but disrespect in Thailand.

Five Core Assumptions of Intercultural Communication

• Sociocultural membership differences influence communication.
• Encoding and decoding messages require alignment of verbal and nonverbal cues.
• Miscommunication often stems from differences in cultural expectations.
• Communication is context-bound, influenced by the setting and environment.
• Culture operates within macro-level systems (e.g., politics, economics) and micro-level interactions (e.g., family, peers).

Definition of Identity

• Identity refers to our sense of self, shaped by individual traits and memberships in social and cultural groups.
• It encompasses both self-perception and how others perceive and label us.

Contents of Identity

• Personal Identity: Unique intrapersonal attributes are shaped by life experiences (e.g., hobbies, interests).
• Social Identity is derived from group memberships (e.g., gender, ethnicity, professional roles).
• Cultural Identity: Belonging to cultural groups influences values, beliefs, and behaviors.

Types of Identity

• Personal Identity focuses on self-concept based on individual interests and traits.
• Social Identity involves affiliations with groups (e.g., being a teacher or member of an ethnic community).
• Cultural Identity shapes how individuals view themselves as members of cultural groups, affecting their norms and worldviews.

How Identities are Created

• Internal Factors: Gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, hobbies, and personal experiences.

• External Factors: Family, societal norms, culture, and media.

• Social Interactions: Relationships with parents, teachers, and role models

• Cognitive Development results in adolescents forming a "theory of self" as they develop identity.

• Social Categorization divides the social world into groups, fostering differentiation.

• Social Comparison is the self-evaluation through comparison with others' attitudes and beliefs.

Identity Development Process

• Exploration involves experimenting with roles and values.
• Commitment includes making decisions and solidifying aspects of identity.
• Social Identification means adopting the norms and values of a group.
• Continuous Reflection refers to the ongoing evaluation of past, present, and future selves.

Historical Origin of Hegemony

• Originates from Classical Greece, where "hegemon" referred to city-states with political/military dominance (e.g., Spartan and Theban hegemonies).
• Historically, it meant geopolitical control.

Antonio Gramsci's Contribution

• An Italian communist theorist who expanded the concept during his imprisonment under Mussolini.
• Developed "Philosophy of Praxis," including hegemony, ideology, and organic intellectuals.
• Redefined hegemony as control through cultural domination, not just physical power.

Modern Understanding of Cultural Hegemony

• Gramsci analyzed how the bourgeoisie dominates society in capitalism.
• Cultural domination legitimizes power by embedding ideas in society as "common sense."
• Example: Media outlets owned by wealthy elites often support policies favoring wealth inequality, portraying them as logical and natural.

Examples of Cultural Hegemony

• The portrayal of the nuclear, heterosexual family in media reinforces a specific norm of "family."
• War films often depict global North/West interventions in Africa or South America as positive, subtly reinforcing geopolitical dominance.

Key Idea

• Gramsci's biographer described hegemony as "predominance, obtained by consent."
• Cultural texts play a role in maintaining power by embedding certain ideologies, often unintentionally.

Surface Culture

• Observable aspects like music, food, languages, and art.

Deep Culture

• Underlying values, beliefs, communication styles, rules, and attitudes toward people.

A Signal of Trust

• Humans tend to trust those who resemble them in appearance or background.
• In globalized societies, trust is often based on shared political, economic, or cultural interests.

Ethnocentrism

• Defined by William Graham as viewing one's culture as central to reality.
• Can lead to stereotypes, prejudices, and racism.
• The hormone oxytocin increases trust within in-groups but can foster dislike for out-groups.

Dealing with Differences

• Cultures survive through communication and knowledge accumulation.

• Humans can move past ethnocentrism to accept differences and manage resources effectively.

• Acculturation the process of interacting with different cultures.

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS)

• Ethnocentrism Stages:

  • Denial: Withdrawal from interacting with out-groups.
  • Defense: Negative stereotypes and prejudice.
  • Minimization: Viewing one's worldview as universal.

• Ethnorelativism Stages:

  • Acceptance: Recognizing cultural differences as valid.
  • Adaptation: Shifting frame of reference to understand other cultures.
  • Integration: Moving fluidly between cultural viewpoints.

• Cultural Shock is the stress of adapting to a new culture.

• Stages: Honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, and acceptance.

Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

• CQ Head: Cognitive understanding of cultural differences.
• CQ Heart: Motivation to adapt to new cultures.
• CQ Hand: Behavioral flexibility in cross-cultural situations.

Definition of Culture

• Anthropology: A way of life shared by a group.
• Elite culture: Art, music, and food made by or for the elite.
• Pop Culture: Cultural products accessible to the majority (e.g., music, TV shows, video games).

Perspectives on Pop Culture

• Critical View: Pop culture as propaganda that reinforces societal hierarchies.
• Agency View: Pop culture as a space for creativity and resistance.

Functions of Pop Culture

• Generates social norms, boundaries, rituals, and innovation.
• Reflects and shapes societal values and progress.
• The middle class sets norms for consumption and cultural production.
• Culture Industry: Commercially produced cultural meanings embedded in media (text, audio, video).

Social Norms Through Pop-Culture

• Pop culture generates basic social norms, boundaries, and rituals.
• It fosters social solidarity and innovation.

Conceptions of Pop-Culture

• Frankfurt School (Critical Theory):
  • Critiques mass culture as a tool of capitalist control.
  • Key concepts: Culture industry, commodity fetishism, false needs, and monopoly capitalism.
• Birmingham School (Cultural Studies):
  • Emphasizes cultural resistance and audience agency.
  • Key concepts: Cultural hegemony, encoding/decoding model, and subcultures.
• Frankfurt School views audiences as passive, while Birmingham School sees them as active participants.

Encoding/Decoding Model

• Media producers encode messages, which audiences decode based on their context.

Types of Readings

• Dominant: Accepts intended meaning.
• Negotiated: Partially accepts and modifies.
• Oppositional: Rejects intended meaning.
• Real-World Example:
  • The "Are You Beach Body Ready?" ad was intended to promote fitness but was oppositionally read as body shaming.

Aspirational Advertising

• Mexican ads often favor light-skinned models, reinforcing colonial beauty standards.
• Darker-skinned individuals are depicted as poor or in need of help.

Case Studies

• Tecate Beer (2013): Criticized for sexism and racial exclusion.
• Indio Beer's #OrgullosamenteIndio Campaign (2018): Accused of whitening models.

Colonial Influence

• Advertising reflects Mexico's historical classist and racist structures.
• Older people are rarely featured in ads despite their economic power.

Stereotypes

• Older individuals are often depicted in secondary roles or as grandparents.
• Common in health and medical product ads.

Effects

• Older endorsers are credible for certain products but may reinforce ageism.
• Cultivation Theory: Media portrayals shape audience perceptions over time.

Research Gaps

• Need for standardized measures and balancing commercial/social effects.

Key Themes

• Culture and Communication: Understanding cultural layers and intercultural communication challenges.
• Identity: Formation and development through personal, social, and cultural factors.
• Cultural Hegemony: Dominance through cultural control and media representation.
• Pop Culture: Its role in shaping social norms and its critique by the Frankfurt and Birmingham Schools.
• Reception Theory: How audiences interpret media messages differently.
• Representation: Racial and age biases in advertising and their societal impacts.