On this assignment, you will explore the relationship between culture and communication. In her definition of culture, Bevan (2020) states it is the collective set of customs, values, beliefs, and norms of a group of people. In this paper, you will explore how culture creates customs of verbal and nonverbal communication and then explore two other themes covered in Bevan. Ultimately, you will discuss how paying attention to culture can help us improve as communicators.
In your paper,
-Explain two points detailing why it is so important to be aware of culture when thinking about communication, utilizing Bevan.
-Explain how culture shapes verbal and nonverbal communication, utilizing Bevan.
-Describe the relationship between culture and two other themes that are central to culture from this list, utilizing Bevan:
-Gender(Chapters 2 and 3)
-High versus low context cultures (Chapter 3)
-Dominant cultures versus co-cultures (Chapter 3)
-Individualism and collectivism (Chapter 3)
-Perceptual filters (Chapter 3)
NOTE: If you’d like to supplement your points by learning more about the roles of race or class in communication, please use one or more of the videos in the “Resources” box in the upper right corner to assist you. This is not required, but can enrich your paper.
Explain how paying attention to culture can help a person improve as a communicator, utilizing Bevan and, if you choose, one of the supplemental videos you watched.
The Culture and Communication paper
-Must be 750 words (three double-spaced pages) in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource.
-For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).
-Must utilize an academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
-Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
-For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
-Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) guide.
-Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.
Comments from Customer
Discipline: Interpersonal Communication. Please maintain paragraph structuring. Do not cite Topic or Concluding sentences. You must have a strong and DEBATABLE thesis statement. Cite exactly where you borrow and avoid citing general or information in public domain.
The Culture and Communication Paper
Culture is one of the most essential elements of societies, past and modern. The concept refers to the collective set of customs, values, beliefs, and norms of a group of people, as Bevan (2020) states. These aspects of society are passed down from one generation to another through communication. Culture is the way people within a community or society communicate to learn from others (Bevan, 2020). While many other factors affect communication, culture is the most important since it determines the verbal and nonverbal approaches to use when communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Importance of being Aware of Culture when Thinking about Communication
When thinking about communication, culture comes to mind since the latter is a part of the social construction determining how people interact. Culture is a system of languages, customs, rituals, and other behaviors that form a part of life and how people live together and interact in meaningful ways. The communicative elements, such as shaking hands, etiquette, and courtesy, are influenced and transformed by culture (Bevan, 2020). Besides, when thinking about communication, it is hard not to think about the culture within which the process occurs. Communication is a part of culture since it helps to develop and pass its elements to incoming generations. All societies have systems of social organization, in which culture exists to create order and organize it. For example, it helps form a system within which people live and make sense of their relationships through norms and rules.” (Novinger, 2001). Culture is also defined by socialization and rules, which are also important when thinking about communication.
How Culture Shapes Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Culture and communication are interconnected regardless of the geographical location or context within which they operate. Culture defines how people interact and pass messages, verbally or non-verbally. Cultures have different elements of verbal or non-verbal communication systems that have been passed on from one generation to the next (Lerner, 2015). For example, when one travels to another country outside the United States (a different culture), they will encounter other languages, etiquettes, dressing styles, and gestures, which are part of verbal and nonverbal communication influenced and shaped by the particular culture. In some cultures, it is necessary to shake hands when greeting someone, and failure to do so will be interpreted as rudeness or arrogance. Generally, verbal and nonverbal messages reflect the person’s cultural background and upbringing. They are part of the dominant culture’s experience, belief systems, values, and attitudes (Bevan, 2020). The statement helps to understand why cultures differ in terms of how their members communicate.
The Relationship Bbetween Culture and other Themes
Gender Orientation
The theme refers to a psychologically-defined element, which is partially based on a blend of biological sex, culture, membership to a group, and other individuals, relational, and societal factors. Gender-orientation refers to a “social, symbolic construction that expresses the meanings a society confers on biological sex” (Wood & Dindia, 1998, p. 20). The theme relates to culture since gender orientation is a social construction that depends on a person’s cultural background. Gender is always a better predictor when compared against biological sex in interpersonal interactions (Bevan, 2020). Gender can determine the verbal and nonverbal communication aspects used within a specific context.
Dominant Cultures versus Co-Cultures
People, especially those who migrate to a different context, are confronted with a significant question of whether they want to retain their cultural systems or integrate within the Dominant culture. They can also blend their cultural characteristics to those of the dominant culture. However, the dominant culture can fundamentally change due to the influences of immigration of large groups, creating subcultures or co-cultures within society (Bevan, 2020). Such changes are common when the dominant culture welcomes the influence of large groups of immigrants at a particular time.
Individualism and Collectivism
Cultures also differ in their tendencies towards individualism or collectivism. While some cultures are individualistic, meaning that they tend to be self-reliant and self-motivated, others tend to value collectivism, tendencies to value group relationships instead of individualism. Individualistic cultures value individual competition, while the needs of the group are more important than the needs of an individual in a collective culture. Collective cultures, such as Chinese, prefer cooperation and harmony, while individualistic cultures, such as the United States, value individual goals. Thus, their interpersonal interactions, including communication, differ depending on their value and what drives them to interact. Understanding the nature of the culture helps others to communicate appropriately with members of each. It also helps people use the right approach when in a communicative context that draws in people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
How Paying Attention to Culture can Help a Person Improve as a Communicator
Bevan provides a guideline and tools to use when communicating in a diverse cultural context. The information helps to improve communication skills by understanding that people will communicate and receive messages differently depending on their cultural backgrounds. For example, paying attention to culture will help know what words or gestures to use with people from a specific cultural context. The information will also help me learn how to observe people when communicating to understand what approach to use when joining them.
References
Bevan, J. L. (2020). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication (3rd ed.). Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Lerner, D. (2015). 18. Toward a Communication Theory of Modernization (pp. 327-350). Princeton University Press.
Novinger, T. (2001). Intercultural communication: A practical guide. University of Texas Press.
Wood, J. T., & Dindia, K. (1998). What’s the difference? A dialogue about differences and similarities between women and men. In Sex differences and similarities in communication (pp. 19-40). Psychology Press.
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