CPA8AC1L8lS1lCS Cl CuL1u8L

1CulLure ls learned and acqulred noL all Lhlngs shared generally by a populaLlon are culLural
for lL Lo be consldered culLural lL musL be flrsL learned as well as shared
2CulLure ls shared and LransmlLLed CulLure ls passed on Lo succeedlng generaLlons prlmarlly
Lhrough Language/ CommunlcaLlon
3CulLure ls soclal roducL develops by many people lnLeracLlng ln a group no man ls an lsland
he ls always a parL of a group
4CulLure ls ldeaLlonal CulLure uses ldeas and symbols Lo glve meanlngs Lo hls envlronmenL
and
experlences Lvery lndlvldual sees and approaches hls world accordlng Lo sLandpolnL of hls
culLure
3CulLure graLlfles human needs Puman has blologlcal needs such as food shelLer cloLhlng
proLecLlon love securlLy and sex
6CulLure ls adapLlve
7CulLure ls cumulaLlve eople are able Lo reLaln cerLaln feaLures of Lhelr culLure LhaL are
slgnlflcanL


luncLlons of CulLure
11rademark or speclal feaLure LhaL dlsLlngulshes one socleLy from anoLher
28rlngs LogeLher conLalns and lnLerpreLs Lhe values of a socleLy ln a more or less sysLemaLlc
manner
3rovldes one of Lhe mosL lmporLanL bases for soclal solldarlLy Soclal SolldarlLy lnsplres loyalLy
and devoLlon When Lhe naLlon has common feellngs common ob[ecLlves lL resulLs Lo common
naLlonal prlde
4rovldes ablueprlnL of as well as Lhe maLerlals for soclal sLrucLure
31he culLure of any socleLy ls Lhe domlnanL facLor ln esLabllshlng and moldlng Lhe soclal
personallLy Soclal sLamp ls expecLed desplLe dlfferences of lndlvlduals
6CulLure of a socleLy provldes behavloral paLLern lL also provldes norm Lo follow 1hls explalns
why sLudenL wlll noL come ln class wearlng her baLhlng sulL
7CulLure provldes lndlvldual wlLh Lhe meanlng and dlrecLlon of hls exlsLence

1he 8as|c Iunct|on of Cu|ture
CulLure ls a complex absLracL and pervaslve maLrlx of soclal elemenLs LhaL funcLlons as an all
encompasslng form or paLLern for llvlng by laylng ouL a predlcLable world ln whlch an lndlvldual ls flrmly
orlenLed CulLure enables us Lo make sense of our surroundlngs aldlng Lhe LranslLlon from Lhe womb Lo
Lhls new llfe
lrom Lhe lnsLanL of blrLh a chlld ls formally and lnformally LaughL how Lo behave Chlldren
regardless of Lhelr culLure qulckly learn how Lo behave ln a manner LhaL ls accepLable Lo adulLs WlLhln
each culLure Lherefore Lhere ls no need Lo expend energy decldlng whaL an evenL means or how Lo
respond Lo lL 1he assumpLlon ls LhaL people who share a common culLure can usually be counLed on Lo
behave correcLly and predlcLably Pence culLure reduces Lhe chances of surprlse by shleldlng people
from Lhe unknown 1ry Lo lmaglne a slngle day ln your llfe wlLhouL access Lo Lhe guldellnes your culLure
provldes WlLhouL Lhe rules LhaL govern your acLlons you would soon feel helpless lrom how Lo greeL
sLrangers Lo how Lo spend our Llme culLure provldes us wlLh sLrucLure
1o lack culLure ls Lo lack sLrucLure We mlghL even go so far as Lo say LhaL our prlmary mode of
blologlcal adapLaLlon ls culLure noL anaLomy

ef|n|t|on of Cu|ture
We have already lndlcaLed LhaL culLure ls a complex maLrlx of lnLeracLlng elemenLs CulLure ls
ublqulLous mulLldlmenslonal complex and allpervaslve 8ecause lL ls so broad Lhere ls noL a slngle
deflnlLlon or cenLral Lheory of whaL lL ls ueflnlLlons of culLure run Lhe gamuL from an allencompasslng
phenomenon Lo descrlpLlons llsLlng nearly all human acLlvlLy lor our purposes we deflne culLure as
Lhe deposlL of knowledge experlence bellefs values aLLlLudes meanlngs hlerarchles rellglon noLlons
of Llme roles spaLlal relaLlons concepLs of Lhe unlverse and maLerlal ob[ecLs and possesslons acqulred
by a group of people ln Lhe course of generaLlons Lhrough lndlvldual and group sLrlvlng

