Solutions – 2025/2026
Define cultures and co cultures - ANS✔✔ co cultures: groups characterized by values, beliefs,
and behaviors that distinguish them from the larger culture
cultures: a learned system of meaning that provides a frame of reference for understanding
symbolic interaction.
What does it mean to say cultures are systems of meanings - ANS✔✔ cultures are complex and
interconnected frameworks that assign significance, understanding, and interpretation to
various aspects of human life. How the social world functions
Why are regional dialects considered to be less valuable than standard dialects? - ANS✔✔
Regional dialects are sometimes considered less valuable than standard dialects due to social
and cultural factors.
Define intersectionality - ANS✔✔ A concept for considering how intersecting social identities,
such as race, class, and gender, combine to create differing experiences of privilege and
marginalization
difference between content and relational function of a message - ANS✔✔ content is the actual
words that are spoken, the denotative, dictionary definition
relational is the contextual elements including culture, shared past, and relational
understandings
what does it mean when co culture is marginalized? - ANS✔✔ It means they are treated unfairly
and excluded from certain aspects of society
,what is an organizantional culture? - ANS✔✔ shared values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors that
shape the work environment and guide the interactions and decisions of people within a
company or organization
define cultural artifacts - ANS✔✔ the things people make and use (in terms of a particular
culture) language gestures, social relationships religions values customs food and more
cultural dialectics - ANS✔✔ ongoing tensions and contradictions between different cultural
beliefs, values, and practices that shape a society or group.
six cultural dialects in text - ANS✔✔ individual cultural- unique individuals and members of
broader cultures that shape their understanding of the world
personal/social contextual- how communication is grounded in both the understanding of the
individual and the context in which communcation is taking place
difference/similarity- recognizing that there are many similarities in the ways that human beings
from different cultures communicate.
static/dynamic- articulates that cultural practices are both consistent and ever-changing.
present-future/history-past - intercultural communication requiresb oth an understanding othe
historical forces at work within a particular culture and the current cultural understandings and
hopes for the future. Our history shapes our present, but is not deterministic of our present or
future.
pivilege/disadvantage - helps us to see that within and between cultures there exists positions
of both privilege and disadvantage. may come in political power, social position, economic
wealth or status.
, Identify the basic properties of communication accommodation theory (CAT) - ANS✔✔ helps us
understand how culturally different others behave in interpersonal interactions.
refers to the way that we adapt to others communication styles within interactions.
convergence: occurs when speakers move toward the communication styles of others
divergence, occurs when speakers emphasize how different their communication is from
someone else's
maintenance occurs when people actively maintain their communication style and resist
adjustments towards their co communicater.
differentiate between low and high context cultures - ANS✔✔ low context culture - explicit
verbal messages to carry the meaning of the interaction, EX: the united states, yes means yes
and no means no
high context culture: more subtle, communicators expected to pick up on meaning stemming
from the history, social norms, situation, relationship, and non verbal cues to draw out the full
meaning of the message. EX: india head gestures not commonly found in the US, shaking of the
head can be a nod yes and a shake no.
key skills for for, cultural competence, particularly ethonocentrism, adaptability, and
xenophobia. - ANS✔✔ ethnocentrism: Considering the cultures that you belong to as superior
to other cultures.
adaptability: we can adjust our behavior and goals to fufill the needs of specific communicative
encounters.