environmental factors that influence our cultural identity environmental factors that influence our cultural identity

The fact that we view ourselves as American is even somewhat ethnocentric because technically there are three rather large countries that are all in North American and 13 in South America. Third, what we learn ultimately leads to a shared perception of the world. This article reviews the state of the social sciences with respect to the study of culture and cultures. The study uses a performance measure framework in which countries per capita emissions are fed as inputs and in which GDP per capita data is used as outputs. But lets say all you know about the people from the Republic of Kiribati is that they like European-style football. _____1. We will write a custom Essay on How Does Culture Affect the Self Identity Personal Essay specifically for you. Going back to our previous example, if you run across a Purple person in your next job, youll immediately see that person as lazy without having any other information about that person. It does not attempt to be comprehensivea task that would be daunting given the diverse and rich literatures that quickly come into focus. If you ended up leaving the south and moving to Oregon, this southerner label may take on even more meaning for you and become an even stronger identity marker because your immediate cultural group no longer surrounds you. Interpersonal Communication by Jason S. Wrench; Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter; and Katherine S. Thweatt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Excluded or removed from a group by others in that group. We call these types of jobs sex-segregated because the jobs are held overwhelmingly by one biological sex or the other when there is no real reason why either sex cannot be effective within the job. Jalissa was a Dean of Diversity at a liberal arts college, and Roy taught cultural studies at a large research university. No matter if a culture is widespread or kept within a small region, is young or old, or has changed over time or stayed the same, every culture can teach us about ourselves, others, and the global community. The different sets of beliefs, values, and morals embedded in various national cultures . The final part of the definition of culture, and probably the most important for our purposes, looking at interpersonal communication, is that these beliefs, values, norms, and rules will govern how people behave. In his 1959 book, The Silent Language, Hall states, culture is communication and communication is culture.19 In the previous chapter, we talked about the importance of nonverbal communication. In these cultures, there tends to be high respect for the past and the various traditions that have made that culture great. Knowing how eye contact functions across cultures can help you know more about how to interact with people from various cultures. The way we respond to particular situations can also be partially determined by our genetic makeup. Perhaps you live in a dorm that is allegedly haunted. This means students who have purchased a Premium Subscription will now be offered complimentary support in our Student Forums by us. _____10. Some interesting findings associated with indulgence include experiencing higher levels of positive emotions and remembering those emotions for more extended periods. Differentiate between Edward T. Halls low-context and high-context cultures. One of the factors that influences identity is the culture a human being was raised in. _____4. People in more indulgent countries are going to be happier than their restrained counterparts, and people within indulgent cultures show lower rates of cardiovascular problems commonly associated with stress. There are many factors that influence our health. Martin created what is considered to be the birth certificate of America by creating a map charting what was the known world at the time. As the relationship between uncertainty avoidance and environmental attitudes has not been previously well understood, however, the authors avoid hypothesizing any strong causal connection between the observations. Beliefs are assumptions and convictions held by an individual, group, or culture about the truth or existence of something. The extent to which cultures as a whole are fearful of ambiguous and unknown situations. Theres also a massive difference in the approach to marriage. First, when it comes to engaging with people from other cultures, we need to be fully in the moment and not think about previous interactions with people from a culture or possible future interactions with people from a culture. This simple exercise demonstrates how often and easy it is for stereotypes to enter into our heads. Just like a baby born to an English-speaking family isnt going to magically start speaking French out of nowhere, neither will a person from one culture adopt another culture accidentally. In this chapter, were going to explore culture and its impact on interpersonal communication. Listed below are the environmental factors that influence our cultural identity. The concept of face is especially problematic in emotionally vulnerable situations (such as embarrassment, request, or conflict situations) when the situation identities of the communicators are called into question. Try this exercise: picture someone named Mel. Why? The smell of an environment is an important factor in predicting how people will behave in it. Finally, individuals from indulgent cultures tend to be more extraverted and outgoing as a whole, whereas individuals from restrained cultures tend to be more neurotic. All of us live in a world where we are raised in a dominant culture. When we use blanket stereotypes to make a priori (before the fact) judgments about someone, we distance ourselves from making accurate, informed decisions about that person (and their cultural group). Uncertainty avoidance then involves the extent to which cultures as a whole are fearful of ambiguous and unknown situations. For example, you may be interacting with someone from another culture because youre trying to sell them a product you represent. Question 3 Understanding Culture. Maybe youve belonged to a religious organization your entire life. the relationship between changes in the cultural environment and who we are? What are the factors and forces that influences one's view on the self? If youre a fan of what we in the U.S. call soccer, then you correct that stereotype or at least provide that person a