Chapter 5 Communication and Culture 123and understand the Italian way of life (Nicholas, 2009). Language can also teach
you the traditions of your culture as evidenced by prayers of your faith, folk
songs of your grandparents, or patriotic oaths you make (such as the U.S. Pledge
of Allegiance).
Culture Affects Communication
Just as we learn culture through communication, we also use communication to
express our culture. Our worldview affects which topics we discuss in personal
and professional settings, as well as how we communicate nonverbally. It also
affects the way we perceive others’ communication.
In the United States and many Western cultures, a popular worldview often
equates thinness with beauty; this perception is reflected in the messages we
communicate. Media tabloids, as well as personal comments on YouTube, are
filled with judgments about celebrities and their weight. Following the birth
of Prince George, Kate Middleton, the Dutchess of Cambridge, emerged from
the hospital with a visible postbirth “baby bump,” and a frenzy of public debate
ensued (Britney, 2013). Interestingly, some of the same tabloids that praised
Middleton for showing off her “bump” (Fuller, 2013) later also gushed at the
quick loss of her pregnancy weight (Baez, 2013). Media personalities themselves
DO YOU EXTEND a hand or bow to greet others? It probably depends on what you were
taught by older relatives as a child. (left) © Design Pics Inc./Alamy; (right) Knauer/Johnston /Getty Images
CONNECT
You frequently commu-
nicate your worldview
when you present yourself
for strategic purposes
(Chapter 2). For example,
if you are meeting your
significant other’s parents
for the first time or attend-
ing a job interview, you will
likely present yourself in a
manner that expresses key
elements of your culture—
perhaps bowing or shak-
ing hands, using formal
language, or dressing in a
particular way.