Culture

Chapter 9 discusses intercultural communication ethics, and the primary goal of intercultural communications ethics is to protect and promote the good of culture itself (155). Culture defines many of us, especially those that come from non-Western cultures, and as the book states, culture shapes not only us as individuals, but our entire communities, and that our communication ethics have consequences for both individuals and communities (155). Intercultural communication ethics has four praxis: intercultural communication, culture, culture shock, and the inarticulate. For this particular post, I will discuss some of the aspects of culture.

“Culture is the communicative practices, traditions, and stories that give identity to a group of people, providing meaning and stability to human life” (156). Culture plays a huge role in how we as individuals are shaped growing up, and the way we grow up learning how to communicate within our families has direct implications on how we communicate with everyone else. I’m Filipino, and growing up in a fairly strict family has certainly had an impact on how I communicate with others, particularly with those in positions of power (such as teachers, managers, etc). In my culture, a social hierarchy exists in that the eldest member(s) of the family are the sole powers of authority, and power shifts down by age. When families got together, it was expected of young people to greet the eldest members of the family present (in my case, it was usually my grandparents). To greet them, we took their right hand with our right hand and placed the back of their hand on our foreheads (a gesture called “blessing”). Additionally, I grew up being discouraged to challenge authority, whether it was my parents, uncles/aunts, and grandparents. Growing up this way translated into how I approach people in positions of authority now, especially professors and managers. I still refer to my college professors by their professional titles first, and even with grad school TA’s who sometimes prefer to be addressed by their first name, I still have a tendency to call them Mr. or Ms./Mrs., unless they explicitly request to be addressed by their first names.  

The book discusses the title of “sage” (159), which is held for a person that has wisdom about the culture. After my grandparents died, my Uncle Jaime took on that title, and whilst he’s not the oldest of my grandparent’s children (which goes against the social hierarchy that shapes our culture), he unanimously is viewed as the sage of our family because of his knowledge of our culture, his wherewithal to bring all of the family together, and his authority and ability to make difficult decisions for the family in times of need.