CULTURE

Prepared by: Zemaia Sen Millo-Paulino

Culture is the root of any society
which gives it a flavor and a
wholesome environment for an
individual to form beliefs, views,
perceptions and attitudes.
 …their language, modes of
thinking, art, laws, and religion.
Culture is passed on from one
generation to the next through
communication (Peterson,
2004).
Cultures differ in how their
members communicate
Culture is an external influence
upon an individual and includes
all the forces that other people
may induce upon him.
Culture is surely man-made and not
natural but it naturally affects the
behaviors and communication of people
who live by it. Culture shapes all the
communication attributes of a person,
including his beliefs, values and morals,
which are hard to mould and can a
significant impact upon his many
decisions, including purchase decisions
 Beliefs consist of the thoughts and statements
that reflect the comprehensive understanding of
various things in the environment

Values are few in number and are different for

each society. They are sets of appropriate
behaviors that are standardized by the society
and all members are bound by them.

Components of
culture
 It is Comprehensive

behaviors and communication of the

members closely reflect the cultural
standards, whereby the members
communicate accordingly to what is set as
right in their culture and doing what is
considered vile is never accepted by them
(Peterson, 2004, p.89).
Characteristics of
Culture
 It is Learned

Culture is the environment that a

person lives in throughout his life,
and the beliefs, attitudes, values, etc
are all taught to him through this
environment.
Characteristics of
Culture
 Culture is passed from
one generation to
another through
enculturation, a process
by which the members
Through acculturation, the original or
learn the culture into
native culture is modified through
which they are born. A direct contact with or exposure to a
different way of learning new and different culture (Peterson,
is through acculturation, 2004, p.90).
the process by which the
members learn the rules
and norms of a culture
from the native culture.
 It is Set under Boundaries
Culture is bound under the acceptable and
standard behavior of a society. This is what is
taught to the offspring as they grow up. There are
boundaries of acceptable right and unacceptable
wrong behavior, in between which the culture
resides (Peterson, 2004, p.92).

Characteristics of
Culture
 It is Dynamic or Static
Cultures can be dynamic and static. Being
dynamic means they are open to change
and adapt with the demands of changing
times. Being static means the culture does
not change any of its beliefs, values or
customs.
Characteristics of
Culture
 It is Free of Conscious Awareness

There is limited conscious awareness of

cultural beliefs, customs and norms. And
also, there is lack of information and
learning about other cultures, where
several conflicts occur due to
misunderstandings and communication
gaps.
Characteristics of
Culture
 It Satisfies Needs

the standards are basically directions for the

members and offer guidance to lead a life
that is free of troubles and relief and is well
focused and directed. Guidance and teaching
being the core functions of a culture, it
evolves within a society to include better
rules and standards (English, 1995, p. 140).
Characteristics of
Culture
 It is Shared

The best part about culture is that it exists

among a group and lives through
interactions and relationships. Culture
prevails in a society through one
generation’s passing on of values and
beliefs to another, through
communication and relationships.
Characteristics of
Culture
 Individual and Collective Orientation
High and Low Context Cultures
Power Distances
Differences between Masculinity Vs Femininity
Cultures that Create
Uncertainly Avoidance
Barriers in Cross-
Cultural
Communication
 The Cultural shock occurs in four stages as outlined by the
anthropologist Kalervo Oberg in 1960 (Devito, 1995, p.93).
These four stages are:

Stage one: The Honeymoon – at first there is fascination, even

enchantment with the new culture and its people;
Stage two: The Crisis – in this phase, the differences between
your own culture and the new one create problems;
Stage three: The Recovery – during this period, we gain the
skills necessary to function effectively; and
Affect of Cross- Stage four: The Adjustment – at this final stage, we adjust and
come to enjoy the new culture and the new experiences.
Cultural
Communication in
the Workplace
 Learning about the culture through reading or observing;
Recognizing and facing fears regarding cross-cultural
communication; (Peterson, 2004, p.100)
Recognizing differences between yourself and those who
are cultural different;
Recognizing differences among the culturally different
group; (English, 1995, p.143))
Recognizing differences in meaning in the other culture of
Effective Cross- words and of people; and
Cultural Following cultural rules and customs (Devito, 1995, p.96).

Communication
Strategies
 Learning about the culture through reading or observing;
Recognizing and facing fears regarding cross-cultural
communication; (Peterson, 2004, p.100)
Recognizing differences between yourself and those who
are cultural different;
Recognizing differences among the culturally different
group; (English, 1995, p.143))
Recognizing differences in meaning in the other culture of
Effective Cross- words and of people; and
Cultural Following cultural rules and customs (Devito, 1995, p.96).

Communication
Strategies