MCM101 Lesson 10

LESSON 10: COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE

1. What is ‘culture’ as defined in the lesson?
   Culture is the way people live, or the living style of people of a particular area, including their habits, eating, dressing, language, social values, traditions, and religion.
2. What is ‘enculturation’?
   Enculturation is the process of passing on culture from one generation to the next.
3. Define ‘acculturation’.
   Acculturation is the process of learning the rules and norms of a culture different from one’s own native culture.
4. What is a ‘cultural shock’?
   Cultural shock occurs when people from one culture have to live in another culture where normal life values are radically diverse, leading to a complete breakdown of communication.
5. According to the lesson, what is one principle for preparing for intercultural communication?
   One principle is to prepare yourself in advance about the new culture you may face by learning through videos, newspapers, and magazines.
6. What is one common fear people have when communicating with a different culture, according to scholars?
   Scholars believe that even learned people have a sense of fear of miscommunication through words and gestures that might infuriate locals and lead to an embarrassing situation.
7. How can knowing different meanings of phrases and gestures help in intercultural communication?
   Studying basic differences in meanings between two cultures eases the communication gap, making the process more gainful by preventing misunderstandings.
8. What is one example of a “hard and fast” cultural value mentioned in the lesson?
   One example is that in Indonesian culture, direct eye contact is a sign of disrespect when talking to older people, whereas in America, avoiding eye contact means disinterest.
9. Explain why the definition of culture can be ’embarrassing’ for a student of communication.
   Because a student of communication knows that a slight change can hugely alter a message’s meaning, and culture involves plenty of variables (habits, values, etc.) that can vary or destroy the intended meaning, creating hurdles.
10. Explain the difference between ‘enculturation’ and ‘acculturation’ with an example.
    Enculturation is receiving cultural values from parents (e.g., a Pakistani settling in the UK continues their native lifestyle). Acculturation is adopting a new culture (e.g., a Pakistani in America learning local rules to live there long-term).
11. How can cultural differences within a single society lead to communication problems?
    Sub-cultures (e.g., Sindhi, Baluchi, Punjabi in Pakistan) have different traditions and lifestyles, which can cause communication snags and problems when people from these sub-cultures undertake joint business or interaction.
12. Explain why ‘cultural shock’ represents a ‘complete breakdown of communication’.
    Because the radical diversity in life values makes it difficult for individuals to communicate effectively without conceding to acculturation, leading to misunderstanding and inability to interact meaningfully.
13. How can overcoming the ‘fear of the unseen’ improve intercultural communication?
    By making a fair assessment of the message against the social values of the other culture and getting positive feedback, the initial fear is dispelled, building confidence for further communication.
14. Explain the potential misunderstanding if an American family says “come over and pay us a visit” to a family from a different culture.
    In American culture, this is a friendly gesture, not a formal invitation. In other cultures, the same words may be taken as a serious, formal invitation, leading to confusion and potential social awkwardness.
15. How is the world moving towards reducing communication hurdles related to culture?
    With advancements in electronic media, internet chatting, and increased travel, people’s understanding of each other’s cultures is improving, thus reducing communication hurdles.
16. Why is it important to understand that body gestures may have different meanings in different cultures?
    Because the same gesture (e.g., eye contact, using left hand) can convey respect in one culture and offense in another, leading to serious misinterpretation and communication failure if not understood.
17. A businessperson from the UK is preparing for their first negotiation in Indonesia. Based on the lesson, what is one specific cultural norm they should research?
    They should research norms regarding eye contact, as avoiding direct eye contact with older people is a sign of respect in Indonesia, whereas it might be interpreted differently in the UK.
18. Analyze the following scenario: A tourist avoids interacting with local vendors in a foreign country out of fear of saying something wrong. What does the lesson suggest is the root of this fear?
    The root is the ‘fear of the unseen’ – the fear that any miscommunication through words or gestures might infuriate a local and lead to an embarrassing situation.
19. A university is welcoming a large number of international students. Based on the lesson, what is one key strategy to help them avoid cultural shock?
    The university could provide pre-arrival materials (videos, guides) that explain the local culture’s “hard and fast” values, social norms, and common phrases to prepare the students and ease their acculturation.
20. A company is creating a training program for employees being posted abroad. What is one principle of intercultural communication they must include?
    They must include the principle of ‘Preparing Yourself’ by providing information about the social norms, values, and potential communication pitfalls of the host culture.
21. Apply your knowledge: Why might a simple invitation from an American be misinterpreted by someone from a more formal culture?
    Because in American culture, “come over and visit” is often a casual, polite gesture, whereas in more formal cultures, the same words are interpreted as a literal and formal invitation, leading to unmet expectations.
22. A Pakistani family is moving to the United States. Based on the lesson, what is one area where they might face a significant cultural shock regarding education?
    They might face shock regarding co-education, as separate colleges for boys and girls are common in Pakistan, but this concept does not exist in the West, where mixed-gender schools are the norm.
23. Based on the lesson, what is the likely outcome if a person resists acculturation while living in a foreign culture for a long time?
    The person is bound to face embarrassment in everyday communication, as every message they send or receive will be understood differently (often wrongly) due to the persistent cultural conflict.
24. Two colleagues from different sub-cultures in the same country have a disagreement. Based on the lesson, what could be an underlying cause?
    An underlying cause could be differing cultural values or traditions from their respective sub-cultures, leading to different interpretations of words, gestures, or business practices, causing communication snags.
25. If “the world is moving towards acculturation,” what does this suggest about the future of global communication?
    It suggests that global communication will become smoother over time as people become more exposed to and familiar with each other’s cultures through media and travel, leading to reduced misunderstandings and more effective interaction.