1he Ingred|ents of Cu|ture
AlLhough scholars may lack a deflnlLlve lngredlenL llsL for culLure mosL agree LhaL any
descrlpLlon should lnclude Lhe Lhree caLegorles submlLLed by Almaney and Alwan 1hey conLend LhaL
culLures may be classlfled by Lhree large caLegorles of elemenLs arLlfacLs (whlch lnclude lLems ranglng
from arrowheads Lo hydrogen bombs maglc charms Lo anLlbloLlcs Lorches Lo elecLrlc llghLs and
charloLs Lo [eL planes) concepLs (whlch lnclude such bellefs or value sysLems as rlghL or wrong Cod and
man eLhlcs and Lhe general meanlng of llfe) and behavlors (whlch refer Lo Lhe acLual pracLlce of
concepLs or bellefs)
1hese auLhors provlde an excellenL example of how Lhese Lhree aspecLs mlghL be reflecLed wlLhln a
culLure Whereas money ls consldered an arLlfacL Lhe value placed upon lL ls a concepL buL Lhe acLual
spendlng and savlng of money ls behavlor
CLher lnvenLorles provlde addlLlonal llsLlngs of Lhe conLenL of culLure Some of Lhese addlLlonal
lngredlenLs of parLlcular lnLeresL Lo lnLerculLural communlcaLlon lnclude culLural hlsLory culLural
personallLy maLerlal culLure role relaLlonshlps arL language culLural sLablllLy culLural bellefs
eLhnocenLrlsm nonverbal behavlor spaLlal relaLlons Llme recognlLlon and reward and LhoughL
paLLerns

1he Character|st|cs of Cu|ture
Slx characLerlsLlcs of culLure are of speclal lmporLance Lo lnLerculLural communlcaLlon (1) culLure ls
learned (2) culLure ls Lransmlsslble (3) culLure ls dynamlc (4) culLure ls selecLlve (3) Lhe faceLs of
culLure are lnLerrelaLed and (6) culLure ls eLhnocenLrlc

Cu|ture Is Not Innate It Is Learned
lrom lnfancy on members of a culLure learn Lhelr paLLerns of behavlor and ways of Lhlnklng unLll Lhey
have become lnLernallzed 1he power and lnfluence of Lhese behavlors and percepLlons can be seen ln
Lhe ways ln whlch we acqulre culLure Cur culLure learnlng proceeds Lhrough lnLeracLlon observaLlon
and lmlLaLlon A llLLle boy ln norLh Amerlca whose faLher Lells hlm Lo shake hands when he ls lnLroduced
Lo a frlend of Lhe famlly ls learnlng culLure 1he Arab baby who ls read Lhe koran when he or she ls one
day old ls learnlng culLure 1he Plndu chlld who llves ln a home where Lhe women eaL afLer Lhe men ls
learnlng culLure 1he !ewlsh chlld who helps conducL Lhe assover celebraLlon ls learnlng culLure
All of Lhls learnlng occurs as consclous or unconsclous condlLlonlng LhaL leads one Loward
compeLence ln a parLlcular culLure 1hls acLlvlLy ls frequenLly called enculLuraLlon denoLlng Lhe LoLal
acLlvlLy of learnlng ones culLure

Cu|ture Is 1ransm|ss|b|e
1he symbols of a culLure enable us Lo pass on Lhe conLenL and paLLerns of a culLure We can spread our
culLure Lhrough Lhe spoken word as when Lhe recorded volce of radlo acLor 8race 8eemer brlngs us Lhe
volce of Lhe Lone 8anger from Lhe 1940s or when Lhe recorded volce of resldenL lranklln 8oosevelL
Lells us LhaL Lhe daLe uecember 7 1941 wlll llve on ln lnfamy We can use Lhe wrlLLen word as a
symbol and leL oLhers learn our hlsLory by readlng abouL Lhe War of lndependence learn abouL
Abraham Llncoln Lhrough readlng Lhe CeLLysburg Address or even learn culLural sLraLegles of persuaslon
by readlng ArlsLoLles 8heLorlc
We also can use nonverbal acLlons as symbols for example showlng oLhers LhaL we usually shake
hands Lo greeL one anoLher naLlonal flags symbollze our clalm Lo LerrlLory or demonsLraLe our loyalLy
8olls 8oyce auLomoblles and 8olex waLches are evldence of our success and sLaLus A cross speaks of our
love for Cod 1he use of symbols ls aL Lhe core of culLure
1he porLablllLy of symbols allows us Lo package and sLore Lhem as well as LransmlL Lhem 1he mlnd
books plcLures fllms vldeos and Lhe llke enable a culLure Lo preserve whaL lL deems Lo be lmporLanL
and worLhy of Lransmlsslon Lach lndlvldual regardless of hls or her generaLlon ls helr Lo a masslve
llbrary of lnformaLlon LhaL has been collecLed ln anLlclpaLlon of hls or her enLry lnLo Lhe culLure

