FIA 3131 Interpersonal Communication PDF

FIA 3131 Interpersonal Communication Week 6 Culture and Interpersonal Communication LESSON OBJECTIVE At the end of the lesson, students should be able to: ▪ understand the cultural awareness and cultural differences by describing at least fiv...

FIA 3131 Interpersonal Communication Week 6 Culture and Interpersonal Communication LESSON OBJECTIVE At the end of the lesson, students should be able to: ▪ understand the cultural awareness and cultural differences by describing at least five of the differences that people have in cultural context Understanding Diversity: Describing Our Differences a) Sex and Gender Sex and gender differences are complex and not easily classified into tidy categories of “male/masculine” and “female/feminine” behaviors. i) Sex - biologically based differences that determine whether one is male or female; ii) Gender - psychological and emotional characteristics that cause people to assume masculine, feminine, or androgynous roles Understanding Diversity: Describing Our Differences b) Sexual Orientation LGBTQ community members have become more assertive in expressing their rights within the American society. Effective and appropriate interpersonal communication reflects an awareness and sensitivity to issues and attitudes about sexual orientation. Although we may not intend anything negative, sometimes we unintentionally offend someone through more subtle use and misuse of language. ‘Homophobia’ → dislike or prejudice against homosexual people  Understanding Diversity: Describing Our Differences c) Race and Ethnicity Race and ethnicity foster common bonds that affect communication patterns. i) Race - based on the genetically transmitted physical characteristics of a group of people who are classified together (skin, hair, eye colour, etc) ii) Ethnicity - social classification based on a variety of factors that are shared by a group of people who also share a common geographic origin (nationality, regional culture, language, etc) iii) Discrimination - Unfair or inappropriate treatment of people based on their group membership  Understanding Diversity: Describing Our Differences d) Age Studies suggest that people hold stereotypical views of others based on their perceived age: i) Baby Boomers – 1946 – 1964 ii) Generation X – 1965 – 1980 iii) Millennials – 1981 – 1996 iv) Generation Z – 1997 – 2010 v) Generation Alpha – Born after 2010 Generational and age differences may create barriers and increase potential for conflict and misunderstanding.  Understanding Diversity: Describing Our Differences e) Social Class Cues to identify class distinctions: a) Way of life b) Family c) Job d) Money e) Education We are more likely to interact with people from our own social class. People who interact with one another over time tend to communicate in similar ways → they develop similar speech patterns and use similar expressions. It is possible to change one’s social class through education, employment, and income. Describing Differences Sex and gender Sexual orientation Race & ethnicity Age Social class Understanding Culture: Dimensions of Our Mental Software A learned system of knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms that is shared by a group of people Culture Includes how people think, what they do, and how they use things to sustain their lives. Culture and life experiences influence a person’s worldview Individual perceptions or perceptions by a culture or group of Worldview people about key beliefs and issues, such as death, God, and the meaning of life. A person’s worldview influences his or her interactions with others. A co-culture is a distinct culture within a larger culture; differences such as “gender” and “race” constitute co-cultures: (such as the gay and lesbian co-culture) o Material culture: housing, clothing, automobiles o Social institution: schools, governments, religious organization o Individuals and the universe: system of beliefs o Aesthetics: music, theatre, art, dance o Language: verbal and nonverbal communication systems  Two Ways of Learning Culture process of communicating a group’s culture Enculturation from generation to generation; culture is “learned.” (e.g. Tea ceremony) process of transmitting a host culture’s values, Acculturation ideas, and beliefs to someone from outside that culture. (e.g. Halloween, Valentine’s day)  The Seven Dimensions of Culture Individualism versus Collectivism An emphasis on the surrounding context versus little emphasis on context Masculine values that emphasize accomplishment, versus feminine values that emphasize nurturing Degree of tolerance for uncertainty Approaches to power Short-term or long-term approaches to time Indulgence versus Restraint  i) Individualism vs Collectivism (One and Many) Individualistic cultures value individual achievement and personal accomplishment Collectivistic cultures value group and team achievement. Individualist cultures tend to be more loosely knit socially; in collectivist cultures individuals expect more support from others. Individualism is a strong cultural dimension in the United States. Individual achievements are rewarded, often quite publicly.  ii) Context – High vs Low A high-context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. In high-context communication, a message cannot be understood without a great deal of background information. Asian, African, Arab, central European and Latin American cultures are generally considered to be high-context cultures. _______________________________________________________________________________________ A low-context culture relies on explicit communication. In low-context communication, more of the information in a message is spelled out and defined. Cultures with western European roots, such as the United States and Australia, are generally considered to be low-context cultures.  iii) Gender – Masculine vs Feminine ▪ Societies with masculine cultures put greater emphasis on achievement, assertiveness, heroism, material wealth, and more clearly differentiated sex roles. These cultures view communication from a content orientation (information exchange). Males base their friendships on sharing activities rather than talking.  iii) Gender – Masculine vs Feminine (cont.) ▪ People from more feminine cultures tend to value caring, sensitivity, and attention to quality of life. Women approach communication for the purpose of relating to others and to know and be known by others.  vi) Uncertainty – High vs Low Intolerance o Some cultures have a higher tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity and have more relaxed, informal expectations of others. o Some cultures have a higher need for certainty and have and enforce rigid rules of behavior and develop more elaborate codes of conduct. o People in societies with less tolerance for uncertainty generally like to know what will happen next. o People in other societies are more comfortable with certainty. o People from Portugal, Greece, Peru, Belgium, and Japan have high certainty needs, but people from Scandinavian countries tend to tolerate uncertainty.  v) Power – Centralised vs Decentralised ▪ Centralised power cultures value having power in the hands of a small number of people. (e.g. Singapore) ▪ Decentralised power cultures favour equality and an even distribution of power in government and organizations. (e.g. USA) ▪ Societies with more centralised power distribution generally value great power differences between people. ▪ People in such societies are generally more accepting of fewer people having authority and power than are people from societies in which power is more decentralised.  vi) Time: Short-Term vs Long-Term A culture’s orientation to time falls on a continuum between long-term and short-term. Long-term orientation is when you are focused on the future. You are willing to delay short-term material or social success or even short-term emotional gratification in order to prepare for the future. Short-term orientation is when you are focused on the present or past and consider them more important than the future. If you have a short-term orientation, you value tradition, the current social hierarchy and fulfilling your social obligations.  vii) Happiness: Indulgent vs Restrained Indulgent cultures desire and expect freedom and happiness, whereas; Restrained cultures do not expect to have all of their needs met to achieve happiness. People in societies with greater expectation of happiness desire and expect freedom and happiness. Cultures that are more restrained do not necessarily expect to have all of their needs met to achieve happiness.