136 Part 1 Basic Communication Processesfamily member), whereas other contexts and relationships require individuals to
communicate in a more masculine way (for example, using direct and confident
words when negotiating for a higher salary). Similarly, a teenager who feels most
comfortable communicating with others via text messaging or Facebook might
do well to send Grandma a handwritten thank-you note for a graduation gift.
In addition, there is a great diversity of communication behaviors within
co-cultures (as well as diversity within larger cultures). For example, your grand-
mother and your best friend’s grandmother may not communicate in the exact
same style simply because they are both women, they were born in the same year,
or they were both college graduates who became high school English teachers.
Similarly, the group typically defined as African Americans includes Americans
with a variety of cultural and national heritages. For some, their story stretches
back to colonial times; others are more recent immigrants from Africa, the
Caribbean, and elsewhere (“Census,” 2010). Christians include a wealth of dif-
ferent denominations that practice various aspects of the larger faith differently.
Christians also hail from different races and ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses,
regions, political views, and so on. All of these intersecting factors affect commu-
nication within any given co-culture.Social Identity and Intergroup Communication
Clearly, our group memberships strongly influence our communication. This
is because our group memberships are such an important part of who we are.
According to social identity theory, you have a personal identity, which is yourTABLE 5.2
GENERATIONS AS CO-CULTURE
Generation Year Born Characteristics Affecting Communication
Matures Before 1946 Born before the Second World War, these generations lived through
the Great Depression and the First World War. They are largely
conformist with strong civic instincts.
Baby Boomers 1946–1964 The largest generation, products of an increase in births that began
after the Second World War and ended with the introduction of the
birth control pill. In their youth, they were antiestablishment and
optimistic about the future, but recent surveys show they are more
pessimistic today than any other age group.
Generation X 1965–1980 Savvy, entrepreneurial, and independent, this generation witnessed
the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of home computing.
Millenials 1981–2000 The first generation of the new millennium, this group includes
people under 30, the first generation to fully integrate computers into
their everyday communication.
Pluralist 2001–Current These digital natives were born into a media-rich, networked world
of infinite possibilities that enables them to use digital tools for
engagement, learning, creativity, and empowerment. They are the
most diverse of any generation and are more likely to have social
circles that include people from different ethnic groups, races, and
religions.Source: Taylor & Keeter, 2010; Horovitz, 2012.Do you consider yourself
more of a masculine or femi-
nine individual? (Note that
your choice may not align
with your biological sex.) Do
others communicate with
you in ways that support or
criticize this aspect of your
communication?AND YOU?