Chapter Four-Communication and Culture Prepared by Sherry Tucker and reviewed by Precious Stone 20172018 Slide One -Introduction approximately 20 seconds This chapter has two major themes: cultures within the United States and global cultural values. This lecture will start with definitions of culture and co-cultures. Then we will review the global cultural values that are found in different countries. We will end the lecture with a discussion of different cocultures and how to grow in intercultural competence. Slide Two -Understanding Cultures and Co-Cultures What is the difference between culture and co-culture? Let’s first start with culture. The Understanding Human Communication textbook defines culture as, ‘the language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs people share and learn.’ Cultures are dynamic and can change some characteristics, while other characteristics stay in place. We have changed some of our values and beliefs, while maintaining our major traditions. Co-culture(s) are groups that exist alongside the dominant culture, but have distinct cultural characteristics. There are several types of co-cultures outline in the class textbook such as: age, physical disabilities, ethnic groups, sexual orientation, religion, and activity. People who belong to a specific coculture are called in-group members. Language is the key component that maintains an in-group’s values, beliefs, traditions and customs from one generation to the next generation. However, when we engage in intergroup and/or intercultural communication we might have confusion if we do not code-switch. We code-switch when we change our speech to communicate with someone outside of our group. We can belong to more than one co-culture. We will examine the co-cultures later in this chapter. Slide Three -Cultural Values and Norms Shape Communication -approximately 20 seconds When we examine communication in cultures we look at culture values and norms to make comparisons. The factors we examine include: individualism vs. collectivism, high and low context, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, talk and silence and competitive vs. cooperative cultures. Slide Four -Individualism and Collectivism -approximately 2 minutes Individualism and collectivism are cultural orientations that explain how we perceive ourselves in a society. Individualism or individualistic people focus on the self and see themselves as independent and selfreliant people. In the United States we hear this phrase that reflects individualism, ‘Pull yourself up by your bootstraps’. In communication, people from individualistic cultures focus ‘I’, and ‘my’ when they are talking about competition and accomplishments. Furthermore, our textbook points out that individualistic cultures use a direct-solution approach to problem-solving and addressing conflict. Perhaps we can sum up the individualistic experience as Frank Sinatra sings, ‘I did it My Way’. On the other hand, collectivism or collectivistic people focus on the group or team. Our textbook claims ‘collectivistic cultures feel loyalties and obligations to one’s extended family, community or even the organization one works for.’ Collectivistic people are interdependent and accomplishments are shared by the team. It’s we did it! To demonstrate this cultural value, collectivist use their surname as the first name in identification. Also, the authors of our textbook point out, that in communication with some collectivist cultures, there is no equivalent word for the pronoun ‘I’. Teamwork and collaboration is highlighted in collectivist cultures and are more humble in their self-evaluations of accomplishments. For example, in the Chinese movie the Joy Luck club, the mother insults her own cooking by saying, ‘This dish is not salty enough, no flavor, it’s too bad to eat, but please {eat}.’ Additionally, collectivist approach conflict indirectly so that they do not disrupt the group’s harmony. Slide Five -High Context and Low Context -approximately 1 ½ minutes Communication experts describe cultures as either high or low context. Low context cultures communicate more directly and rely upon words to communicate their thoughts. Low context expect conversations to have depth with lots of details or explanations. Additionally, low context cultures freely express their ideas and emotions. High context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal cues and work to maintain social harmony. High context cultures use subtle messages. If we watch the Joy Luck Club Meet the Parents video clip, we will see examples of high context culture. In the clip, the mother subtly expresses the boyfriend’s greediness and says, ‘He has good appetite’ rather than calling him greedy. In addition, she expresses disapproval of her daughter’s, American boyfriend by saying, ‘So many spots on his face’. Also, we see nonverbal displays of high context culture after the boyfriend pours soy sauce over one of the dishes. The mother’s facial expression demonstrates humiliation, while a male Chinese relative appears shocked and utters ‘oh’! The United States is an example of a low context culture, while Asian countries represent high context cultures. Slide Six -Uncertainty Avoidance -approximately 1 minute Sociologist Geer Hofstede explains in his video 10 Minutes with Geert Hostede on Uncertainty Avoidance that cultures have different perspectives of uncertainty. We can say that uncertainty is the unknown, the different or something ambiguous. Some cultures avoid the unknown, different or ambiguous and are labeled uncertainty avoidance cultures. The Understanding Human Communication textbook includes Hofstede’s explanation that uncertainty avoidance cultures believe that foreign or different people and ideas are dangerous. Hofstede also states that uncertain avoidance cultures expect defined rules and regulations. However, low uncertainty avoidance cultures welcome change and are curious to learn about the unknown and find different people and ideas interesting. Furthermore, Hofstede expresses that low avoidance cultures prefer less rules and to change or break rules. People from low avoidance cultures engage innovation. Slide Seven –Power Distance and Competitive and Cooperative Cultures-approximately 1 1/2 minutes The Understanding Human Communication textbook explains that power distance