Week 1 PPT 1
Ch1: Global society
Small world experiment
The world as a village
Globalization – interconnectedness between societies
(in business) – the increase of trade around the world
Do we live in a unified world?
• Economic globalization import/export
• Social IKEA stores, personal contact
• Political foreign embassies in a country
KOF index – the extent to which a country is globalized
Views of globalization – three perspectives
• Globalists inevitable development, cannot be influenced
• Traditionalists most economic and social activity is regional, rather than global
• Transformationalists significant shift, but also significant scope for national and local
agencies
Contributors to cultural diversity
• Advanced technology and transportation, increased mobility; global economy and
business transactions; mass migration
• Understanding other cultures is a challenge we face on an everyday basis
Necessity and benefits of intercultural comm
• At the descriptive level: understanding effects of multiculturalism (the composition
of a society made up of diverse cultures
• As an attitude: a society’s tolerance to diversity and acceptance of equal societal
participation of diverse groups
Become aware of cultural rules
Promoting international business exchange
Facilitating cross-cultural adaptation (the tension between immigrants and host
nationals)
Week 1 PPT 2
Ch2: Understanding culture
Defining culture – pervasive in human life; governs people’s behaviours
Metaphors for culture
,Culture as layered (’s 1998 model)
• The inner core of culture – history, identity, beliefs, values, worldviews
• The intermediate layer of culture – cultural activities, rules, rituals, customs
• The outer layer of culture – institutions, politics, religion, economics, education
Characteristics of culture
• Holistic – integrated whole; all aspects must be interpreted as a whole to fully
understand it
• Learned – through instruction, observation and imitation; absorbed through
unconscious learning
• Dynamic – changes over time; is influenced by other cultures; diff aspects may
change at different levels: inner core aspects are most resistant to change
• Ethnocentric – own culture is superior to others
Emic (culture as a unique entity; can only be examined by constructs developed from inside
the culture) and Etic (assumes that culture can be examined with predetermined categories
that can be applied to all countries) approaches to culture
Link between culture and communication – mutually influence one another
We share who we are and what we know via communication, although how we share it
varies from culture to culture.
Verbal and nonverbal behaviors can vary across cultures.
Cultural beliefs and values
Culture is shaped by beliefs and values and they are reflected in our communication
behavior.
Week 2 PPT 1
Ch3 – Understanding Communication
Defining comm / models with sender receiver etc.
The linear Model (aka the transmission model) – one-way communication only, no
feedback; context and situation not represented; non-verbal communication not presented
Posle ima i oshte edin s feedback
The interactive model (Schramm, 1971) – sender and receiver communicate simultaneously;
comm is interactive and takes place in a particular context
Targowski & Bowman model – contextual knowledge included; verbal and nonverbal codes;
multiple factors that can cause ‘noise’
Physical link – presence and frequency of use of communication channel/means (two thirds
of the world use the internet, but fewer do in Africa)
, Systems link – is the channel or medium appropriate (da skusash gadjeto si s belejka)
Audience link – does the message fit the audience
Session link – is the message sent and received at the same time and under the same
circumstances (time zones, holidays etc.)
Environmental link – do sender and receiver experience the environment in a similar way
Functions/Role link – do sender and receiver have the same ideas/expectations about their
status (leadership, economic status, parent/child, lover/friend)
Symbols link – do the symbols have the same meaning for both sides
Behavior link – does the receiver interpret the comm behavior as intended by the speaker
Values link – do both sides have the same values
Storage/Retrieval link – how do previous experiences and skills affect communication
Characteristics of Communication – dynamic process; interactive; symbolic (may carry diff
meanings in diff cultures); contextual
Extensions to the linear models
• Multiple levels of communication – interpersonal, intrapersonal, group,
organizational, mass comm
The intrapersonal communication is the communication with oneself, and so only one
person is involved in it. On the contrary, interpersonal communication is
always between two or more persons.
Week 2 PPT 2
Ch 4 – The influence of culture on perception
The nature of human perception
• Exposure to sensory stimuli - perception is active (use of sensory organs to identify,
evaluate and interpret stimuli) and subjective (influenced by factors like personal
experience, expectations, values beliefs)
• Response by selecting, organizing and interpreting
• The process occurs in stages
• Behavior is influenced by how we perceive our environment;
Stages in the perception process
1. Selection – limited room to process incoming stimuli; three steps (selective exposure,
attention and retention)
If I want to book a holiday to Miami online, I will select and skim some relevant travel
agent websites (exposure), select those holiday packages that feature the US
(attention) and, from that set, save the package trips to Miami that appeal to me
most (retention).