1. Adapting to Others: Bridging Culture and Gender Differences
Chapter 6
Adapting to Others:
Bridging Culture and Gender
Differences

2. Communication Principles
Be aware of your
communication
Appropriately
adapt your
message to others
Effectively use and
interpret verbal
messages
Listen and respond thoughtfully to others
interpret nonverbal

3. Adapting to Others Culture and Communication Gender and Communication
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Adapting to Others
Culture and Communication
Gender and Communication
Barriers to Bridging Differences and
Adapting to Others
Adapting to Others Who Are Different
From You

4. Religion: Evolution of Man

5. Culture and Communication
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Culture and Communication
Culture is a learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms that is shared by a group of people.
Cultures are not static.
A Co-culture is a cultural group within a larger culture.
Amish
gender

6. Culture and Communication
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Culture and Communication
Intercultural communication occurs when individuals or groups from different cultures communicate.
Culture shock
Our culture and life experiences determine our world view—the general perspective that determines how we perceive what happens to us.

7. Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Cultural Contexts
People from different cultures respond to their surroundings or cultural context cues in different ways.
High-Context Cultures
nonverbal cues are extremely important
communicators rely on the context
Low-Context Cultures rely more explicitly on language

8. Cultural Values Masculine and Feminine Perspectives
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Masculine and Feminine Perspectives
Avoidance or Tolerance of Uncertainty
Distribution of Power
Individualism or Collectivism

9. Cultural Values: Masculine/Feminine
emphasize getting things done and being assertive
tend to value traditional roles for men and women
not a reflection of biological sex
Feminine
emphasize building relationships and seeking peace and harmony with others

10. Cultural Values: Uncertainty and Certainty
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Cultural Values: Uncertainty and Certainty
Avoidance of Uncertainty
Tolerance for Ambiguity

11. Cultural Values: Approaches to Power
Decentralized Approach
leadership is not vested in one person, power is decentralized
decisions are likely to be made by consensus
Centralized Approach
militaristic approach to power
prefer strongly organized, centrally controlled form of government

12. Cultural Values: Individualism and Collectivism
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Collectivistic Cultures
champion what people do together and reward group achievement
strive to accomplish goals for the benefit of the group
Individualistic Cultures
individual recognition
self-realization
tend to be loosely knit socially

13. Gender and Communication
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Gender and Communication
Sex-Based Expectations
start at birth
gender roles are transmitted via communication
Why and How Women and Men Communicate
instrumental and expressive orientations
content and relational dimensions of messages

14. Barriers to Bridging Differences
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Barriers to Bridging Differences
Assuming Superiority
ethnocentrism
Assuming Similarity
Stereotyping and Prejudice
stereotyping
prejudice
Different Communication Codes

15. Adapting to Others Seek Information Listen and Ask Questions
Chapter 6: Adapting to Others
Seek Information
Listen and Ask Questions
Tolerate Ambiguity
Develop Mindfulness
engage in self-talk
Become Other-Oriented
other-oriented communication
social decentering
empathy and sympathy
Adapt To Others