Culture in
Interpersonal
Communication
Unit 3
I. Culture = specialized
lifestyle of a group of
people including:
values, beliefs,
artifacts, behaviors
and communication
styles.
A. Enculturation =
process of learning the
culture of your birth
B. Acculturation =
process of learning a
culture different from
your native culture
II. How Cultures Differ
•Power
•Masculine/Feminine
•Individual/Collective
•High/Low Context
A. Power Differences
1. High Power Distance =
power is in the hands of
a few
Brazil
India
2. Low Power Distance =
power is evenly
distributed throughout
the citizenry
Denmark
New Zealand
B. Masculine vs Feminine
C. Individual vs.
Collective Orientation
1. Individualistic =
puts the individual
first, over the
group
2. Collectivist = promotes
group values as most
important
D. High- & Low-Context
Cultures
1. High-Context = most
information is the
context or person rather
than the verbal message
2. Low-Context = most
information is stated
explicitly in the verbal
message
III. Theories of Culture &
Communication
A. Language Relativity =
theory that the language
we speak influences our
behaviors and our
perceptions of the world
B. Uncertainty Reduction
= the more we reduce
uncertainty, the
greater comfort we
feel
C. Maximizing Outcomes =
trying to gain the
greatest rewards while
paying the least costs
D. Culture Shock = the
psychological reaction
you experience when
you’re in a culture very
different from your own.
IV. Intercultural
Communication
A. Nature of:
1. All messages
originate from a
specific & unique
cultural context
2. You receive messages
through the filters
imposed by your cultural
context
Messages
S
S
R
culture
Fig. 3.1
R
culture
B. Principles of
Intercultural
Communication
1. prepare yourself
2. recognize and face
fears
3. recognize differences
between yourself and the
culturally different
4. recognize differences
among the culturally
different group
5. recognize differences
in meaning
6. follow cultural rules
and customs