Cu|ture Is nam|c
As wlLh communlcaLlon culLure ls ongolng and sub[ecL Lo flucLuaLlon culLures seldom remaln consLanL
As ldeas and producLs evolve wlLhln a culLure Lhey can produce change Lhrough Lhe mechanlsms of
lnvenLlon and dlffuslon
lnvenLlon ls usually deflned as Lhe dlscovery of new pracLlces Lools or concepLs LhaL mosL
members of Lhe culLure evenLually accepL ln norLh Amerlca Lhe clvll rlghLs movemenL and Lhe
lnvenLlon of Lelevlslon are Lwo good examples of how ldeas and producLs reshaped a culLure
Change also occurs Lhrough dlffuslon or borrowlng from anoLher culLure 1he asslmllaLlon of whaL
ls borrowed acceleraLes as culLures come lnLo dlrecL conLacL wlLh each oLher lor example as !apan and
norLh Amerlca share more commerce we see Amerlcans asslmllaLlng !apanese buslness managemenL
pracLlces and Lhe !apanese lncorporaLlng Amerlcan markeLlng LacLlcs
ln addlLlon Lo lnvenLlon and dlffuslon oLher facLors fosLer culLural change 1he concepL of culLural
calamlLy lllusLraLes how culLures change Conslder for a momenL Lhe effecLs of war or revoluLlon 1he
calamlLy of vleLnam broughL changes Lo boLh vleLnam and Lhe unlLed SLaLes noL only dld lL creaLe a
new populaLlon of refugees buL lL also forced us Lo reevaluaLe some culLural assumpLlons concernlng
global lnfluence and mlllLary power CurrenLly many culLural changes are Laklng place ln LasLern Lurope
and Lhe former SovleL unlon 1he ellmlnaLlon of Lhe 8erlln Wall Lhe unlflcaLlon of LasL and WesL
Cermany Lhe dlssoluLlon of Lhe SovleL unlon lnLo numerous smaller sLaLes and Lhe problems of
ad[usLmenL Lo new economles and governmenLs are produclng enormous
changes ln Lhe affecLed culLures
AlLhough culLures do change mosL change affecLs only Lhe surface sLrucLure of Lhe culLure 1he
deep sLrucLure reslsLs ma[or alLeraLlons Whlle vlslble changes ln dress food LransporLaLlon houslng
and Lhe llke are slmply aLLached Lo Lhe exlsLlng culLural value sysLem LlemenLs assoclaLed wlLh Lhe deep
sLrucLure of a culLure such as values eLhlcs and morals work and lelsure deflnlLlons of freedom Lhe
lmporLance of Lhe pasL rellglous pracLlces Lhe pace of llfe and aLLlLudes Loward gender and age are so
very deep ln Lhe sLrucLure of a culLure LhaL Lhey Lend Lo perslsL generaLlon afLer generaLlon Lven Lhe
demands for more llberal governmenLs ln Chlna and 8ussla have Lhelr rooLs ln Lhe hlsLorles of Lhose
counLrles ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes sLudles conducLed on Amerlcan values show LhaL mosL of Lhe cenLral
values of Lhe 1990s are slmllar Lo Lhe values of Lhe pasL 200 years When analyzlng culLural change we
cannoL leL ourselves be fooled [usL because downLown 1okyo looks much llke arls London or new
?ork MosL of whaL ls lmporLanL ln a culLure ls below Lhe surface lL ls llke Lhe moon we observe Lhe
fronL whlch appears flaL and onedlmenslonal buL Lhere ls anoLher slde and dlmenslons LhaL we cannoL
see