more nuanced understanding of your own culture. As such, narrowing down to only one definition of the term is problematic, no matter how you define culture. For our purposes, we define culture as a group of people who, through a process of learning, can share perceptions of the world, which influences their beliefs, values, norms, and rules, which eventually affect behavior. In HCC, on the other hand, intention or meaning can best be conveyed through implicit contexts, including gestures, social customs, silence, nuance, or tone of voice.20 Table 6.1 further explores the differences between low-context and high-context cultures. Development and validation of the CQS: The Cultural Intelligence Scale. The top five most masculine countries are Slovakia, Japan, Hungary, Austria, and Venezuela (the U.S. is number 19 out of 76); whereas, feminine countries are represented by Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Netherlands, and Denmark. What could you do at that point to help rebuild that persons face? Power distance and individualism exert the strongest forces. The terms low-context culture (LCC) and high-context culture (HCC) were created by Hall to describe how communication styles differ across cultures. For understanding culture, Hofstede acknowledges that this distinction ultimately has a lot to do with work goals.28 On the masculine end of the spectrum, individuals tend to be focused on items like earnings, recognition, advancement, and challenge. Why? Instructions: Read the following questions and select the answer that corresponds with your perception. GROVE CITY, Pennsylvania, October 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Mark Twain said once: "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." During an interpersonal interaction, individuals strive to create a positive version of their face for the other person. According to a 2013 report from the U.S. Census department (using income data from 2012), here is how income inequality in the U.S. looks: Households in the lowest quintile had incomes of $20,599 or less in 2012. You may have even been told by someone to look at me when Im talking to you if youve ever gotten in trouble. We are often born into our cultural identities. _____18. Probably one of the best books you can read to know more about how to communicate in another culture is Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaways book Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries.47. When it comes to power distances, these differences often manifest themselves in many ways within a singular culture: class, education, occupations, and health care. Interpersonally, long-term oriented countries were more satisfied with their contributions to Being attentive to daily human relations, deepening human bonds in family, neighborhood and friends or acquaintances when compared to their short-term counterparts.32. In fact, in the 1980s only 19% of flight attendants were male, and today 26% of flight attendants are male.15 Are all flight attendants female? More . For example, the median income for the average U.S. household is $51,100.24 When discussing household incomes, we use the median (middlemost number) because its the most accurate representation of income. Cultural patterns of behavior influenced by cultural beliefs, values, norms, and rules based on a specific locality or within an organization. According to Hofstede and his coauthors, Indulgence stands for a tendency to allow relatively free gratification of basic and natural human desires related to enjoying life and having fun. The degree to which those people and organizations with less power within a culture accept and expect that power is unequally distributed within their culture. I enjoy reaching out and engaging in an intercultural encounter. Continuing in this tradition are current investigations into the roles of pollutants and other aspects of the human-made environment in affecting patterns of human growth and development, specifically the timing of sexual maturation and the development of obesity. One of the earliest researchers in the area of cultural differences and their importance to communication was a researcher by the name of Edward T. Hall. Previous research has indicated the importance of cultural practices and services in sustaining cultural identity for Indigenous peoples, which is a major . Fourth, the culture we are raised in will teach us our beliefs, values, norms, and rules. List the various stereotypes that you can think of for the following different groups: Gay Male, Transgendered Male, African American Male, Hispanic Female, White Male, and Pakistani Female. When it comes down to it, despite the issues we have in our country, the power disparity is not nearly as significant as it is in many other parts of our world. Every individual belongs to a wide range of groups, and we can evaluate these groups as either positive or negative. Aesthetics. A luminary is an expert who sheds light on a subject and inspires and influences others work in that area. Maybe you immediately think of going to the ballet, an opera, or an art museum. Short-term oriented cultures, on the other hand, tend to focus on both the past and the present. Its opposite pole, restraint, reflects a conviction that such gratification needs to be curbed and regulated by strict social norms.34 The top five on the Indulgence end are Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, and Nigeria, whereas those on the restraint end are Pakistan, Egypt, Latvia, Ukraine, and Albania. This definition is a bit complex, so lets break it down. To determine power differences within a culture, Hofstede originally was able to examine cultural value survey data that had been collected by IBM. His book Beyond Culture is still considered one of the most influential books for the field of intercultural communication.17,18 According to Hall, all cultures incorporate both verbal and nonverbal elements into communication. For example, African Americans in New York City are culturally distinct from those living in Birmingham, Alabama, because they also belong to different geographical co-cultures. First, recognize that you attempted to use a stereotype that you had and call it out for what it was. From an interpersonal perspective, people from high uncertainty avoidant cultures are going to have a lot more anxiety associated with interactions involving people from other cultures. Table 6.1 Low-Context vs. High-Context Cultures, You may be wondering, by this point, how low-context