Learning Culture

How do we become enculturated anyway?

A seven-year old boy in the United States is told by his grandfather to shake hands when he is introduced to a friend of the family is learning good manners...

An Indian child who lives in a home where the women eat after the men is learning gender roles...

A Jewish child who helps conduct the Passover ceremony is learning about traditions, both family and religious...

A Japanese girl who attends tea ceremony classes is learning about patience, self-discipline, and ritual... Japanese values

A fourth-grader in New Jersey watching a film on George Washington crossing the Delaware is learning about patriotism and fortitude... American values...

Learning through proverbs.....

American Proverbs

The squeaky wheel gets the grease (we value those who speak up)

A man's home is his castle (we value property rights and ownership)

God helps those who help themselves

Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps

No pain, no gain (Americans values individual achievements)

Actions speak louder than words

Nothing ventured, nothing gained (we value activity, taking chances)

Time Sensitive

From our reading of Hall and our discussion in class, the following stages (Hall) apply to the given degrees of lateness (discussion)

5 minutes or less = Mumble Something

10 -5 minutes = Sight Apology, infomally given

20-10 minutes = Mildly Insulting, Apology needed

30-20 minutes = Rude Period

45- 30 minutes = Downright Insulting

No Show = ???

All of the above are influenced by an individual's culture and co-culture.

What other factors would influence the reactions of a participant in this kind of action? Does the relationship of the parties matter? Does the time of day matter, speaking of time? What if it's a business meeting, would you expect to land the client or account if you were late for the initial encounter?

So what is culture after all? Does Hall tell us?

Culture Defined by Samovar, et al:

Culture is a set of human-made objective and subjective elements that, in the past, have increased the probability of survival and resulted in satisfaction for the participants in an ecological niche, and thus became shared among those who could communicate with each other because they had a common language and they lived in the same time and place. (p. 23)

Human-made= non-biological functions, (in that we already know how to eat, sleep, cry, etc.)

Elements of Culture:

History

"All cultures believe in the ideas that history is a diagram that offers direction about how to live in the present." History provides identity to a cultural group. How? What are some examples of historical information that informs your daily life and views?

Religion

All cultures feature a religion or religious views. Cultures possess "a dominant, organized religion within which salient beliefs and activites can be given meaning and legitimacy." (p.25)

Religion is pervasive in culture as it applies to basic functions of societies, including social control, conflict resolution, supports solidarity, and explains the unknowable, and provides emotional support."

Religions impact business practices: (i.e. Puritan work ethic)

Religions impact politics: (homeland sovereignty, usary laws)

Religions impact individual behavior: (personal codes of ethics, chivalry)

Values

Values are "critical to the maintenance of culture because they represent the qualities that people believe are essential to continuing their way of life"

Values = standards of desirability, goodness, beauty

Can values be changed by an individual? Is greed good? Does American favor or value individual achievement, the elderly, or the weak?

Social Organizations

Social Organizations help an individual give order to his or her life. Governments of all types, schools, tribes, the family and other groupings "establish networks of support and communication and regulate norms of social, familial, and personal conduct"

Language

Common to all cultures is a language. A group bifurcated in language is divided culturally along the same lines.