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CULTURE How do we define it? How does it shape who we are, & what we feel, think, & do? Class 1

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CULTUREHow do we define it?

How does it shape who we are, & what we feel, think, & do?

Class 1

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How do we define “culture”?

External definitions

Concrete definitions

Behavioral definitions

Symbolic definitions

Internal definitions

2SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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Culture is…

Rooted in behavior…what we do, how we behave, how we respond

Includes our material artifacts…art, music, buildings, products, natural resources

Includes our thinking…social knowledge, beliefs, morals, laws, customs

Includes our patterns & symbols…language, public meanings, class

Includes our values…ideas, habits, traditions

3SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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Values & Thought Patterns

Beliefs

Behaviors

Culture is like an Iceberg

4SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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In other words…

“Culture includes multiple levels of traditions, values, & beliefs, as well as

social, biological, & natural acts.

These processes are driven by the meanings we give to or take from them.

These meanings are fortified or changed in relations between people,

as history unfolds.”

--E. Hutchison (2008)

5SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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It has been suggested that…

Individuals & groups view the world in different ways,

shaped by their cultural experiences

These different ways of understanding affect

communication

Such differences may lead to conflicts &

misunderstandings between groups

E. Hall (1976). Beyond Culture

6SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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For example, on a continuum…

Some people have “low context” vision…

Others have “high context” vision

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history

posture

social setting

importance

words

tone

gestures

phrasingsocial status

LOW

CONTEXT

HIGH

CONTEXT8SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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The general differences along this continuum

Persons with high context

vision tend to be…

More relationally based

Circular in thinking

Focused on a wide range

of information

Less verbally explicit

Persons with low context

vision tend to be…

More individually based

Linear in thinking

Task oriented & narrowly

focused

Rule oriented & factual

9SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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Yet culture is a dynamic

process that also must be

viewed within a personal &

situational context

J. Laird has said that cultures are…

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ImprovisationalWe fit experiences into meanings & create new meanings & new symbols

Fluid & emergentWe have multiple cultural selves that shift according to our setting

An intersection of many groupsWe belong to many groups, & there is diversity within our groups

Not measurableIt is not a thing or an object; it is a cluster of meanings from past, present, & future

PoliticalPeople do not have equal opportunities to have their stories told

11SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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As we move further into the 21st century…

Western societiesare in the midst of a shift from a “modern” to a “postmodern” view

of human interaction & culture

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But in many parts of the world…

Traditional societies are in the midst of shifting from a

“premodern” to a “modern” view of human interaction & culture

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What does this mean?

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“Premodern traditional”

Premodern traditional societies are pre-industrial & built on subsistence agriculture.

Communal values, religious authority, stability, & order are valued.

Blood lines, tribes, & hierarchy determine social status.

Religious beliefs & traditions are valued more than scientific reason.

15SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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“Modern”

Modern societies are built on the belief that science & knowledge are objective, & we can know the cause & effect of behavior.

Human beings are viewed as developing through a predictable interaction between external sociocultural forces & internal psychological forces.

Progress, individualism, achievement, & capitalism are valued.

16SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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“Postmodern”Postmodern societies value diversity in the midst

of a multicultural, global world.

Status is based on difference, not power.

The development of “the self” is viewed as a

conscious, ongoing, unfolding process; we have

multiple selves, with many vocabularies.

Rationality is viewed as limited; objective, value-

free science is viewed as one-sided.

Unpredictability & chaos are recognized.

17SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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Postmodernism proposes that…

Reality is both subjective & objective.

Subjective reality is created by the internalization of our social norms.

Our understandings are a result of our social relationships, developed at a particular point in time.

18SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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Social processes (such as communication, conflict, & negotiation) can be used for social control.

The way we see the world affects our social policy & our choices.

19SWEP III, SBennett, CUA, 2011

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What do you think?

Do you live in a traditional, modern, or postmodern culture?

How would you describe your culture?