and high-context cultures differ across different countries. The following is an edited transcript of an interview conducted by Kelly Aves, a second-year student at the Harris School of Public Policy. Learn how culture identity impacts early childhood development, including. Second, call out the stereotype in your mind. Furthermore, individuals from more indulgent cultures tend to be more optimistic, while their restrained counterparts tend to be more cynical. In the case of cultural stereotypes, cultural members share a belief (or set of beliefs) about another cultural group. Our cultural identity can evolve, as culture is ever-evolving and dynamic. Motivation is the key to effective intercultural interactions. We then looked at the critical functions that culture performs in our daily lives. However, this is only one of many different creation myths that have abounded over time in different cultures: Ultimately, which creation story we grew up with was a matter of the culture in which we were raised. These are classified as core elements. Does your co-culture differ from the dominant culture? The people that they surround themselves with influences their values and beliefs. It is constantly evolving. We can often make these determinations by talking to the other person. Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Communication, Chapter 2: Overview of Interpersonal Communication, Chapter 4: Verbal Elements of Communication, Chapter 6: Cultural and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication, Chapter 8: Building and Maintaining Relationships, Chapter 11: Family & Marriage Relationships, Chapter 12: Interpersonal Communication in Mediated Contexts, Chapter 13: Interpersonal Relationships at Work, Chapter 14: The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication. Research has examined how an individuals collective self-esteem impacts their interpersonal interactions.11 The researchers found that during interactions in which multicultural persons felt that their heritage culture was being positively evaluated, they were more likely to perceive the interaction as intimate, they disclosed more and perceived their interaction partner as more disclosing, they enjoyed the interaction more, and they were more likely to indicate that they felt personally accepted.12 Furthermore, individuals with high collective self-esteem generally had more favorable interactions with people of differing cultures. We also tend to think our own culture is generally right, moral, ethical, legal, etc. Similarly, trait affection received was significantly associated with the individualism-collectivism and uncertainty avoidance dimensions of cultures.36, Mansson, D. H., & Sigurardttir, A. G. (2017). Everything influences our way of thinking and our opinions: the climate influences our mood, the pollution influences our health, and the natural resources might affect human survival. The United States is number one on individualism, according to Hofstedes data.27 Americans are considered individualistic. The other countries did not differ from each other with regard to trait affection given. In S. Ang & L. Van Dyne (Eds. Cultural geography is the study of cultural components and how they relate to the geography of the places where people live and travel. Sure, American football still is the king of sports in the U.S., but media trends for watching football (soccer) are growing, and more and more Americans are becoming fans. Think about ethnocentrism in your own life. Before continuing, take a minute and complete the Cultural Intelligence Questionnaire in Table 6.2. These set of norms puts pressure of the human being to act in a certain way. As such, we must always be careful to avoid generalizing about individuals because of the co-cultures they belong to. The culture one grows up in can affect their happiness, morality, mortality, behaviour and, once again, personality. It also examines the closely related concepts of values and identities. However, in collectivistic cultures, a person would answer in terms of the group, organization, and/or corporation that they serve. Enter your email address to subscribe to CPR. Instead, culturally intelligent people realize that its best to adapt our behaviors (verbally and nonverbally) to bridge the gap between people culturally. Kim is More , A decline in the corporate tax rate enforced through state policy is found by a new study to be immaterial to investment decisions for businesses and therefore a non-factor for spurring economic growth within a state. Either of these effects can change the proteins that are made from a gene, which in turn affects traits. We raise this example because often the larger culture coopts parts of a co-culture and tries to adapt it into the mainstream. ), Handbook of cultural intelligence: Theory, measurement, and application (pp. First, we have a dominant culture, or the established language, religion, behavior, values, rituals, and social customs of a specific society. Theory Tasks. One common microculture that has been discussed and researched is the Disney microculture. I understand how daily life is enacted in other cultures. The final characteristic of cultures is a new one first reported on in the 2010 edition of Cultures and Organizations.33 The sixth cultural characteristic is called indulgence vs. restraint, which examines issues of happiness and wellbeing. Like most aspects of development, influencing factors are multifaceted. Culture is such an ingrained part of who we are that we often dont even recognize our own culture. As you can see, becoming a truly culturally intelligent person involves a lot of work. Cultural orientation where individuals focus on the future and not the present or past. Face gaining refers to the strategies a person might use to build their reputation and feelings of prestige (e.g., talking about accomplishments, active social media presence, etc. 2.Cultural Factors With the onset of globalisation, a larger proportion of the students are moving across border for international higher education. Hofstede also refers to these tendencies as being more assertive. The two of them considered themselves as highly culturally intelligent people. On the other hand, maybe you had a bad experience with a Purple Person being lazy at work and in your mind decide all Purple People must behave like that. African Americans; Bisexuals, Gays, and Lesbians; Irish Americans, Southerners are all examples of what? I would have no problem socializing with people from a new culture. From