is the extent of the gap between social groups who possess resources and influence those who do not. Low power distance cultures minimize differences in education and social class. Low power distance cultures also challenge authority. In addition, the textbook claims that in low power distance cultures ‘parents treat children as equals, and subordinates expect to be consulted’. However, in high power distance cultures there is a hierarchy and there are differences between social classes and caste systems. In high power cultures authority rule and according to our textbook ‘parents teach children obedience and subordinates expect to be told what to do’. Also, the Human Communication textbook, focuses the difference between competitive and collaborative cultures in regards to gender roles. Thus, in competitive cultures, gender roles are more traditional as women maintain the home and family, while the men earn the money and take care of the bills. However, in cooperative cultures, gender roles are not segmented and specific. Cooperative cultures focus on equality between the genders. Slide Eight –Talk and Silence-approximately ½ minute We will end our discussion about cultural values as we briefly examine talk and silence. In the Understanding Human Communication textbook, Western cultures, like the United States value talk as a way to socialize and to demonstrate friendship, however they feel that silence is awkward. In addition, silent people are viewed as follows: having a lack of interest, unwilling to communicate, shy, hostile and anxious. However, in cultures that value silence like Asian cultures and some Native American tribes. Excessive talking might be considered as showing off or unnecessary. Slide Nine: Race, Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity -4 minutes There are several co-cultures in the United States. Some people refer to these cultures as subcultures. However, these cultures operate alongside the dominant culture and are a part of our identity. Samovar, Porter and McDaniel refer to these cultures as co-cultures in their text, Communication between Cultures, because we can have dual membership in the dominant culture and one or more co-cultures. Therefore, we refer to them as co-cultures. In this slide we will discuss race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. Race and ethnicity is how we view ourselves and how we fit into our society. Race and ethnicity are social constructs created to categorize people. Race is a broad term that places people in general categories to indicate their origin such as Black or White. However, ethnicity is a more specific definition. According to the Understanding Human Communication textbook, ‘Ethnicity refers to the degree to which a person identifies with a particular group, usually on the basis of nationality, culture, religion, or some other perspective.’ For example, Italian Americans, Chinese Americans and Mexican Americans, are ethnic groups. However, there are Americans that belong to more than one ethnic group and/or race. For example, Gary Younge reports in the Guardian, that Golfer Tiger Woods told Oprah Winfrey in an interview that he has selected Chinese and African American on forms that required ethnic identification. While some people are identifying with various ethnic groups, some are only reporting that they are American and belong to the dominant culture. Religion is also considered a co-culture. According to our textbook, religion shapes how and with whom we communicate. The Pew Research Center reports that 70.6 percent of the U.S. population is Christian. Also, Pew states, 22.8 percent of the population is not affiliated with any religion. Last, Pew lists the following religions that make up less than six percent of the US population: Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslims. Although the religions have different practices, there are some similarities. For example, Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in one god. Nonverbal behaviors such as touch or lack of touch between sexes is similar in Orthodox Jewish religion and the Muslim religion. Additional categories of co-cultures include sexual orientation and gender identity. The American Psychological Association defines sexual orientation as, ‘A component of identity that includes a person’s sexual and emotional attraction to another person and the behavior and/or social affiliation that may result from attraction.’ According to the course textbook, LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning. Transgendered people have a gender identity that is different from their biological sex. Additionally, the textbook points out that transgendered people can be heterosexual. For example, Caitlyn Jenner, a transgendered woman, stated in an interview with Diane Sawyer, that she does not desire to have sexual intercourse with a man, as reported by the New York Daily News. The course textbook uses the term ‘intersectionality’ to explain that our identity is complex and composed of various co-cultures and some of these co-cultures overlap. We will review additional cultures in the following slide. Slide Ten: Regional, Physical Disability, Age, Generation & Socio-economic -4 minutes This slide will review the following co-cultures: regional differences, physical disabilities, age, generation and socio-economic class. The United States communication patterns are broken into geographic regions. There are different American dialects and accents throughout the US. Furthermore, our textbook points out that the use of facial expressions such as smiling depends on the region. There are people who have various physical disabilities and they had been disregarded and excluded from our society. In the past we viewed those people as disabled instead of a person who has a disability. Although, the Deaf Community is a co-culture with a language and norms; we are working to mainstream people with disabilities into our society. Georgetown University alumnae Aimee Mullins explains in a Ted talk that we can influence how people with disabilities are perceived. We probably do not think of age or generation as a co-cultural group. However, our textbook focuses on Western cultural norms of interacting with senior citizens and teens. The senior population is mainly ignored or pushed aside for the younger