Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
CULTURAL IDENTITY – SESSION 1
Focus
In this week’s sessions you will…
learn what cultural identity means to you
learn what elements contribute to a person’s cultural identity
look at Social and Ethnic identity
look at ways to compare and contrast cultures
look at fundamental differences between cultures
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
DISCUSSION POINT 1
In small groups, discuss and make notes on the following questions below
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What does cultural identity mean to you?
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What elements contribute to a person’s cultural identity?
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How would you identify your culture?
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Notes:
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
WHAT IS CULTURE?
There are many interpretations of what is defined and known as culture.
Some believe it is acquired and passed down through generations. Others believe it is a system of
beliefs and values within a society.
Culture has also been described as ‘…shared features which encapsulate people together in a
community’ (Shah, 2003).
WHAT IS IDENTITY?
Identity can be described as the entirety of how we as individuals view or perceive ourselves as
unique from others.
Bhugra (2004) states it is the ‘Racial, cultural and ethnic identities form part of one's identity, and
identity will change with development at a personal as well as at a social level along with migration
and acculturation’.
It is also perceived as ‘dynamic’ and ‘fluid’ - because it is established and extracted in interaction
which is necessary to understand how communication works in diverse and transitory situations.
It also has substance that is not only transmitted from generation to generation, but from cultural
group member to newcomer.
One or more specific cultural identities may be noticeable in a given conversation.
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
THE WEB OF IDENTITY
There is no straightforward relationship between identity and social concepts such as Religion, Family
and Gender. Our identities are embedded in a Web of Identity (Livesey 2004), which is a visual representation of the intersection between identity and society.
The Web of Identity (Livesey, 2004) illustrates the complex and multi-layered interaction between
identity and social structure. Individuals are surrounded by large social forces; they live their lives with
limited options available to them when making decisions and choices.
Example:
Ang (1998) grew up in Indonesia and is of Chinese descent. Ang describes how her identity (as a foreigner and stranger) was constructed by the indigenous Indonesians and was not truly accepted as a
member of the community. This social mechanism has a significant influence upon people who are
constructed as a foreigner and ‘people who are positioned as ‘foreign’ develop all kinds of strategies
to deal with it—some people will try to deny their foreignness, and self hatred is part of this, or they
will try to assimilate into the dominant culture as much as possible’ (Ang 1998, 153–154).
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
WHAT IS SOCIAL AND ETHNIC IDENTITY?
Social identity is thought of as the culturally defined personality characteristics, which are ascribed to
social roles, such as the role of being a father, mother, friend, employer or employee (Bhugra and
Becker, 2005).
Ethnic identity is a source of social identity. Composed of people who may or may not share the same
race but do share common cultural characteristics, including history, beliefs, values, food and
entertainment preferences, religion and language.
Ethnicity typically incorporates both race and culture (Shah, 2004).
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
DISCUSSION POINT 2
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What elements could be considered when comparing and contrasting cultures?
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Which of these elements would you consider to be the most significant?
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Notes:
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
WAYS TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST CULTURES
Several methods and frameworks have been constructed to address variances of cultural identities:
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Gudykunst’s (1985) variables measured in intergroup research include attitudes, perceived
similarity, uncertainty, and attributions
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Giles and Johnson’s (1981, 1986) give attention to variables such as group vitality, ethnic
boundaries, and status.
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Hofstede’s (1983) research on core symbols identifies four dimensions of culture:
individualism-collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity-femininity.
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DeVos’ (1982) describes the process of culture and ethnic groups using symbolic emblems to
differentiate themselves from other groups. Anything from mode of dress to a code of
language or a key term or reference in conversation can be regarded as an emblem.
FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CULTURES
In any given nation or culture, differences between people are much greater than differences between
groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affection
shown in the home, and numerous other factors will affect human behaviour and culture (Billikopf,
2009)
There are differences in approach as to what is considered polite and appropriate behaviour both in
and out of work. In some cultures "yes" means, "I hear you" more than "I agree." Length of
pleasantries and greetings before getting down to business; level of tolerance for being around
someone speaking a foreign (not-understood) language; politeness measured in terms of gallantry or
etiquette (e.g., standing up for a woman who approaches a table, yielding a seat on the bus to an
older person, etc.); and manner of expected dress are all examples of possible cultural differences
and traditions.
Paying attention to customs and cultural differences can give someone outside that culture a better
chance of assimilation or acceptance. Ignoring these can get an unsuspecting person into trouble.
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
DISCUSSION POINT 3: FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
CULTURES
In small groups/pairs discuss the similarities and differences between your cultures with
regard to:
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Dress
Gender roles
Social activities
Meeting and Greeting
Gestures
Dining Etiquette
Food
Language
Similarities
Differences
DISCUSSION POINT 4:
Pair work
Discuss possible examples of where history has had an effect on your culture. Can you think of
examples for other cultures?
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
HOMEWORK – BLOG TASK 1
Individual task – Out-of-class work
Interview an international student (preferably from a different country to that of your own) and find out
how they felt when they first arrived in the UK. When preparing your questions, consider the following
cultural differences we looked at in our workshop today that they may have experienced. Write a short
summary (around 300 words) of your interview and bring it to the next class.
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Intercultural Communication / Term 1 – Week 2
REFERENCES
Ang, I. (1998), Out of bounds: inauthentic spaces and the production of identities, in M. Zournazi(ed.),
Foreign Dialogues: Memories, Translations, Conversations, pp. 153–167.
Bhugra, D. (2004). Migration, distress and cultural identity. British Medical Bulletin. 69:1–13.
Billikopf, G (2009). Cultural Differences? Or, are we really that different? [online] Available
at: http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article01.htm [Accessed on 18th July
2012]
DeVos, G. A. (1982). Ethnic pluralism: Conflict and accommodation. In DeVos, G. A., aRomanucciRoss, L. (eds.), Ethnic Identity: Cultural Continuities and Change, Mayfield Publishing, Palo
Alto,CA, pp. 5–41.
Giles, H. and P. Johnson (1981). The role of language in ethnic group relations. In Intergroup
Behaviour. J. Turner and H. Giles. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Gudykunst, W. B. (1985). The influence of cultural similarity, type of relationship, and self monitoring
on uncertainty reduction processes. Communication Monographs, 52, 203-217.
Hofstede, Geert (1983a), "Dimensions of National Cultures in Fifty Countries and Three Regions," in
Expiscations in Cross-Cultural Psychology, J.B. Deregowski, S. Dziurawiec, and R.C. Annis,
eds., Lisse, Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger, 335-355.
Livesey, C. (2004). Culture and identity, Sociological Pathways. Available
at:http://www.sociology.org.uk/pathway2.htm [Accessed 10th July 2012]
Shah, S. (2003) The researcher/interviewer in intercultural context: a social
intruder! British
Educational Research Journal. 30:4, 549-575.
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