an early age, all boys and girls are taught that bravery is akin to being a member of the tribe. Collectivist societies value group interests over individual interests and allow for the state to play a large role in the economic system, while individualist societies expect their members to look after themselves. In 1988, intercultural communication research Stella Ting-Toomey developed face-negotiation theory to help explain the importance of face within interpersonal interactions.37 The basic idea behind face-negotiation theory is that face-saving, conflict, and culture are all intertwined. Surprisingly not. The speed of cultural evolution varies. Second, go into an intercultural interaction knowing your intention. Imagine youve been brought up in a community where gang membership is a very common practice. Identity formation is a process through which, particularly in modern societies, individuals are able to choose from an array of . But not always. Think about a group that you currently belong to and consider the collective self-esteem you have for that group. More simplistically, face is essentially a persons reputation and feelings of prestige within multiple spheres, including the workplace, the family, personal friends, and society at large.44 For our purposes, we can generally break face down into general categories: face gaining and face losing. The last major term we need to explain with regards to culture is what is known as a microculture. Obviously, not; however, the majority of flight attendants are female. Geert Hofstedes research created a taxonomy for understanding and differentiating cultures. In one episode, one of the contestants, Ellen, is walking around in Marrakech, Morocco, wearing very short shorts. Attitude and Behaviours Influenced by Ones Culture: 1. In this section, were going to examine three important luminaries that have helped shape our understanding of culture and intercultural communication: Edward T. Hall, Geert Hofsteded, and Stella Ting-Toomey. The established language, religion, behavior, values, rituals, and social customs of a society. To this end, some of the villagers in Marrakech took it upon themselves to correct Ellens nonverbal behavior by throwing rocks at her. Was this interpersonal interaction appropriate? The degree to which an individual views the world from their own cultures perspective while evaluating other cultures according to their cultures preconceptions often accompanied by feelings of dislike, mistrust, or hate for cultures deemed inferior? With all of these different cultural groups, we must realize that just because individuals belong to a cultural group, that does not mean that they are all identical. And of course stability is not the rule in most of human history. Culture can be defined as a shared set of beliefs, values, experiences, and more. Each of the four factors exists on a continuum from 5 (not culturally intelligent) to 25 (highly culturally intelligent). Populations that originated in a particular place rather than moved there. The purpose of this study was to examine the psycho-social factors (attitudes, identity, and perceptions) affecting pre-service teacher education majors in a cross-cultural pedagogical environment (African American professors and white students). When faced with a decision, individuals use cultural values to determine the appropriate course of action. In any major area of academic study, there are luminaries that one should understand. In this fast-paced survey of research on how culture shapes cognition, Nalini Ambady examines the neural evidence for socio-cultural influences on thinking, judgment, and behavior. Environmental factors often influence traits independently of genes. As such, in those cultures, putting ones self in harms way (course of action) or dying (outcome) would be seen as both desirable and appropriate. But researchers have also found the environments that children from the same family share with each other exert a much weaker influence on their personalities than the environments that each child experiences . How do you view this group in all four types of esteem: private collective, membership, public collective, and importance to identity? All cultures have stories that are taught to children that impact how they view the world. Based on genetic data, researchers have concluded that environment accounts for approximately 50 to 70 percent of personality. During my intercultural interactions, I try to be mindful of how my perceptions of someones culture are either consistent with or differ from reality. Disney cast members do not wear uniforms; everyone is in costume. In this case, the stereotype of the young flight attendant simply doesnt meet up with reality. For example, in most of the United States, when you are talking to someone, eye contact is very important. Customs of marriages and religions and special social customs. Impact of environment upon gender identity and sexual orientation: a lesson for parents of children with intersex or gender confusion Authors Peter A Lee 1 , Christopher P Houk Affiliation 1 Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, The Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA. The term ethnocentrism can be defined as the degree to which an individual views the world from their own cultures perspective while evaluating other cultures according their own cultures preconceptions, often accompanied by feelings of dislike, mistrust, or hate for cultures deemed inferior. The emphasis on endurance is vital because being persistent today will help you in the future. Two major interests have been apparent in sociology's focus on identity: (1) the process (es) through which adult identity is formed and (2) the process (es) by which that identity is maintained once it is formed. Maybe youre a lesbian college student at a very progressive institution where students overwhelmingly support LGBTQIA rights. The concept of Explicit guidelines (generally written down) that govern acceptable or proper social behavior within a specific culture. In ancient Babylon and Sumeria, the gods slaughtered another god named We-ila, and out of his blood and clay, they formed humans. People in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance can view this ambiguity and lack of knowledge as threatening, which is one reason why people in these cultures tend to have higher levels of anxiety and neuroticism as a whole. Identity is also influenced by internal. However, the value of culture cannot be defined by its size.