IC Part 1 (week 7)

Understanding Diversity: Describing Our Differences

a) Sex & Gender
• Sex and gender differences are complex & not easily classified into tidy categories of
“male/masculine” & “female/feminine” behaviors.
i) Sex - biologically based differences that determine whether one is male/ female;
ii) Gender - psychological and emotional characteristics that cause people to assume masculine,
feminine, or androgynous roles.

b) Sexual Orientation
• LGBTQ community members have become more assertive in expressing their rights within
American society.

Effective and appropriate interpersonal communication reflects an awareness & sensitivity to issues &
attitudes about sexual orientation.

• Although we may not intend anything negative, sometimes we unintentionally offend someone
through more subtle use & misuse of language.

• ‘Homophobia’ -> dislike or prejudice against homosexual people.

c) Race & Ethnicity

• Race & ethnicity foster common bonds that affect communication patterns.
i) Race - based on the genetically transmitted physical characteristics of a group of people who
are classified together.
ii) Ethnicity - social classification based on a variety of factors that are shared by a group of
people who also share a common geographic origin.
iii) Discrimination - Unfair or inappropriate treatment of people based on their group
membership.

d) Age

• Studies suggest that people hold stereotypical views of others based on their perceived age:
i) Baby Boomers – people born between 1946 – 1964
ii) Generation X – mid 1960’s – 1980’s
iii) Millennials – 1980’s – 2000’s
• Generational and age differences may create barriers and increase potential for conflict &
misunderstanding.
• Your generation has important implications for communication, especially as you relate to
others in both family & work situations.
e) Social Class

• Cues to identify class distinctions:

a) Way of life
b) Family
c) Job
d) Money
e) Education
• We are more likely to interact with people from our own social class.
• People who interact with one another over time tend to communicate in similar ways -> they
develop similar speech patterns & use similar expressions.
• It is possible to change one’s social class through education, employment, & income.

Understanding Culture: Dimensions of Our Mental Software

CULTURE
• A learned system of knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values, & norms that is shared by a group
of people.
• Includes how people think, what they do, & how they use things to sustain their lives.
• Culture & life experiences influence a person’s worldview.

WORLDWIDE
• Individual perceptions/ perceptions by a culture or group of people about key beliefs & issues, such as
death, God, & the meaning of life.
• A person’s worldview influences his / her interactions with others.

A co-culture is a distinct culture within a larger culture; differences such as “gender” & “race”
constitutes co-cultures: (such as the gay & lesbian co-culture)
> Material culture: housing, clothing, automobiles
> Social institution: schools, governments, religious organization
> Individuals & the universe: system of beliefs
> Aesthetics: music, theatre, art, dance
> Language: verbal & nonverbal communication systems

Two Ways of Learning Culture

Enculturation
• process of communicating a group’s culture from generation to generation; culture is “learned.” (e.g.,
Tea ceremony)
Acculturation
• process of transmitting a host culture’s values, ideas, and beliefs to someone from outside that
culture. (e.g., Halloween, Valentine’s Day)

The Seven Dimensions of Culture

• Individualism versus Collectivism
• An emphasis on the surrounding context versus little emphasis on context
• Masculine values that emphasize accomplishment, versus feminine values that emphasize
nurturing
• Degree of tolerance for uncertainty
• Approaches to power
• Short-term / long-term approaches to time
• Indulgence versus Restraint

(i) Individualism VS Collectivism (One & Many)

• Individualistic cultures value individual achievement & personal accomplishment
• Collectivistic cultures value group & team achievement.
• Individualist cultures tend to be more loosely knit socially; in collectivist cultures individuals
expect more support from others.

Individualism is a strong cultural dimension in the United States.

Individual achievements are rewarded, often quite publicly.

Why would Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign did not work in China?
This ad campaign was successful in the U.S. because it emphasized youthful irreverence (disrespect) &
individualism. In China, individualism is not valued. Young people are not encouraged to rebel or act
separately. They are expected to be part of a collective or group.

(ii) Context – High VS Low

• A high-context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues.
• In high-context communication, a message cannot be understood without a great deal of
background information. Asian, African, Arab, central European & Latin American cultures are
generally considered to be high-context cultures.
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• A low-context culture relies on explicit communication.

• In low-context communication, more of the information in a message is spelled out & defined.
• Cultures with western European roots, such as the United States & Australia, are generally
considered to be low-context cultures.
 (iii) Gender – Masculine VS Feminine
• Societies with masculine cultures put greater emphasis on achievement, assertiveness, heroism,
material wealth, and more clearly differentiated sex roles.
• These cultures' view communication from a content orientation (information exchange).
• Males base their friendships on sharing activities rather than talking.
• People from more feminine cultures tend to value caring, sensitivity, and attention to quality of
life.
• Women approach communication for the purpose of relating to others & to know & be known
by others.
• What women talk about is less important than the fact that they are talking, because talking
implies relationship.

(iv) Uncertainty- High VS Low Intolerance

> Some cultures have a higher tolerance for uncertainty & ambiguity & have more relaxed, informal
expectations of others.
> Some cultures have a higher need for certainty & have & enforce rigid rules of behavior & develop
more elaborate codes of conduct.
> People in societies with less tolerance for uncertainty generally like to know what will happen next.
People in other societies are more comfortable with certainty.
> People from Portugal, Greece, Peru, Belgium, & Japan have high certainty needs, but people from
Scandinavian countries tend to tolerate uncertainty.

(v) Power- Centralized VS Decentralized

• Centralized power cultures value having power in the hands of a small number of people. (e.g.,
Singapore)
• Decentralized power cultures favor equality & an even distribution of power in government and
organizations. (e.g., USA)
• Societies with more centralized power distribution generally value great power differences
between people.
• People in such societies are generally more accepting of fewer people having authority & power
than are people from societies in which power is more decentralized.

(vi) Time: Short-Term VS Long-Term

• A culture’s orientation to time falls on a continuum between long-term & short-term.

• Long-term orientation is when you are focused on the future. You are willing to delay short-
term material / social success / even short-term emotional gratification in order to prepare for
the future.
• Short-term orientation is when you are focused on the present or past & consider them more
important than the future. If you have a short-term orientation, you value tradition, the current
social hierarchy & fulfilling your social obligations.

(vii) Happiness: Indulgent VS Restrained

• Indulgent cultures desire & expect freedom & happiness, whereas;
• Restrained cultures do not expect to have all of their needs met to achieve happiness.
• People in societies with greater expectations of happiness desire & expect freedom &
happiness.
• Cultures that are more restrained do not necessarily expect to have all of their needs met to
achieve happiness.