Family Relationships Exam Two Notes Chapter 6 Communication Conflict and Power in Our Relationships Communication an interactive process that uses symbols like words and gestures to both send and receive messages 1 Communication is a transaction all human behavior is a continuous exchange and partners are simultaneously senders and receivers of messages 2 Communication is a process it is dynamic and always changing and culture race ethnicity and sex are critical 3 Communication includes co construction of meanings each partner speaks a language and interprets meaning in a way acquired from his or her family of orientation 4 Communication uses symbols to construct meanings or definitions we rely on symbols that can be verbal like words or nonverbal like gestures The Cultural Context of Communication Race Ethnicity and Communication o Many ethnicities use different words or phrases o Some African Americans speak a different variant of English that includes different words syntax acoustics and rules for subject verb agreement o Speech patterns are associated with wages Blacks with racially distinct speech had lower wages than those who did not o In many Latin American Native American and Asian cultures it is viewed as disrespectful to make eye contact with adults while many Americans see eye contact as a way to show attentiveness Social Class and Communication o Upper classes will use more proper grammar than lower classes working class speak less Standard American English and use words such as like and but frequently and less pronouns o Talk differently with friends than with a person in a position of power most of us are able to transition in and out of using SAE Cultural Differences Sapir Whorf Hypothesis the concept that languages shape our culture and at the same time our culture shapes our language o Ex Native Alaskans have many words for snow as it is a large part of their culture those in southern Florida however do not interact with snow for the most part and therefore they do not feel the need to describe it in the same detail o Ex Our generation uses words such as texting or even cell phone in our everyday life and language these words were not used in the same frequency Individual vs Collectivist Cultures o Individual cultures emphasize personal achievement people are responsible for themselves Ex United States Australia o Collectivist focus on benefitting the group Ex China Pakistan High vs Low context Cultures o High context focuses on nonverbal indirect communication are also collectivists people may want to get to know one another well before engaging in any transactions Ex Latin American Japan o Low communication is direct and explained explicitly Ex United States Germany Masculine vs Feminine Cultures o Stereotypical views toward masculine or feminine o Masculine values achievement assertiveness and material success Ex Japan Austria Mexico o Feminine is traditionally more caring for others emphasize modesty and overall quality of life Ex Sweden Norway Centralized vs Decentralized Power and the masses who do not Ex India Philippines Brazil o Centralized just a few people have power a great distance between those who have power o Decentralized power is distributed among a large amount of people power is more evenly distributed and average people have a chance to participate Ex Denmark New Zealand High vs Low Ambiguity o Cultures define clearly what is acceptable while others have more ambiguity o High people are generally comfortable with unknown situations Ex Hong Kong Sweden o Low members experience anxiety about the future clear cut rules for behavior and communication Ex Greece Portugal Short term vs Long Term Orientation o Long term emphasizes the future and defers gratification hard work will pay off Ex Asian cultures o Short term I want it now spending rather than savings emphasis on social status Ex Nigeria Pakistan United States Communication response Listening a key concept in communication in any language Listening is the process of giving thoughtful attention to what you hear A good listener focuses on what the person is saying and is not distracted by thinking of their own Active listening occurs when you are extremely attentive with good eye contact and body language and encouraging the other person to continue taking involves asking good questions listening nonjudgmentally emphasizing and paraphrasing Verbal communication the spoken exchange of thoughts feelings or other messages includes the content of the words themselves as well as the tone and expression used Barriers to understanding verbal communication o Bypassing when one word has more than one meaning Ex when you say you love something or someone o Lack of precision mistake one word or phrase for another o Overgeneralizing tendency to make sweeping generalizations Ex You always do something o Static evaluation continued statements that do not allow for change Ex You have always been the wild one o Polarization speak in extremes or see the world in black and white o Biased language using words that reflect biases about race sex religion ect Five stages of listening 1 Receive hearing attending 2 Understanding learning deciphering 3 Remembering recalling retaining 4 Evaluating judging criticizing 5 Responding answering giving feedback Nonverbal communication ways to communicate without words used to convey attitudes and express emotions although we may not be conscious of this o Hand gestures mean different things in different cultures o Even amount of space between the people communicating that is deemed comfortable changes in respect to context and culture Written electronic communication o Informality is the new norm less concerned about grammar and punctuation o Our writing influences our speech we use abbreviations in speech patterns and have new o We have volume control over our messages we decide when where and even if we will o We have more relationships with less depth we communicate more but only briefly and words like cookie or spam receive messages know less about each person o We can live in the moment we exchange information as it happens Self disclosure telling your partner something private about yourself that he or she would not know otherwise o In order to be beneficial there must be reciprocity and support Sex Differences in Communication Women tend to be more verbal in disclosing their feelings about relationships while men tend toward more physical displays Women are more
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