Intercultural Communication

CULTURALIDENTITYUnit 1Week 2 / Session 1

Overview

• Discussion point 1 – what does culture and identity mean to you?• What is culture?• What is identity • The Web of Identity (Live sey, 2004)• What is social and ethnic identity?• Discussion point 2• Ways to compare and contrast cultures• Fundamental differences between cultures• Discussion point 3 - Fundamental differences between cultures• Discussion point 4 – History and culture

Discussion Point 1

In small groups, discuss and make notes on the following questions below:

• What does cultural identity mean to you?

• What elements contribute to a persons cultural identity?

• How would you identify your culture?

What is culture?

“People become aware of their culture when they stand at its boundaries: when they encounter other cultures, or when they become aware of other ways of doing things, or merely of contradictions to their own culture”

Cohen, Anthony P. (1985)

What is culture?

There are many interpretations of what is defined and

known as culture.

• Acquired and passed down through generations.

• A system of beliefs and values within a society.

• Culture has been described as ‘…shared features

which encapsulate people together in a community’

(Shah, 2003).

What is identity?

The entirety of how we as individuals view or perceive ourselves as unique from others.

• Racial, cultural and ethnic identities form part of one's identity, and identity will

change with development at a personal as well as at a social level along with

migration and acculturation (Bhugra, 2004).

• Perceived as ‘dynamic’ and ‘fluid’ - because it is established and extracted in

interaction

• Has substance - not only transmitted from generation to generation, but from

cultural group member to newcomer.

• One or more specific cultural identities may be noticeable in a given conversation

The Web of Iden tity

• Complex and multi-layered inter ac tion between iden tity and social struc ture.

• Indi vidu als are sur roun ded by

large social forces; they live their lives with lim ited options avail able to them when mak ing decisions and choices (Live sey, 2004).

What is Social and Ethnic identity?

• Social identity is thought of as the culturally defined personality

characteristics, which are ascribed to social roles, such as the role

of being a father, mother, friend, employer or employee (Bhugra and

Becker, 2005).

• Ethnic identity is a source of social identity.

• Composed of people who may or may not share the same race but

do share common cultural characteristics, including history, beliefs,

values, food and entertainment preferences, religion and language.

• Ethnicity typically incorporates both race and culture (Shah, 2004).

Discussion Point 2

In small groups, discuss and make notes on the following questions below:

• What elements could be considered when comparing and contrasting cultures?

• Which of these elements would you consider to be the most significant?

Ways to compare and contrast cultures

• Several methods and frameworks have been constructed to address variances of cultural identities:

Gudykunst’s (1985) variables measured in Intergroup research - attitudes, perceived similarity, uncertainty, and attributions

Giles and Johnson’s (1981, 1986) attention to variables - such as group vitality, ethnic boundaries, and status

Hofstede’s (1983) core symbols - identifies four dimensions of culture: individualism-collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity-femininity.

DeVos’ (1982) symbolic emblems - used by ethnic groups to differentiate themselves from other groups.

Fundamental differences between cultures

• In any given nation or culture, differences between people are much greater than differences between groups (Billikopf, 2009).

• Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affection shown in the home, and numerous other factors will affect human behaviour and culture.

Discussion Point 3Fundamental differences between

cultures

In small groups/pairs discuss the similarities and differences between your cultures with regard to:

• Dress• Gender roles• Social activities• Meeting and Greeting• Gestures• Dining Etiquette• Food• Language

Discussion Point 4

Another important contributor to the cultural difference is the history of a particular region or country. The events of the past certainly shape the moods and opinions of people living in that specific country. When a large group of people observe a set of traditions, social norms and values, it gives rise to culture. Pair work • Discuss possible examples of where history has had an effect on your

culture. Can you think of examples for other cultures?

Homework – Blog task 1

Individual task – Out-of-class workInterview an international student (preferably from a different country to that of your own) and find out how they felt when they first arrived in the UK. When preparing your questions consider the following cultural differences we looked at in our workshop today that they may have experienced. Write a short summary of your interview and post it on your blog site.

ReferencesAng, I. (1998), Out of bounds: inau thentic spaces and the pro duc tion of iden titi es, in M. Zournazi(ed.), For­eign­Dia­logues:­Memor­ies,­Trans­la­tions,­Con­ver­sa­tions, pp. 153–167.Bhugra, D. (2004). Migration, distress and cultural identity. British­Medical­Bulletin. 69:1–13.Billikopf, G (2009). Cultural Differences? Or, are we really that different? [online] Available

at: http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article01.htm [Accessed on 18th July 2012]DeVos, G. A. (1982). Ethnic pluralism: Conflict and accommodation. In DeVos, G. A., and Romanucci-Ross, L. (eds.), Ethnic­Identity:­Cultural­Continuities­and­Change, Mayfield Publishing, Palo Alto,CA, pp. 5–41. Giles, H. and P. Johnson (1981). The role of language in ethnic group relations. In Intergroup­Behaviour. J. Turner and H. Giles. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.Gudykunst, W. B. (1985). The influence of cultural similarity, type of relationship, and self monitoring on uncertainty reduction processes. Communication­Monographs, 52, 203-217.Hofstede, Geert (1983a), "Dimensions of National Cultures in Fifty Countries and Three Regions," in Expiscations in Cross-Cultural Psychology, J.B. Deregowski, S. Dziurawiec, and R.C. Annis, eds., Lisse, Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger, 335-355.Live sey, C. (2004). Cul­ture­and­iden­tity,­Soci­olo­gical­Path­ways. Available at:http://www.sociology.org.uk/pathway2.htm [Accessed 10th July 2012]Shah, S. (2003) The researcher/interviewer in intercultural context: a social intruder! British­Educational­Research­Journal. 30:4, 549-575. Tylor, Edward B. 1968 [1871] The Science of Culture. In Morton Fried, ed., Readings­in­Anthropology, vol. II: Cultural­Anthropology. New York: Crowell