Intercultural communication

Components of culture
 Culture is the umbrella term that encompasses the social behavior, institutions,
norms, found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws,
customs, capabilities and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often
originated from or attributed to a specific region or location.

Social behavior-The way that people interact with one another. Click this link to
study social behavior traits. Are there any you can identify with?
https://simplicable.com/en/social-behavior
Human beings are social animals, which is why we would fit easily into at least one
or more of these categories, no matter the circumstances
 Institutions- are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that
shape and constrain individual behavior. Laws, rules, social
conventions and norms are all examples of institutions. Family,
religion, penal system (prison system), legal system, economic
systems, peer groups, language, mass media, education...etc

 Norms-shared standards of acceptable behavior. Social norms can

both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members
of a society, as well as be codified into rules and laws.
What are any common norms that guide operations and day to day life
at Strathmore?
 Intercultural communication refers to the
communication between people from two
different cultures.
 In order to interact meaningfully with people
from different cultures we have to develop
cultural awareness.
 Cultural awareness is the knowledge,
acceptance and awareness of other cultures.
Being aware of other cultures is
important so as to interact with
people from various backgrounds and
cultures peacefully and respectfully,
and intercultural communication is a
big step in doing that.
 Through intercultural relationships, we can learn a
tremendous amount about other people and their
cultures, and about ourselves and our own cultural
background. At the same time, there are many
challenges.
 Intercultural communication can also involve
barriers like stereotyping and discrimination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9siwWlAuNGE
A human being is a cultural being. Cultural identity
is composed of ethnicity, culture, gender, age, life
stage, beliefs, values, and assumptions.
Culture is also determined by the values you
support.
One may have a number of cultural identities: as a
student, a member of a given ethnic group/ race, a
specific age group, a religion, nationality etc.
 The cultural identity that is prominent at any given time
depends on the situation, the people you are with, and
the conversational topics.

And co-culture is a group whose values, beliefs or

behaviors set it apart from the larger culture, which it is a
part of and with which it shares many similarities. (race,
gender, music examples of co-culture)
 Work School

co-culture co-culture

Family co-culture

Self
Community co-culture

Dominant co-culture

Things outside the

Romantic community co-culture

Friends
relationship
co-culture
co-culture
 There are three things that you need to understand about
possessing a cultural identity:
 First, cultural identities are learned. You learn the ways of
thinking, acting, and feeling from your family first, then from
your friends and communities.
 Second, cultural identities vary in strength; one can only detect
the strength of his/her culture when interacting with a strange
culture (especially when you note glaring differences).
 Third, cultural identities vary in their content: while Africans
value hospitality, Americans value freedom etc.
Importance of studying intercultural
Communication
Increased contact (through studies, business, work
etc.) makes studying intercultural communication so
important. Others include:
i. Understanding your own identity: by understanding
other cultures, you understand your culture more.
ii. Enhancing personal and social interactions: The
broader your outlook, the more tolerant and
accommodating you become. Such relationships
help you learn about the world, break stereotypes,
and acquire new skills.
iii. Solving misunderstandings,
miscommunications, and mistrust:
▪ The study of intercultural communication helps
resolve misunderstandings, miscommunications,
and mistrust through honest, open, positive,
healthy communication. People not only fear, but
they also distrust the unknown.
▪ Trust is gained through knowledge and
understanding.
iv. Enhancing and enriching the quality of civilization:
respecting ethnic and cultural diversity are important
steps that enhance and enrich the quality of our
civilization.
v. Becoming effective citizens of our national
communities: National communities are co-cultural
groupings within the country.
Culture Shock
 Culture shock refers to feelings of uncertainty, confusion, or
anxiety that people may experience when moving to a new
country or experiencing a new culture or surroundings. This
cultural adjustment is normal and is the result of being in an
unfamiliar environment. (any culture shocks you have been
experiencing at Strathmore?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VQXH0_emEk
STAGES OF CULTURE SHOCK
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/culture-shock.asp
 HOFSTEDE’S DIMENSIONS OF
CULTURE
 There are ways to contrast one group of culture from another one.
 Geert Hofstede, a Dutch psychologist, developed a model through which cultural values could
be analyzed. His theory was divided into six dimensions:
 Power-distance
 Individualism vs collectivism
 Femininity vs masculinity
 Uncertainty avoidance
 Long-term orientation vs short term orientation
 And then an additional one by Edward T Hall: high context vs low context