How Culture Shapes Our Views TIES Center Presentations www.dawahmemo.com

This presentation will explain: The meaning and impact of culture Differences between North American and Arab cultures and how to reconcile them

What is Culture?

Culture shapes our identities… Every human being enters the human community at birth and, from that time, the community gradually shapes the individual’s identity and personality. parents siblings family neighborhood country culture

… and people shape culture. “the ways in which a group of people make meaning of their experiences through language, beliefs, social practices and the use and creation of material objects.” “the production and circulation of meaning.” Shared culture leads to meaningful group experiences and shared identity.*

Some Components of Culture Surface Culture: Behavior Language Objects Traditions Deep Culture: Beliefs Values Assumptions Thought processes To understand them better, it’s good to consider the definition of culture and the role it plays in our lives. The first list is “surface culture” The second is “deep culture”

Surface Culture: Language Learned from infancy from the family, then from school, then from broader social circles. Benjamin Whorf (1956), hypothesized that the categories and relations that we use to understand the world come from our particular language, so that speakers of different languages conceptualize the world in different ways. Language acquisition, then, would also be learning to think, not just learning to talk.

Language: what do you see?

Language: what do you see?

Surface Culture: Objects How we perceive objects is influenced by how the objects are defined in our culture.

Object: what do you see?

Surface Culture: Traditions Objects, customs and traditions of one culture can be compared and contrasted to other cultures so that we can better understand the meaning behind them.

Surface Culture: Social behaviors occasion presentation giving receiving follow-up Social practices are shaped by parents, family, neighbors, country, culture

Are your values universal? Deep Culture: Values People usually value what their family, community and culture value. Family relations Hard work and achievement Personal happiness and self-actualization Material wealth Social relations Spiritual development Status and image Knowledge Are your values universal?

Values are relative and subjective My friend is tall and light-skinned. My friend is short and dark-skinned.

Deep Culture: Beliefs Beliefs are almost always absorbed from the family and community. They are deep-seated, may never be questioned, and are difficult to change. Examples: “Poor people are lazy” “Democracy is the best form of government” “My religion is the only correct one” “Men are more intelligent than women”

Importance of “cultural identity” One’s knowledge of a culture and feelings of appropriateness, belonging and comfort within it. It provides a foundation upon which to build and rebuild a unique personality. Cultural identity can be multiple or can change over time.

Cultural Balance Familiarity with deep culture gives us cultural balance: knowing consciously and subconsciously what things mean and how things work in a particular community. It is characterized by stability, confidence, independence, security and belonging. Culture shock is a symptom of losing one’s cultural balance, resulting in confusion, anger and/or depression.

What causes culture clash? A “culture clash” occurs when someone’s deep culture (beliefs, values, assumptions, thought processes) clashes with your own, leading to misunderstandings and disagreements. Oversimplification / generalization Superiority complex Incorrect or incomplete information Making incorrect assumptions Insecurity or fear.

Common cultural perspectives: Ethnocentrism: “My culture is the best, both a model and a goal.” Cultural romanticism: an incomplete view. The total meaning and way of life may be overlooked or misunderstood. 3. Comparative perspective: the study of other cultures leads to deepened self-knowledge, a reconsideration of values, and appreciation of others.

How to develop the comparative perspective Enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about oneself, others and the cultures involved must change or expand. Growth occurs when we accept that the social practices, beliefs, values, assumptions, and thought processes of others may be viable as our own.

Cultural scholars believe that North Americans and Arabs are “cultural opposites”

(broad generalizations do not apply to all people) What are the main differences between North American and Arab cultures? (broad generalizations do not apply to all people)

Cultural opposites Literate society Oral society

Emphasize relationships Cultural opposites Emphasize relationships Emphasize action

Cultural opposites Family-oriented Friend-oriented

Cultural opposites Value Function Value Image

Cultural opposites Linear thought processes Non-linear thought processes

Indirect communication Cultural opposites Indirect communication Direct communication

Cultural opposites High context culture Low context culture

How to develop the comparative perspective Enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about oneself, others and the cultures involved must change or expand. Growth occurs when we accept that the social practices, beliefs, values, assumptions, and thought processes of others may be viable as our own.

Axtell, Roger. E. Gestures: The do's and taboos of body language around the world. NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1998. Campbell, Clifton P. International communication (with special attention to the English Language capabilities of Saudi Arab students), nd. Hall, Edward T. Beyond culture. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Press, 1976. Kluckhohn, F. and R. Strodtbeck. Variations in value orientations. Evanston, Ill.: Row, Peterson, 1961. Kohls, L. Robert. Survival kit for overseas living: For Americans planning to live and work abroad. 3rd ed. Intercultural Press, 1996. Levine, David. The flight from ambiguity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. Williams, Jeremy. Don't they know it's Friday? Cross Cultural Considerations for Business and Life in the Gulf. Motivate Publishing, 1999. Zaharna, R. S. "Understanding cultural preferences of Arab communication patterns." Public Relations Review, 1995, 21(3).

Dr. Teresa Lesher najaaba@gmail.com www.najaaba.com