Chapter 6

Adapting to Others: Bridging Culture and Gender Differences

Communication Principles

Appropriately adapt your message to others

Be aware of your communication Listen and respond thoughtfully to others Effectively use and interpret nonverbal messages Effectively use and interpret verbal messages

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Adapting to Others

 Culture and Communication  Gender and Communication  Barriers to Bridging Differences and Adapting to Others  Adapting to Others Who Are Different From You

Religion: Evolution of Man

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Culture and Communication

 Culture is a learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms that is shared by a group of people.

 Cultures are not static.

 A Co-culture is a cultural group within a larger culture.

– Amish – gender

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Culture and Communication

 Intercultural communication occurs when individuals or groups from different cultures communicate.



Culture shock

 Our culture and life experiences determine our world view—the general perspective that determines how we perceive what happens to us.

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Cultural Contexts

 People from different cultures respond to their surroundings or cultural context cues in different ways.



High-Context Cultures

– nonverbal cues are extremely important – communicators rely on the context 

Low-Context Cultures rely more explicitly on language

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Cultural Values



Masculine and Feminine Perspectives

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Avoidance or Tolerance of Uncertainty



Distribution of Power



Individualism or Collectivism

Cultural Values: Masculine/Feminine

 Masculine – emphasize getting things done and being assertive – tend to value traditional roles for men and women – not a reflection of biological sex  Feminine – emphasize building relationships and seeking peace and harmony with others

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others Cultural Values: Uncertainty and Certainty  Avoidance of Uncertainty  Tolerance for Ambiguity

Cultural Values: Approaches to Power

 Decentralized Approach – leadership is not vested in one person,

power is decentralized

– decisions are likely to be made by consensus  Centralized Approach – militaristic approach to power – prefer strongly organized, centrally

controlled form of government

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Cultural Values: Individualism and Collectivism

 Collectivistic Cultures – champion what people do together and reward group achievement – strive to accomplish goals for the benefit of the group  Individualistic Cultures – individual recognition – self-realization – tend to be loosely knit socially

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Gender and Communication



Sex-Based Expectations

– start at birth – gender roles are transmitted via

communication



Why and How Women and Men Communicate

– instrumental and expressive orientations – content and relational dimensions of messages

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Barriers to Bridging Differences

  Assuming Superiority – ethnocentrism Assuming Similarity  Stereotyping and Prejudice – stereotyping – prejudice  Different Communication Codes

Chapter 6: Adapting to Others

Adapting to Others

    Seek Information Listen and Ask Questions Tolerate Ambiguity Develop Mindfulness – engage in self-talk  Become Other-Oriented – other-oriented communication – social decentering – empathy and sympathy  Adapt To Others