Page 22 - Communication across Cultures

Communication across Cultures

positive-or negative-valenced emotions.
We tend to hold favorable attitudes toward in-group interactions and hold unfavor-
able attitudes toward out-group interactions. We tend to experience strong emotional
reactions when our cultural norms are violated or ignored. We tend to experience be-
wilderment when we unintentionally violate other people’s cultural norms. While our
own culture builds an invisible boundary around us, it also delimits our thoughts and
our visions.
Culture is like a pair of sunglasses. It shields us from external harshness and offers
us some measure of safety and comfort. It also blocks us from seeing clearly through
our tinted lenses because of that same protectiveness. In brief, culture nurtures our eth-
nocentric attitudes and behaviors.

1.3.4 Ecological Adaptation Function

Culture serves the ecological adaptation function. It facilitates the adaptation pro-
cesses among the self, the cultural community, and the larger environment (i.e., the
ecological milieu or habitat). Culture is not a static system. It is dynamic and changes
with the people within the system. Culture evolves with a clear reward and punishment
system that reinforces certain adaptive behaviors and sanctions other nonadaptive be-
haviors over time. When people adapt their needs and their particular ways of living in
response to changing habitat, culture also changes accordingly, surface level cultural
artifacts such as fashion or popular culture change at a faster pace than deep-level cul-
tural elements such as beliefs, values, and ethnics. Culture rewards certain behaviors
that are compatible with its ecology and sanctions other behaviors that are mismatched
with the ecological niche of the culture.
In most societies, behaviors that align with cultural norms and contribute to the
group’s well-being are often rewarded. Rewards can take various forms, including
praise, recognition, social approval, increased status, or tangible benefits. For example,
in many cultures, individuals who demonstrate hard work, respect for authority, and co-
operation are often praised and rewarded with opportunities for advancement or social
recognition.
On the other hand, behaviors that deviate from cultural norms or hinder the group’s
well-being may be subject to punishment. Punishments can range from social disap-
proval, exclusion, loss of status, or even legal consequences. This discourages indi-
viduals from engaging in nonadaptive behaviors and promotes conformity to cultural
expectations.

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