Intercultural Communication Chapter 6 Perception & Cultural Values

I.Defining Terms A.Perception: The process of Selecting, Organizing, & Interpreting Taught by our culture B.Beliefs: Something that is accepted as truth Scripture, New York Times, MTV arbiters of truth C.Values: A learned set of rules Highly organized: Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary i.e. good vs evil, ugly vs beautiful, dangerous vs safe

II.Dominant US Cultural Patterns A.Individualism  Single-most important American cultural pattern  Values include initiative, self-reliance, equal opportunity  All values, rights, duties, praise, and blame start & end with individual

II.Dominant US Cultural Patterns B.Equality  “all men are created equal”  However, contradictions DO exist  Still a value we strive for  We root for the “underdog” C.Materialism  “the person who dies with the most toys wins”  Almost considered a right  i.e. our own car, many food choices, clothes for every occasion, air conditioning

II.Dominant US Cultural Patterns D.Science & Technology  Many believe linked to our survival  i.e. walking on moon, pushing science & math in higher edu today  Result = devalue of emotion & intuition as sources of knowledge E.Progress & Change  Belief that change is good  Result = Americans will take chances

II.Dominant US Cultural Patterns F.Work & Leisure  Hard work highly valued  Rooted in History (origins of U.S.)  Hard work merits “hard play” (& materialism)

II.Dominant US Cultural Patterns G.Competition  “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”  Competition is generally valued  We are ranked, graded, evaluated endlessly  Problems = others may feel threatened and withdraw from communication

III.Hofstede’s Value Dimensions A.Individualism / Collectivism 1.Importance of Individual vs. Group 2.Individualism 1.Individual is most important 2.Uniqueness valued 3.i.e. U.S.(#1), Germany, Australia 3.Collectivism 1.Emphasis group goals & needs 2.Social Norms, Cooperation, & Duty valued 3.i.e. China, Mexico, Pakistan

III.Hofstede’s Value Dimensions B.Uncertainty Avoidance 1.Comfort level with unknown 2.High Uncertainty Avoidance 1.Many formal rules 2.Belief in absolute “T”ruths 3.i.e. Greece, Japan, France 3.Low Uncertainty Avoidance 1.Dislike formal rules 2.Tolerant of different ideas/people 3.i.e. Hong Kong, England, U.S.(43)

III.Hofstede’s Value Dimensions C.Power Distance 1.Distance between powerful/powerless members of a culture 2.High Power Distance 1.Teach each other we are NOT all equal 2.Status and rank are important 3.i.e. Phillipines, Mexico, Parts Middle East 3.Low Power Distance 1.Inequality should be minimized 2.Powerful often try to look less powerful (rich politicians) 3.i.e. Austria, Israel, U. S.(38)

III.Hofstede’s Value Dimensions D.Masculinity / Femininity 1.Valuing of masculine vs feminine traits 2.Masculinity 1.Men should be assertive, ambitious, competitive 2.Value material success over relationships 3.Do not encourage women professionally 4.i.e. Japan, Mexico, U.S.(15) 3.Femininity 1.Stress nurturing behaviors 2.Promotes sexual equality 3.Expect women to work (& encourages) 4.i.e. Sweden, Norway, Costa Rica

III.Hofstede’s Value Dimensions E.Long & Short Term Orientation 1.How far do we plan ahead 2.Long-Term Orientation 1.Value order & long range goals 2.Reflect strong work ethic & patience 3.i.e. China, Taiwan, South Korea 3.Short-Term Orientation 1.Concerned with short-term goals 2.Desire “instant gratification” (impatient) 3.Try to postpone old age 4.i.e. U.S. (1), Canada, Phillipines

Summary Culture & Communication are intertwined Perception is the process we use to make sense of the world around us Dominant U.S. cultural patterns permeate our worldview and influence our perceptions Hofstede’s Value Dimensions explain both perceptual and communication differences between cultures What should I have learned?