Intercultural communication Essay

Perception in psychology is defined as a process of obtaining information through one’s senses and interpreting that information as something meaningful. Perception can either be programmed into or learnt by a brain, or it can be formed due to one’s culture. Culture based perception is in some way influenced by experiences of culture and environment. For example, a person’s perception of right and wrong may be based on the norms of the society he lives in. Some characteristics of the American culture and their examples Individualism – American youth ‘move out’ to gain independence and to build their lives. Equality – providing equal opportunities to candidates during job recruitment processes. Materialism – the culture of recycling and having garage sales depicts how Americans value material goods and don’t waste resources. Science and technology – strong encouragement for science projects during schooling, and promoting it through movies and television. Progress and change – research and development in various fields is strongly supported by the government, so that the country may continue to be progressive and become a pioneer in every field. Work and leisure – as much importance as work is given in the American culture, there is equal attention paid to leisure and recreation – as is evident through the countless getaways and recreational family parks present in the country. Competition – incentive plans at work, and similar reward systems during education promote the notion of healthy competition among the Americans. Work, Dress, Sex and Status In America, work and productivity are considered important to achieve a high standard of living which is why the annual number of work hours has been increasing every year. Dressing habits tend to be highly informal – concepts like â€Å"Casual Fridays† at work reflect this part of the American culture. Sex education is imparted at an early stage to students to increase awareness about and to minimize sexually transmitted diseases. The culture of discriminating based on social status has been fading out as the notion of equality has started to spread more powerfully. Theories by Hofstede, Hall, Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck to Analyze Culture These theories and the studies that had been conducted by these people, in my opinion, are quite useful in this age of globalization and ever-diminishing boundaries. They highlight the importance of differences in cultures worldwide, while also highlighting the similarities and therefore helping cross-culture psychologists find a common set of human values. Bibliography Mick Underwood (2006) CCMS – Communication studies, Culture studies, Media Studies Infobase by Mick Underwood. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from: http://www. cultsock. ndirect. co. uk/MUHome/cshtml/index. html Wikipedia (2006) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org.