COM 472
An Introduction to
(American) Culture
John R. Baldwin
jrbaldw@ilstu.edu
January 22, 2007
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…
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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
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Inductive
Deductive
Cyclical
Intuitive
• Verbal language
• Nonverbal processes
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“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
Emic
Studies behavior
from within system
Examines only one
culture
Structure discovered
by analyst
Criteria relative to
internal
characteristics
“Cultural”
Communication
Etic
Studies behavior
from outside of
system
Examines many
cultures (comparing)
Structure created by
analyst
Criteria considered
absolute, universal
Cross-Cultural
Communication
Value Dimensions
(E. T. Hall)
Low Context
High Context
Value Dimensions
Hofstede’s Dimensions
Individualism/
Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty
Avoidance
Masculinity/
Femininity
Value Dimensions
Collectivistic
Venezuela
Costa Rica
Hong Kong
Jamaica
Argentina
Malaysia
Mexico
Turkey
India
Japan
Germany
Italy
Denmark
Individualistic
Low Power
Distance
United
States
High Power
Distance
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 Dimensions
Parson’s Pattern Variables
Affectivity
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Affect Neutrality
Universalism
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Particularism
Diffuseness
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Specificity
Ascription
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Achievement
Instrumental
Orientation
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Expressive
Orientation
Value Dimensions
Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck’s Value
Dimensions
Orientation
A
B
C
Human
Nature
PersonNature
Evil
Good
Good + Evil
Subject
Harmony
Master
Time
Past
Present
Future
Activity
Being
Being-inbecoming
Doing
Relational
Lineality
Collaterality
Individual’m
Specific Values
(Vander Zanden, 1965; Patai, 1976)
“American”
Values
Middle Eastern
Values
 Materialism
 Success
 Work & Activity
 Progress
 Rationality
 Democracy
 Humanitarianism
 Hospitality
 Generosity
 Courage
 Honor
 Self-Respect
ValuesCommunication
“American”
Communication
Middle Eastern
Communication
 Direct
 “Elaborated”
 Informal
 Low context
 Less differentiated
codes
 Indirect
 Emphatic
 Formality
 High context
 More differentiated
codes
American & Chinese
Communication
(Gao & Ting-Toomey, 1998)
American
Communication
What is said
“I” focus
Impolite talk
Direct talk
Assertive speech
Self-enhancing talk
Public personal
questions
 Expressive speech
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Chinese
Communication
 What is not said
“We” focus
Polite talk
Indirect talk
Hesitant speech
Self-effacing talk
Private personal
questions
 Reticent speech
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• Cognitive Styles
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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_th
e_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/selfreliance/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 Heritage
hard work
• Immigration; England, Europe,
“Melting Pot”
pragmatism
• Frontier heritage
the rugged individual
• The heritage of business
entrepreneurs as heroes
American Proverbs
A penny saved is a penny
Cleanliness is next to
earned
godliness
Look out for
Number One!
American Proverbs
A penny saved is a penny
Cleanliness is next to
earned
godliness
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
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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…
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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
Any questions?
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John R. Baldwin
Fell 451
438-7969
jrbaldw@ilstu.edu
But….just call me John… 