CCC PPT1 Culture amp; Communication.pptVIP

Cross Cultural Communications Culture Basic functions of culture Cultural development Subcultures Pop culture Studying Intercultural Communication What is communication? Culture! What is culture? Official definition: Other explanations: The water we “swim”in The “lense” through which we view the world The “software” in our brain which affects how we perceive, process, and respond to information Basic Functions of Culture “People maintain cultures to deal with problems or matters that concern them” Culture makes the world predictable and allows us to make sense of our surroundings Culture helps us develop in life by providing meaning to events, objects, and people This makes the world less mysterious and frightening It makes life less confusing Our understanding of and reaction to many things is automatic and subconscious Basic Functions of CultureContinued Culture gives us a “blueprint” for life, we don’t have to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about what things mean and deciding how to respond Family is the first way we learn From family we learn what behavior is appropriate for us and for others, what meanings to give to things, etc Try to imagine a day in your life without culture Thought Activity Think of all of the things you did yesterday What actions, thoughts, or feelings were the result of you being raised in Chinese culture? What actions, thoughts, or feelings would you have experienced if you were raised in any other culture? Cultural development Is culture static? What external factors can affect the development of culture? Geography Climate Interaction with other cultures Composition of society History How old is the society? Religion? Does religion shape culture, or does culture shape religion? Cultural development continued Can you think of more external factors? Internal factors Religion? History? Demographics? Level of modernization How wealthy the culture is How much access there is to mass communication How much knowledge of other