IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN COMMUNICATION
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Ashford University *
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COM200
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Communications
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Jan 9, 2024
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IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN COMMUNICATION
Elijah Droz
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 200
Bonnie Stiemke
Jan 6 2020
Culture is very important when considering how we communicate with each other on a daily basis. You have to be very careful with your word choices when speaking with people. There is no way to tell how someone may take something you say to them. What you may think is normal speech may be offensive to others. Paying attention to culture definitely can help all of us improve are communicators in several aspects.
There are many points that detail why it is so important to be aware of culture when thinking about communication. One example of the importance of culture is gender orientation. Gender is a very controversial topic today and is growing in concern each day. According Bevan “Biological sex and gender orientation are related but different” (Bevan, 2.2, 2020), this is a statement that is difficult for a lot of people to understand. As a society we have created this image as what we perceive to be gender norms. We are trained from a young age that what you are biologically born as determines your gender orientation. Regardless of what your sex is you can identify as whatever your brain feels comfortable identifying as. The most common gender stereo types are that men are dominate and women are submissive, which is not even a fact. “The
American stereotype that females are relationship-focused and dependent whereas males are strong and independent could be perpetuated with a focus on gender (Reeder, 1996)” this is another stereo type that has been reinforced by the media. Another example of the importance of culture is that is influences almost every aspect of our lives. Depending on where you are raised your personality and ideals will be most likely be molded by the culture you are surrounded by. Religion is a prime example of culture being a major influence. The region you live in has a heavy impact on what your religious ideals will be. “All societies have a system of social organization, and culture serves to provide an ordered and organized system for dealing with
people within that society through norms and rules (Novinger, 2001)”, if you go to a place like the Middle East it is custom and culture for women to wear hijabs.
Culture shapes verbal and nonverbal communication in today’s society. A perceptual filter is the mental structure through which we organize and assign meaning to new information (Jackson & Hogg, 2010). This quote from the reading is saying that our own cultural biases influence how we view things that are different than what we are used to. In Japan they bow when as a greeting and in America we shake hands. What we may consider weird or strange may
be the norm somewhere else. Certain gestures that you may find appropriate and normal could be
seen as obscene or offensive in other places. Some people completely change the way they speak
depending on the group of people they are talking to. Social media now has a heavy influence on
most culture. People get online and have no filter on what they say and no regard for others.
Culture has a relationship between both individualism and dominant cultures. Individualism is related to culture because most of what makes you as a person was influenced by culture. What you wear and how you talk are directly impacted by your culture. In some cultures women are oppressed by men so that has negative effects on their individualism. It is important to have your own individual identity. Dominate cultures could include things like arranged marriages in some countries. Some people truly feel as though they have to follow all of their cultures customs or they will suffer consequences. The fact that some believe shame will be brought upon their family if they break culture norms is proof enough that culture has a direct relationship on how we live our lives.
Lastly, paying attention to culture can help a person improve as a communicator in several ways. Paying attention to culture makes you appear more tolerant of other cultures. Being
more tolerant and understanding of cultures other than your own, can help you break down
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barriers set by you own biases. Another way paying attention to culture can improve you as communicator is by helping to prevent you from offending others. Being able to view things from other peoples perspectives can make you more empathetic overall.
REFRENCES
References: Bevan, J. L. (2020). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal
communication (3rd ed.). https://content.ashford.edu/