Communication theory: foundational concepts and applications

Communication

Individualism is defined as "a cultural value that places emphasis on the individual over the group." In contrast, collectivism is defined as "a cultural value that places emphasis on the group over the individual." The two exist at opposite ends of a continuum, and many cultures lie in between. Countries from opposite ends can have very different concepts of the role of the individual within society. High levels of individualism are associated with Western nations, especially those whose cultures are rooted in Enlightenment philosophy. Countries with highly collectivist cultures tend to be those from Latin America.

Face is defined as a "metaphor for the public image people display." With a collectivist culture, individuals are often seeking bonds within that society, because in some ways one's self-worth is measured by their belonging -- by the strength of their social connections. Face negotiation theory "takes into account the influence that culture has on the way conflict is managed." The authors maintain that this is because the "individualistic-collectivistic cultural dimension influences the selection of conflict styles." How one views the issue of face recognition for himself or herself vs. others is going to be governed by the placement of the individual on the individualistic-collectivistic continuum.

In particular, "other face" is going to be more common in the face negotiation style of people from collectivist cultures, as they are more accustomed to considering the needs of others. A highly individualist culture, on the other hand, might prefer to emphasize self face, and ignore the other face. These different approaches to face negotiation can reflect the cultural underpinnings, in particular with respect to how the person prioritizes the face of the other, or not as the case may be.

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Communication Accommodation Theory holds that we will adjust our communication styles when dealing with people of different cultures. We will use different language and different speaking styles depending on the audience of our speech. One particular example is with authority figures. Most people will speak to authority figures in a more formal way that they would to friends and even family members. The same is true in the workplace -- the setting embeds something formal in the setting, and that formality is then reflected in the speech the individual uses.

This phenomenon can also be viewed in a social setting. When an individual socializes with people of different groups, accommodation in speech is common. A good example the differences between conversation styles between social groups of people of one gender vs. interactions between members of groups from different genders. Single-gender groups will not use accommodating language, but mixed-gender groups will often feature accommodating language.