Communication Between Cultures

than other young people or middle-aged people.”^2 This negative view of the elderly is

not found in all cultures. For example, as you observed in Chapter 3, in Middle East-

ern, Asian, Latin American, and American Indian cultures older people are perceived

in a very positive light. Notice what Moran, Harris, and Moran say about the elderly

in Africa:

It is believed that the older one gets, the wiser one becomes—life has seasoned the indi-

vidual with varied experiences. Hence, in Africa age is an asset. The older the person, the

more respect the person receives from the

community, and especially from the young.

Thus if a foreigner is considerably younger

than the African, the latter will have little

confidence in the outsider.^3

These examples illustrate that culture influences one’s subjective reality and

that there are direct links among culture, perception, and behavior. A more com-

prehensive appreciation of perception and its functions and deficiencies can be

achieved by understanding the following five characteristics listed by Adler and

Gunderson:^4

• Perception is selective—Because there are so many stimuli simultaneously competing
  for the attention of your senses, you focus only on selected information and filter
  out the rest.


• Perception is learned—Life’s experiences teach you to see the world in a particular
  way.


• Perception is culturally determined—Culture teaches you the meaning behind most of
  your experiences.


• Perception is consistent—Once you perceive something in a particular manner, that
  interpretation is usually resistant to change.


• Perception is inaccurate—You view the world through a subjective lens influenced
  by culture, values, and personal experiences. This tends to make you see what
  you expect or want to see.
  The most important aspect of our discussion on perception is that culture
  “determinesboth the categories we use and the meanings we attach to them.”^5 In
  many instances, your culturally based perceptions are maintained in the form of
  beliefs and values. These two concepts, working in combination, form what are
  calledcultural patterns, which will be examined at length after a brief definition of

Beliefs

BELIEFS,VALUES, AND BEHAVIORS

BELIEFS

What are your beliefs, how did you acquire them, and what do they do? Beliefs are

usually reflected in your actions and communication behaviors. For instance, if you

believe that a good tan reflects a healthy, active lifestyle, and makes a person more

attractive, you will probably find time to lie out in the sun, use a tanning lotion, or

perhaps go to a tanning salon. Conversely, if you believe that suntanned skin con-

notes a lower social status, you will likely make extra efforts to limit exposure to the

REMEMBER THIS

Perception is selective. Perceptual patterns are learned and,

therefore, influenced by one’s culture.

Beliefs 201

Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).