HAll
KEY
CONCEPTS
CULTURE IS COMMUNICATION
In physics today, so far as we know, the galaxies that one studies are all controlled by the same laws. This is not entirely true of the worlds created by humans. Each cultural world operates according to its own internal dynamic, its own prin ciples, and its own laws-written and unwritten. Even time and space are unique to each culture. There are, however, some common threads that run through ;:111 cultures.
It is possible to say that the world of communication can be divided into three parts: words, material things, and behavior.
Words arc the medium of business, politics, and diplomacy.
Material things LHe usually indicators of status and power.
Behavior provides feedback on how other people feel and includes techniques for avoiding confrontation.
By studying these three parts of the communication process in our own and other cultures, we can come to recognize and understand a vast unexplored region of human behavior that exists outside the range of people's conscious awareness, a
"silent language" that is usually conveyed unconsciously (see
Edward T. Hall's The Silent Language). This silent language includes a broad range of evolutionary concepts, practices, and solutions to problems which have their roots not in the lofty ideas of philosophers but in the shared experiences of ordinary people. In the words of the director of a project on cross-cultural relations, understanding the silent language "provides insights into the underlying principles that shape our lives." These underlying principles are not only inherently interesting but eminently practical. The readers of this book, whether they be
German, French, American, or from other countries, shou Id find these principles useful at home and abroad.
Culture can be likened to a giant, extraordinary complex, subtle computer. Its programs guide the actions and responses of human beings in every walk of life. This process requires
CONCEPTS
CULTURE IS COMMUNICATION
In physics today, so far as we know, the galaxies that one studies are all controlled by the same laws. This is not entirely true of the worlds created by humans. Each cultural world operates according to its own internal dynamic, its own prin ciples, and its own laws-written and unwritten. Even time and space are unique to each culture. There are, however, some common threads that run through ;:111 cultures.
It is possible to say that the world of communication can be divided into three parts: words, material things, and behavior.
Words arc the medium of business, politics, and diplomacy.
Material things LHe usually indicators of status and power.
Behavior provides feedback on how other people feel and includes techniques for avoiding confrontation.
By studying these three parts of the communication process in our own and other cultures, we can come to recognize and understand a vast unexplored region of human behavior that exists outside the range of people's conscious awareness, a
"silent language" that is usually conveyed unconsciously (see
Edward T. Hall's The Silent Language). This silent language includes a broad range of evolutionary concepts, practices, and solutions to problems which have their roots not in the lofty ideas of philosophers but in the shared experiences of ordinary people. In the words of the director of a project on cross-cultural relations, understanding the silent language "provides insights into the underlying principles that shape our lives." These underlying principles are not only inherently interesting but eminently practical. The readers of this book, whether they be
German, French, American, or from other countries, shou Id find these principles useful at home and abroad.
Culture can be likened to a giant, extraordinary complex, subtle computer. Its programs guide the actions and responses of human beings in every walk of life. This process requires