Effects of Culture in Communication
What is culture? Is there a true meaning to culture? Some have defined culture as a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that society uses to cope with the world and one another. To people, culture is what distinguishes ways of communicating and living in different areas of the world. People all around the world have different cultures. Because there are many cultures that value different beliefs, cultural differences have had significant effects on communication. The problem with communication between people of different descent is not the language itself but the meaning of words and gestures. Because of the differences in culture and the lack of knowledge of cultural differences, communication between one and another is negatively affected.
According to communication specialists, about two thirds to three fourths of communication is non verbal(Novinger 8-10). By non-verbal communication, the specialists mean behavior. Behavior that is learned and implemented from culture is what communicates to other people.
English: View of the Coal Miners Museum in Novinge...
English: Historic log homestead in Novinger Missou...
English: Rombauer Coal Mine near Novinger, Missour...This means that even if one does not speak a certain language, the cultural identity of that person communicates for him or her. Most of the time, people see their culture's way of doing as correct and other culture's way of doing as incorrect or not as advanced. These people have had a certain culture drilled into their brains ever since birth(Novinger 21-22). From greeting people to getting married, these people learned the way in which their culture allowed them to. That is why when people that have grown up with a strict culture witness other people act in a certain behavior different than what that they're used to, they see it as an offensive gesture. Communication does not have to be verbal in order to send out a message, it can be behavioral and still affect people...