Who Am I? Cultures in America

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Who Am I? Cultures in America
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Culture

• Values and perspectives shared by people who are
  conditioned by similar education and life
  experience
• Regional country, area, community
• Religion sects, variations, etc...
• Corporate industry, company, department
• Other groups schools, clubs, etc...

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Values Perceptions That Differ Within Across
CULTURES

• Individualism and collectivism
• Nature of change
• Perception of gender roles
• Criteria/definitions of success

• Perception of space
• Nature of authority
• Perception of time
• Nature of humor
• Importance of hierarchies

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Communication Practices (norms) That Differ
Within Across CULTURES

• Role of written communication
• Role of meetings
• Patterns of reasoning and argumentation
• Level of formality in inter-personal
  communications
• Oral presentation style
• Non-verbal communication behaviors

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Characteristics of CULTURE

• Culture is not inherent, but learned
• Cultures are rooted in deep seated beliefs
• Culture is the basis for self-identity and
  community
• Cultures are dynamic

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Tips for Approaching Cross Cultural
Communications

• Avoid ethnocentrism
• Is the belief or attitude that one's own group is
  superior
• Look beyond stereotypes
• is a generalized perception of a first
  impression behaviors presumed by a group of
  people judging with the eyes criticizing ones
  outer appearance (or a population in general) to
  be associated with another specific group.
• Seek common ground
• Observe non-verbal cues
• Study your own and other cultures

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Identify Your Own Cultural Orientation

• Nationality 
• Age 
• Ethnicity
• Economic status

• Gender
• Race 
• Urban-suburban-rural
• Geographic region

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• Write a paragraph on some area of cultural
  discrimination that you have observed in school
• Remember a paragraph includes
• 4-5 sentences
• Correct grammar and punctuation
• Answer the question