Understanding Culture for Global

Communication- Etic and Emic

Approaches to Culture
Global communication is the term used to describe ways to connect, share, relate
and mobilize across geographic, political, economic, social and cultural divides. It
redefines soft and hard power as well as information power and diplomacy in ways
not considered by traditional theories of international relations.

Global Communication implies a transfer of knowledge and ideas from centers of

power to peripheries and the imposition of a new intercultural hegemony by means
of the “soft power” of global news and entertainment.

The study of global communication is an interdisciplinary field that studies the

continuous flows of information used in transferring values, opinions, knowledge,
and culture across boundaries.

As already stated, the words ’emic’ and ‘etic’ signify two different approaches

used to study human cultures. However, like many of the terms used in
anthropology, the study of humankind, the definition of these terms can tend to
vary. For this reason, we’ll keep our definitions a bit more general. Once we have
our terms down, we’ll then take some time and nail down some examples.
However, as we do this, it’ll be important for us to remember that although the
terms are pretty much opposites, most modern research tends to be a blending of
the two.

Emic and Etic Perspectives

When anthropologists conduct fieldwork, they gather data. An important tool for gathering
anthropological data is ethnography—the in-depth study of everyday practices and lives of a
people. Ethnography produces a detailed description of the studied group at a particular time
and location, also known as a “thick description,” a term coined by anthropologist Clifford
Geertz in his 1973 book The Interpretation of Cultures to describe this type of research and
writing. A thick description explains not only the behavior or cultural event in question but
also the context in which it occurs and anthropological interpretations of it. Such descriptions
help readers better understand the internal logic of why people in a culture behave as they do
and why the behaviors are meaningful to them. This is important because understanding the
attitudes, perspectives, and motivations of cultural insiders is at the heart of anthropology.
Ethnographers gather data from many different sources. One source is the anthropologist’s
own observations and thoughts. Ethnographers keep field notebooks that document their
ideas and reflections as well as what they do and observe when participating in activities with
the people they are studying, a research technique known as participant observation. Other
sources of data include informal conversations and more-formal interviews that are recorded
and transcribed. They also collect documents such as letters, photographs, artifacts, public
records, books, and reports.
Different types of data produce different kinds of ethnographic descriptions, which also vary
in terms of perspective—from the perspective of the studied culture (emic) or from the
perspective of the observer (etic). Emic perspectives refer to descriptions of behaviors and
beliefs in terms that are meaningful to people who belong to a specific culture, e.g., how
people perceive and categorize their culture and experiences, why people believe they do
what they do, how they imagine and explain things. To uncover emic perspectives,
ethnographers talk to people, observe what they do, and participate in their daily activities
with them. Emic perspectives are essential for anthropologists’ efforts to obtain a detailed
understanding of a culture and to avoid interpreting others through their own cultural beliefs.
Etic perspectives refer to explanations for behavior made by an outside observer in ways that
are meaningful to the observer.
For an anthropologist, etic descriptions typically arise from conversations between the
ethnographer and the anthropological community. These explanations tend to be based in
science and are informed by historical, political, and economic studies and other types of
research. The etic approach acknowledges that members of a culture are unlikely to view the
things they do as noteworthy or unusual. They cannot easily stand back and view their own
behavior objectively or from another perspective. For example, you may have never thought
twice about the way you brush your teeth and the practice of going to the dentist or how you
experienced your teenage years. For you, these parts of your culture are so normal and
“natural” you probably would never consider questioning them. An emic lens gives us an
alternative perspective that is essential when constructing a comprehensive view of a people.

Emic Approach

The emic approach to studying human culture is one in which the members of the
culture being studied are the main source of information used to understand the
culture. More simply stated, it’s when the words and beliefs of the culture’s
members take center stage. Rather than reading other scientists’ accounts of the
culture, the researcher will observe or even interview the members of the culture in
order to understand why they live and believe as they do.

Adding to this, researchers using the emic approach seek to start with almost a
blank slate. In other words, they try to put away their preconceived notions about
what culture should look like and simply learn from the cultures they are
observing.

For example, when a Western researcher observes a young tribesman being

branded with the tribes’ markings, they do not simply write it off as barbaric or
torture. Instead, they try to look at it through the lens of the culture. Stated plainly,
they try to get inside the head of the young man, realizing that to him it symbolized
acceptance and manhood. For this reason, the emic approach is often called the
‘insider approach.’ Many researchers believe this is the best approach when
studying previously unstudied, or newly discovered, people groups.

For ease in remembering, I like to link the ‘m’ in ’emic’ to the idea that the actual
members of a culture are the most important source of information when studying
that culture.
Etic Approach

Opposite of the emic approach, the etic approach to studying human culture
employs existing theories and perspectives that originated from outside the culture
being studied. In other words, it uses preconceived notions and theories about
culture in general in order to study specific cultures.

An emic view of culture is ultimately a perspective focus on the intrinsic cultural

distinctions that are meaningful to the members of a given society, often
considered to be an ‘insider’s’ perspective. While this perspective stems from the
concept of immersion in a specific culture, the emic participant isn’t always a
member of that culture or society. Studies done from an emic perspective often
include more detailed and culturally rich information than studies done from an
etic point of view. Because the observer places themselves within the culture of
intended study, they are able to go further in-depth on the details of practices and
beliefs of a society that may otherwise have been ignored. However, the emic
perspective has its downfalls. Studies done from an emic perspective can create
bias on the part of the participant, especially if said individual is a member of the
culture they are studying, thereby failing to keep in mind how their practices are
perceived by others and possibly causing valuable information to be left out. The
emic perspective serves the purpose of providing descriptive in-depth reports about
how insiders of a culture understand their rituals.