generations. Additionally, people from Western cultures tend to talk down to the elderly. Ignoring or talking down to seniors can have harmful effects on their selfesteem. In addition to seniors, teens also battle self-esteem issues. The course textbook also indicates that teens experience communication challenges with their parents based on their self-perception and experience. There are also generation differences and today’s workforce contains Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and Millennials. Each group grew up with cultural norms of a specific time period that shaped a part of their identity. According to Pew Research, these generations were born in the following years: Baby Boomers: 1946-1964, Generation X: 1965-1980 and Millennials: 1981-1998. Our textbook indicates that there is a communication challenge between Millennials and Baby Boomers and Generation Xers. Our textbook notes that in the workplace Millennials expect more positive feedback, guidance on how to complete a task and ‘a strong desire for praise’. This reflects their childhood and teenage years where they received recognition for completing a task despite the effort. Neither Baby Boomers nor Generation Xers grew up with the same cultural norms as Millennials. The Baby Boomers and Generation Xers grew up with the notion of competition and winners and losers. Additionally, some Generation Xers grew up as ‘latch key kids’ and learned to be self-sufficient. So, we can see how the different generations can experience communication conflict in the workplace. We conclude the section on co-culture with socioeconomic status. Our textbook notes three different social classes: working class, middle class and upper class. The authors claim that we communicate according to the class that we identify as a member. Further, they highlight the working class and first generation college student’s communication style is a challenge for them when they ascend into the professional workplace. The authors explain that this is due to how they were raised, their family’s communication style and approach to conflict. This group has to be able to code-switch in the different environments. Another socioeconomic co-culture includes gangs. According to the textbook authors, gangs provide people security and an identity. Now that we have reviewed the co-cultures, we will next view some tips on how to develop intercultural communication competence. Slide Eleven -Developing Intercultural Communication Competence approximately 2 minutes Developing intercultural communication takes time and patience. You might want to take the self-assessment in the textbook, ‘What is Your Intercultural Sensitivity?’ to determine your level of intercultural communication competence. Here are a few suggestions from the Understanding Human Communication textbook to increase your intercultural communication competence. First, increase your contact with those that are different from you, tolerate ambiguity in verbal and nonverbal communication and welcome difference. You can join the CCBC International Club or attend cultural events. Second, stay open-minded and avoid ethnocentrism, an attitude that your culture is superior or the model for other cultures. Also, remove prejudice from your thought processes. When involved with world or global affairs avoid hegemony which is the ‘dominance of one culture over another’. Third, learn about other cultures and integrate intercultural communication skills. At CCBC, you can take classes such as CMNS 252 -Intercultural Communication, MCOM 150 -Movies: History and Art, INTR 101 -American Sign Language and world language classes. Also, some of CCBC’s classes have a global component, so look for those sections. Last, research a coculture before you participate in it and realize that it is not easy to learn a new culture. However, if you exercise patience and perseverance, you will obtain your intercultural communication goals. REFERENCES ADLER, R.B., RODMAN, G. & DU PRE, A. (2017). UNDERSTANDING HUMAN COMMUNICATION. (13TH ED.). NEW YORK, NY: OXFORD. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (N.D.). DEFINITIONS RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER DIVERSITY IN APA DOCUMENTS. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.APA.ORG/PI/LGBT/RESOURCES/SEXUALITY-DEFINITIONS.PDF DIDKOG. (N.D.). CLEAN JERK SPORT CLEAN JERK GYM. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://PIXABAY.COM/EN/CLEAN-JERK-SPORTCLEAN-JERK-GYM-2188461/ GERALT. (N.D.). TEAMWORK TEAM GEAR GEARS DRIVE. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://PIXABAY.COM/EN/TEAMWORK-TEAMGEAR-GEARS-DRIVE-2204257/ HAIN. J. (N.D.). WE ME US ONE INDIVIDUAL SEPARATE. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://PIXABAY.COM/EN/WE-ME-US-ONEINDIVIDUAL-SEPARATE-2078072/ SLIDE 9 PHOTO SUPPLIED BY OXFORD PUBLISHING. SAMOVAR, L.A., PORTER, R.E., MCDANIEL, E.R. & ROY, C.S. (2013). COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CULTURES. (8TH ED., PP. 9). BOSTON, MASS: WADSWORTH. HOFSTEDE, G. (2015, MARCH 15). GEERT HOFSTEDE ON UNCERTAINTY. [VIDEO FILE]. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=FZF6LYGNE7Q MOLINET, J. (2015, APRIL 24). BRUCE JENNER I AM NOT GAY. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.NYDAILYNEWS.COM/ENTERTAINMENT/GOSSIP/BRUCE-JENNER-NOT-GAY-ARTICLE-1.2198295 TED. (2009, MARCH 11). AIMEE MULLINS: IT’S NOT FAIR HAVING 12 PAIRS OF LEGS. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=JQ0IMULICGG PEW RESEARCH CENTER. (2017). RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE STUDY. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.PEWFORUM.ORG/RELIGIOUS-LANDSCAPE-STUDY/ PEW RESEARCH CENTER. (AUGUST 26, 2016). THE GENERATIONS DEFINED. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/FACT-TANK/2016/08/29/THIS-MAY-BE-THE-LAST-PRESIDENTIAL-ELECTIONDOMINATED-BY-BOOMERS-AND-PRIOR-GENERATIONS/FT_16-08- 26_GENERATIONSDEFINED_2016_SILENTGREATEST/ WANG, W. (DIRECTOR). TOMITA, T., RICH, C. AND CHIN, T. (ACTORS). (SEPTEMBER 8, 1993). JOY LUCK CLUB [MOTION PICTURE]. USA: BUENTA VISTA. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WHTJWGZLAEW YOUNGE, G. (2010, MAY 20). TIGER WOODS: BLACK, WHITE, OTHER. THE GUARDIAN. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/SPORT/2010/MAY/29/TIGER-WOODS-RACIAL-POLITICS Purchase answer to see full attachment

