Culture and Communication

Culture and communication have a reciprocal relationship. Culture affects communication and vice versa affect cultural communication. Because that explains the relationship of these two elements into a bit tricky.

Martin and Nakayama (2003: 86) explains that through culture can influence the process by which one perceives a reality. All communities in all places always manifest or bring in what is their view of reality through culture. Instead Similarly, communication helps us in the creation of the cultural reality of a community.

How does culture affect communication?

Porter and Samovar (1993: 26) states that the reciprocal relationship (reciprocal) between culture and communication are important to understand if you want in-depth study of intercultural communication. This happens because through budayalah people can learn to communicate.

Furthermore, Porter and Samovar reiterated, cultural similarities in perceptions will allow the provision of similar meaning are likely also to a social reality or a specific event. As we have cultural backgrounds vary it by itself will affect the way we communicate and practice.

Many aspects / elements of culture that can affect a person's communication behavior. These effects arise through a process of perception and understanding of reality.

Here we will discuss some of the socio-cultural elements as part of intercultural communication, which can directly affect the meanings that we build in our perception that affect our communication behavior (Porter and Samovar, 2003: 28-32).

    Belief system (belief), values ​​(values), and attitude (attitude).

Let's review them one by one. Belief in view Mulyana (2004) is a personal perception. Belief refers to the view that something has characteristics or a certain quality, it does not matter whether something can be proven empirically (logical) or not. Here exemplified Mulyana:

    Pray help cure the disease.
    Whistling at night invites demons, especially in places of worship.
    Bumping the black cat would bring misfortune.
    Figures 9 is a lucky number, etc.

The same thing also delivered Porter and Samovar, trust is a subjective possibilities that individuals believed that an object or event has certain characteristics. Trust involves the relationship between objects believed and characteristics that distinguish it. Furthermore reaffirmed, culture turns plays a powerful role in the establishment of trust.

In the context of intercultural communication, we can not convict a belief that it is wrong and right. If we want to build a satisfying and successful communication, we must appreciate the trust of our speaker that even what he believed was not in accordance with what we believe.

While the values ​​described Porter and Samovar as evaluative aspects of belief systems. Evaluative dimension of these values ​​include quality expediency, kindness, aesthetics, the ability to satisfy the needs and pleasures.

In view of Mulyana (2004: 43), the value of the trust will last a long time relative to an object, event, and phenomena based on certain criteria.

Cultural values ​​are then used by someone as a reference in perceiving what is good and what is bad, what is right and wrong, true and false positives and negatives, etc. These reference values ​​will then affect a person's behavior so as to distinguish communication or obey behavior which must be done and communication behaviors such as what to avoid (Porter and Samovar, 1993: 29).

Values ​​in a culture appears in the form of the behaviors of the members of the culture as demanded or required by the relevant culture. For example, Muslims are required to fasting in Ramadan, people are required to attend Catholic Mass, etc. These values ​​are called by Porter and Samovar as normative values.

Furthermore, beliefs and values ​​contribute to the development of attitudes. Attitude in view of Porter and Samovar understood as a tendency obtained by learning to respond to an object or reality consistently. Attitude is studied in a cultural context.

Beliefs and values ​​that we have adopted in connection with an object will affect our attitude toward the object. For example, if we believe that the bath night is not good for your health, then we will avoid to shower the night.

    View of the world (world view)

Socio-cultural elements that affect both our perception of an object or reality and ultimately affects the communication behavior worldview. According to Porter and Samovar (1993: 30), view of the world is one of the most important elements in the perceptual aspects of intercultural communication. View of the world is closely related to a cultural orientation towards things like God, humanity, the universe, etc.

Deddy Mulyana (2004: 32-4) then asserted, worldview affects the meaning of a message. As one element of culture, it is clear that the view of the world affects our communication with others. Exemplified Mulyana, because the firm belief that one religion would then be pushed to act carefully, do not lie, insult or slander others, because it believes all communication actions will have to be accounted for before God.

According Mulyana, one category is the religious worldview. This happens because there are usually religious teachings about how humans should relate to themselves, others, the universe, and God.

    Social organization (social organization)

Porter and Samovar (1993: 31-32) argues, the way a culture of organizing itself and its institutions also affect how members of cultures perceive the world and how they communicate.

According to Porter and Samovar, there are two institutions or social organizations played an important role in relation to perception. The first family, which although is the smallest social organization in a culture, it also has an important influence. The family gave many cultural influences on children. Family that guide children in using language to communicate, ranging from how to get word to the dialect.

Second, where the school was given a great responsibility to pass and maintain a culture. School preserving culture by informing students about what has happened in the world around, what is important, and what should be known as a member of a cultural community.

How does culture affect communication?

Martin and Nakayama (2004: 97-99) outlines how culture affects communication. Explained, that culture can not be formed without communication. Communication patterns that would fit with the background and cultural values ​​will describe the cultural identity of a person.

The simplest example, Wilibrodus, a student from Manggarai talking with Andre from Rote tribe. Dialect that sounds better than Wilibrodus and Andre the least reflect the cultural identity of each. From dialect Manggarai delivered Wilibrodus at least give the impression that he was a member of the cultural community Manggarai. So even with Andre.

So it is clear that the behavior of communication that has been built and patterned such that spawned a distinctive characteristic will form a habit / cultural communication for a particular cultural community. In short, the communication activity of a member of the culture may represent beliefs, values, attitudes and even view the world of culture. In addition, through communication can also reinforce basic values ​​and essential culture.