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Diversity and the Effects of Culture 81

In this chapter we try to sensitize you to how other cultures and co- cultures differ
from the “dominant culture” of the United States, thereby improving your communi-
cation in groups. Instead of presenting a laundry list of cultures and the characteris-
tics associated with each, we focus primarily on several broad dimensions on which
cultures differ. We offer three important caveats. First, the field of intercultural com-
munication is vast and growing; we present information we believe to be most relevant
to small group communication. Second, in many instances we are overgeneralizing.
For example, when we say that “white, middle- class Americans prefer direct eye con-
tact,” we know there is a lot of variation in the preferences of white, middle- class
Americans. We urge you to remember that often there will be as much within- group as
between- group variation, especially for pluralistic cultures such as the United States.
Third, small group research into the challenge of intercultural communication within
groups is just beginning; however, the results of such research thus far strongly suggest
that there is a complex interplay among cultural factors, individual factors, and group
11
composition on group problem- solving processes and the quality of a group’s output.
Although we focus on several factors influencing small group communication,
remember that any one factor does not automatically influence member interpretations
or behavior— several factors are at play.
We will now define several key terms according to our usage in this book: culture,
co- culture, intracultural, and intercultural communication.

What Is Culture?

Culture refers to the pattern of values, beliefs, symbols (including language), norms, Culture
and behaviors shared by an identifiable group of individuals. When you become part The patterns of
of a culture, you are taught how to perceive the world, to think, to communicate, and values, beliefs,
to behave. Both formally and informally you learn the lifestyle of the family and com- symbols, norms,
munity. Small primary groups, starting with the family, are vital to this process and procedures, and
are the chief way individuals become enculturated. Individuals are taught such things behaviors that have
as language, how and when to speak, how to perceive the world, what is and is not been historically
appropriate behavior, and so forth. This process happens so gradually and automati- transmitted to and
cally that our own culture’s effect on us is invisible, unless we make a point of looking are shared by a
for it. As with most of us, members of Martha’s interview team were oblivious to how given group of
persons.
their cultural identities affected both their own communication behavior and their
interpretation of Martha’s behavior. Consider, for example, the culture shock that
faced New Orleans natives forced to relocate after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation.
Originally 9,000 of them fled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with about 85 families
deciding to stay and all with stories about their adjustment to the “Burgh life.” 12
Our definition of culture is intentionally broad; it refers to any group of people
with a shared identity. For example, a cultural grouping can refer to ethnicity (black,
white, Hispanic, Greek), a professional grouping (college students, communication
professors, nurses, accountants), an interest grouping (hunters, country western danc-
ers), an age group (millennials), or even socioeconomic class (working class, middle
class). In short, any symbol system that is “bounded and salient” to individuals may
be termed a culture. 13

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