RUNNING HEADER: CULTURE VS COMMUNICATION

How does culture affect verbal and nonverbal communication? Provide examples.

Maggie Parsons
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
CIS 110 Minor Assignments

RUNNING HEADER: CULTURE VS COMMUNICATION

Throughout different cultures, different verbal and nonverbal communications are used
and could mean different things to the different cultures. In some cultures within nonverbal
communication such as, touching a woman in public when you are not married is very
inappropriate and disrespectful, however here in America, this is common and something that
happens all the time. Then other parts of the World you have cultures that greet women with a
kiss on the cheek when kissing people in America is seen as a type of affection. In verbal
communication, words and phrases such as Hey Bro, Whats Up in America that means you
are talking to a friend to see what they are up to or what they are doing but other countries think
that you are addressing them as your brother and asking them what is directly above them. This
happens as cultural change. Certain slang could also be used in different cultures within the same
areas, such as older country folks could use the term Over yonder and others would not
understand what they are talking about. Your type of verbal communication such as slang all
depends where you are from and how you were raised. The same goes for your nonverbal
communication, depending on where you are is the type of nonverbal communications that you
use, higher class individuals and the good ole country folks always great each other with a
handshake, this shows friendship in both formal and informal situations. In cultures like Asians,
however, they do not shake hands due to the risk of spreading germs, so they bow at each other
to acknowledge their presence and as a sign of hello. Verbal and nonverbal communications have
different meanings, therefore it is important to be cautious of others beliefs before saying
something that could be inappropriate to that culture, also it is important to be aware of their
norms on touching, shaking hands, and hand gestures when around other cultures before making
them.