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An exercise: Time Capsule
• 3 items to go into a “time capsule” to be opened in 500 years
• Size and cost do not matter• Must represent some aspect of
“American Culture” in 2004
Culture is…
• Learned, not innate (inborn)• Transmissible (transferable)• Dynamic…yet static• Selective• Interrelated in its aspects• Ethnocentric
Aspects of culture• Social perception
• Beliefs and attitudes• Values• Rules and Norms
• World View• Social Organization
• Family• Education• Law, etc.
Aspects of culture• Verbal processes
• Thought patterns• Inductive• Deductive• Cyclical• Intuitive
• Verbal language
• Nonverbal processes• “Contact” behaviors• “Display rules” (showing emotion)• Time• Space
An Iceberg Model of Culture
The IC Communication Process
Environmental Influences
Sending
Receiving
Ways to Study Values
EmicStudies behavior from within systemExamines only one cultureStructure discovered by analystCriteria relative to internal characteristics“Cultural” Communication
EticStudies behavior from outside of systemExamines many cultures (comparing)Structure created by analystCriteria considered absolute, universalCross-Cultural Communication
Value Dimensions(E. T. Hall)
Low Context High Context
Value Dimensions
Individualism/ Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Masculinity/ Femininity
Hofstede’s Dimensions
Value Dimensions
Japan
Collectivistic
Individualistic
Low Power Distance
High Power Distance
JamaicaMexico
Turkey
IndiaArgentina
Denmark
Germany
United States
Italy
Venezuela
MalaysiaHong Kong
Costa Rica
A video example…
• How do you see the different aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions or High-Low context communicated in this video (Iron & Silk)?
Influence on the classroom?
Individualism/Collectivism Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity/Femininity
Value DimensionsParson’s Pattern Variables
Affectivity Affect Neutrality
Universalism Particularism
Diffuseness Specificity
Ascription Achievement
Instrumental Orientation
Expressive Orientation
Value DimensionsKluckhohn & Strodtbeck’s Value Dimensions
Orientation A B CHuman Nature
Evil Good Good + Evil
Person-Nature
Subject Harmony Master
Time Past Present Future
Activity Being Being-in-becoming
Doing
Relational Lineality Collaterality Individual’m
Specific Values(Vander Zanden, 1965; Patai, 1976) “American” Values Materialism Success Work & Activity Progress Rationality Democracy Humanitarianism
Middle Eastern Values
Hospitality Generosity Courage Honor Self-Respect
ValuesCommunication
“American” Communication
Direct “Elaborated” Informal Low context Less differentiated
codes
Middle Eastern Communication
Indirect Emphatic Formality High context More differentiated
codes
American & Chinese Communication
American Communication
What is said “I” focusImpolite talkDirect talkAssertive speechSelf-enhancing talkPublic personal
questionsExpressive speech
Chinese Communication
What is not said “We” focusPolite talkIndirect talkHesitant speechSelf-effacing talkPrivate personal
questions
Reticent speech
(Gao & Ting-Toomey, 1998)
• Cognitive Styles• Intuitive-Expressive• Axiomatic-Deductive• Factual-Inductive• Cyclical
Influence on the classroom?
Style Influence
Emic Approaches
• Your own artifacts! • http://www.zompist.com/amercult.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_
United_States
• Readings: Althen, etc.• What are some of the key influences
on American Values?• What did you find out about American
culture, communication from your reading?
Cultural Values (“emic”)• Individual freedom/self-reliance/privacy• Equality of opportunity-competition• Material wealth (consumerism)/hard
work/achievement/action• Future/change/technology/progress• Informality• Goodness of humanity• Time• Directness/Assertiveness
Influences on values
• Protestant Heritagehard work
• Immigration; England, Europe, “Melting Pot”
pragmatism• Frontier heritage
the rugged individual• The heritage of business
entrepreneurs as heroes
American Proverbs
God helps those
Who help themselves
Early to bed, early to
rise…makes a man healthy,
wealthy, and wiseWhen the going gets
tough…
the tough get going
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Every problem has a
solution
Idle
han
ds a
re th
e de
vil’s
works
hop
A penny saved is a penny earned
Tim
e is
mon
ey
Look out for Number One!
American Proverbs
God helps those
Who help themselves
Early to bed, early to
rise…makes a man healthy,
wealthy, and wiseWhen the going gets
tough…
the tough get going
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Every problem has a
solution
Idle
han
ds a
re th
e de
vil’s
works
hop
A penny saved is a penny earned
Tim
e is
mon
ey
Look out for Number One!
Verbal Communication• Based on values, notions of logic• Talk/Communication as:
• A solution• A vehicle of meaning (essentially
pragmatic), e.g., “Grice’s maxims”• A mirror of reality (close connection)
• Diversity of Communication• Male/female• Ethnic group
Verbal Communication (cont’d)
• General characteristics• Less formal• Less “differentiated” in code (more
“universal” than “particular”)—that is, status differences less important
• Less code switching• More instrumental (than expressive)• More “outcome” than “process”• More pragmatic than philosophical• More “open”…and yet…
Verbal Communication (cont’d)
• Face-Saving behaviors?• More focused on self than other• More focused on “negative” face
(autonomy, freedom) than “positive” face (inclusion)…but…
• More direct than indirect• Conflict preference: dominating,
collaborating (“conflict is good”) rather than yielding, obliging. . . Thus, expect:
Nonverbal Communication
• Affiliative behavior (and the “need to be liked”)
• Contact: “moderate”• Differs by status, gender/sex,
ethnicity• Some channels differ by status of
the other person (e.g., touch)
Nonverbal Communication (cont’d)
What to Expect by Channel• Gestures: moderate• Space: “large”; 4 zones• Posture (in the classroom)• Pace: “brisk”• Touch: moderate, but based on
relationship• Gaze and body angle: “direct” (?)• Smell: notions of “cleanliness”• Facial expression: more emotion, less
differentiated by status, etc.
Habits of the Heart
• Main theme: • Types:• Influences on:• Influences of:• State in U.S.? Cf other places?• +/- of individualism?• +/- of Bellah et al.’s coverage?
Some icons/aspects of individualism
Independent Citizens?
Conclusion: Hints…• Describe, don’t evaluate• Recognize value differences• Be aware of attribution• Be aware of stereotypes (yours & theirs!)• Be aware of different meanings• Know yourself!• Look for similarities (too)• Don’t confuse people with cultures• Talk…the American solution
Conclusion: Hints…
• How to “talk” through differences• Give complete, explicit (low context)
detail• Paraphrase• Ask questions• Ask for verification