Mastering the Art of Online Learning: Your Guide to Acing Online Courses

Introduction

In recent years, the popularity of online courses has skyrocketed, offering learners the flexibility to acquire new skills and knowledge from the comfort of their homes. However, succeeding in online courses requires a different approach compared to traditional classroom settings. To help you make the most of your online learning experience, this article presents essential strategies and tips to ace your online courses.

1. Set Clear Goals and Plan Ahead

Before embarking on an online course, establish clear goals and objectives. Determine what you hope to achieve by the end of the course and break down your goals into manageable milestones. Create a study schedule that aligns with your other commitments, ensuring you allocate dedicated time for coursework, assignments, and revision.

2. Create a Productive Study Environment

Establishing a conducive study environment is crucial for online learning success. Find a quiet, well-lit space where you can concentrate without distractions. Remove any potential interruptions, such as notifications from social media or email. Organize your study materials and have a reliable internet connection to ensure seamless access to course materials.

3. Actively Engage in the Course

Active participation is key to mastering online courses. Engage with course materials, including videos, readings, and interactive components. Take comprehensive notes, highlighting key concepts and ideas. Participate in discussion boards, forums, and virtual meetings to interact with instructors and peers, fostering a sense of community and enhancing your understanding of the subject matter.

4. Manage Your Time Effectively

Online courses offer flexibility, but it’s essential to manage your time wisely to avoid falling behind. Create a detailed schedule, allocating specific time slots for coursework, assignments, and studying. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable segments to prevent procrastination. Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and dedicate focused time to each one, ensuring consistent progress throughout the course.

5. Develop Effective Communication Skills

Online courses often rely on written communication, making it crucial to hone your skills in this area. Be concise and clear in your written responses, paying attention to grammar and spelling. Actively participate in discussions, asking thoughtful questions and providing constructive feedback to your peers. Regularly check your course emails and notifications, ensuring you stay updated with any important announcements or changes.

6. Utilize Available Resources

Take full advantage of the resources provided by your online course platform and instructors. Familiarize yourself with the learning management system (LMS) and explore its features. Access supplementary materials, such as textbooks, lecture slides, and external resources recommended by instructors. Utilize online libraries, research databases, and tutorial services to deepen your understanding of the subject matter.

7. Stay Motivated and Engaged

Maintaining motivation throughout an online course can be challenging, particularly when faced with competing priorities or a lack of face-to-face interaction. Set short-term goals and reward yourself upon their completion. Connect with fellow learners through virtual study groups or online forums to foster a sense of camaraderie. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits and personal growth associated with completing the course successfully.

8. Seek Support and Clarification

Don’t hesitate to seek support or clarification when needed. Reach out to your instructors for guidance or clarification on course material. Utilize online discussion forums to ask questions or engage in collaborative problem-solving. Leverage the support services provided by your course platform or institution, such as technical support or academic advising.

Conclusion

Online courses present unique opportunities for self-paced learning and personal growth. By setting clear goals, creating a productive study environment, actively engaging with course materials, and managing your time effectively, you can maximize your chances of acing online courses. Remember to stay motivated, seek support when needed, and make the most of the available resources. Embrace the flexibility and adaptability of online learning to achieve your educational goals.