Cu|ture Is Se|ect|ve
Lvery culLure represenLs a llmlLed cholce of behavlor paLLerns from Lhe lnflnlLe paLLerns of human
experlence 1hls selecLlon wheLher lL be whaL shoes Lo wear or how Lo reach Cod ls made accordlng Lo
Lhe baslc assumpLlons and values LhaL are meanlngful Lo each culLure 8ecause each lndlvldual has only
Lhese llmlLed culLural experlences whaL we know ls buL an absLracLlon of whaL Lhere ls Lo know ln oLher
words culLure also deflnes Lhe boundarles of dlfferenL groups
1hls characLerlsLlc ls lmporLanL Lo all sLudenLs of lnLerculLural communlcaLlon for Lwo reasons llrsL
lL remlnds us LhaL whaL a culLure selecLs Lo Lell each succeedlng generaLlon ls a reflecLlon of whaL LhaL
culLure deems lmporLanL ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes for example belng healLhy ls hlghly valued and
Lherefore messages relaLed Lo LhaL ldea are selecLed Second Lhe noLlon of selecLlvlLy also suggesLs LhaL
culLures Lend Lo separaLe one group from anoLher lf one culLure selecLs work as an end (!apan) whlle
anoLher emphaslzes work as a means Lo an end (Mexlco) we have a culLural separaLlon

Iacets of Cu|ture Are Interre|ated
1hls characLerlsLlc serves Lo lnform us LhaL culLure ls llke a complex sysLem As Pall clearly sLaLes ?ou
Louch a culLure ln one place and everyLhlng else ls affecLed 1he womens movemenL ln Lhe unlLed
SLaLes may serve as an example of Lhls Womens movemenL may be buL Lwo slmple words buL Lhe
phenomenon has been llke a large sLone casL lnLo a pond 1he movemenL has broughL abouL changes ln
gender roles sexual pracLlces educaLlonal opporLunlLles Lhe legal sysLem career opporLunlLles and
even femalemale lnLeracLlon

Culture Is Ethnocentric
1he characLerlsLlc of eLhnocenLrlsm belng cenLered on ones own group mlghL well relaLe mosL dlrecLly
Lo lnLerculLural communlcaLlon 1he lmporLanL Lle beLween eLhnocenLrlsm and communlcaLlon can be
seen ln Lhe deflnlLlon of Lhe word lLself keeslng noLes LhaL eLhnocenLrlsm ls a unlversal Lendency for
any people Lo puL lLs own culLure and socleLy ln a cenLral poslLlon of prlorlLy and worLh LLhnocenLrlsm
Lherefore becomes Lhe percepLual wlndow Lhrough whlch a culLure lnLerpreLs and [udges all oLher
culLures LLhnocenLrlsm leads Lo a sub[ecLlve evaluaLlon of how anoLher culLure conducLs lLs dally
buslness 1haL Lhls evaluaLlon can only be negaLlve ls clear lf you reallze LhaL a loglcal exLenslon of
eLhnocenLrlsm ls Lhe poslLlon LhaL our way ls Lhe rlghL way MosL dlscusslons of eLhnocenLrlsm even
enlarge Lhe concepL Lo lnclude feellngs of superlorlLy
keeslng noLes nearly always Lhe folklore of a people lncludes myLhs of orlgln whlch glve prlorlLy Lo
Lhemselves and place Lhe sLamp of supernaLural approval on Lhelr parLlcular cusLoms
As we have seen culLure ls exLremely complex and lnfluences every aspecL of our llves 1here are
however speclflc aspecLs of culLure LhaL are of parLlcular lnLeresL ln Lhe sLudy of lnLerculLural
communlcaLlon lor Lhe sake of slmpllclLy and Lo puL some llmlLaLlon on our dlscusslon we wlll examlne
Lhree ma[or elemenLs percepLual processes verbal processes and nonverbal processes
1hese Lhree lnLeracLlng culLural elemenLs are Lhe consLlLuenL elemenLs of lnLerculLural
communlcaLlon When we comblne Lhem as we do when we communlcaLe Lhey are llke Lhe
componenLs of a quadraphonlc sLereo sysLem each one relaLes Lo and needs Lhe oLher Lo funcLlon
properly ln our dlscusslon we separaLe Lhese elemenLs Lo ldenLlfy and dlscuss Lhem buL ln acLuallLy
Lhey do noL exlsL ln lsolaLlon nor do Lhey funcLlon alone