Explaining Culture

As with communication, the term culture has been the subject of numerous and often complex, abstract definitions. What is frequently counted as one of the earliest and easily understandable definitions of culture, and one still used today, was written in 1871 by British anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, who said culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (“Sir Edward,” 2010).

Ruth Benedict offered a more succinct definition when she wrote, “What really binds men together is their culture – the ideas and the standards they have in common” (1959). A more complex explanation was provided by Clifford Geertz, who said culture was “a historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life” (1973). Contemporary definitions of culture commonly mention shared values, attitudes, beliefs, American, or Russian American. Cultural identity can become especially prominent during interactions between people from different cultural groups, such as a Pakistani Muslim and an Indian Hindu, who have been taught varied values, beliefs, and different sets of rules for social interaction. Thus, cultural identity can be a significant factor in the practice of intercultural communication.

REVISION: MAIN IDEA, MAIN TOPIC AND SUBTOPICS, SPECIFIC WORDS, EXPLICATION OF SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Instruction: These are revision assignments in which you should combine all skills you have employed in the preceding eight units. You will have to start with identifying the main idea, the main topic, or the main purpose of the text. Then follows the task of: matching headings with paragraphs or sections, and identifying which sections relate to certain topics. Basing on circumstantial evidence, inferences and vocabulary-in context you will have to look into specific information given in the text.

Task: Answer the following questions:

· What is the main topic of the passage?

(1) The different styles of communication.

(2) Insufficient knowledge and understanding of the culture.

(3) The union of culture and communication.

(4) Cultural identity can be a significant factor in the practice of intercultural communication.

· What is the author's attitude toward different definitions of communication?

· Where in the four sentences does the author discuss the best definition of culture?

(A) Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom.

(B) Culture is the ideas and the standards people have in common.

(C) Culture is a historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life.

(D) Culture is commonly shared values, attitudes, beliefs.

Read the passage: Physical noise is separate from the communication participants and can take many forms, such as two people talking in the back of the classroom during a lecture, someone talking loudly on the subway, the sounds of traffic coming through the window of an apartment, or static on your cell phone. Noise that is inherent to the people participating in the communication episode can take a variety of forms. Suppose that during a Friday afternoon class you find yourself concentrating more on plans for a spring break trip than on the lecture. Perhaps you are in a funk after learning your car needs an expensive brake job, or are worried about a term paper due the next week. These are examples of psychological noise that can reduce your understanding of the classroom communication. Physiological noise relates to the physical well-being of the people engaged in the communication activity. Coming to class with too little sleep, dealing with a head cold, or simply feeling too hot or cold in the room will interfere with your ability to comprehend fully the classroom activity.

Which of the following can be inferred about physical noise?

(A) Both physical noise and the communication participants can take many forms.

(B) During your spring break trip you will have to learn how to repair your car brake.

(C) Psychological noise interferes with your understanding of the classroom

communication.

(D) Physiological noise is useful for the physical well-being of the people engaged in the communication activity.