Importance of Intercultural Communication to Ist
Chapter 4 - The Deep Structure of Culture
Introduction
Our interpretation of reality determines how we define the world and how we interact in that world. We believe the source of how a culture views the world can be found in its deep structure. It is this deep structure that unifies and makes each culture unique.
Meaning of the Deep Structure of Culture
Although many intercultural communication problems occur on the interpersonal level, most serious confrontations and misunderstandings are as a result of cultural differences that go to the basic core of what it means to be a member of one culture or another.
Cultural collisions are evident worldwide e.g. "ethnic violence" in Africa, clashes between Hindus and Muslims in both India and Pakistan, and hundred of people being killed in conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians.
In each of these instances it is the deep structure of culture and not interpersonal communication that is at the heart of these problems. When there are ethnic and cultural confrontations in various parts of the world, the deep structure of culture is being acted out. Great divisions among humankind and the dominating sources of conflict will be cultural.
The people of different civilizations have different views on the relations between God and man, the individual and the group, the citizen and the state, parents and children, husband and wife, as well as differing views of the relative importance of rights and responsibilities, liberty and authority, equality and hierarchy.
Such issues as (God, loyalty, family, community, state, allegiance, etc.) have been part of every culture for thousands of years. To better understand any culture, one needs to appreciate that culture's deep structure.
The deep structure of a culture not only has history on its side, but its roots are deep in the basic institutions of the culture.
As Delgado points out, "Culture produces and is reproduced by institutions of society, and we can turn to such
Introduction
Our interpretation of reality determines how we define the world and how we interact in that world. We believe the source of how a culture views the world can be found in its deep structure. It is this deep structure that unifies and makes each culture unique.
Meaning of the Deep Structure of Culture
Although many intercultural communication problems occur on the interpersonal level, most serious confrontations and misunderstandings are as a result of cultural differences that go to the basic core of what it means to be a member of one culture or another.
Cultural collisions are evident worldwide e.g. "ethnic violence" in Africa, clashes between Hindus and Muslims in both India and Pakistan, and hundred of people being killed in conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians.
In each of these instances it is the deep structure of culture and not interpersonal communication that is at the heart of these problems. When there are ethnic and cultural confrontations in various parts of the world, the deep structure of culture is being acted out. Great divisions among humankind and the dominating sources of conflict will be cultural.
The people of different civilizations have different views on the relations between God and man, the individual and the group, the citizen and the state, parents and children, husband and wife, as well as differing views of the relative importance of rights and responsibilities, liberty and authority, equality and hierarchy.
Such issues as (God, loyalty, family, community, state, allegiance, etc.) have been part of every culture for thousands of years. To better understand any culture, one needs to appreciate that culture's deep structure.
The deep structure of a culture not only has history on its side, but its roots are deep in the basic institutions of the culture.
As Delgado points out, "Culture produces and is reproduced by institutions of society, and we can turn to such
References: Islam is the most misunderstood religion on earth. The events of September 11, 2001, seem to have only added to the incomplete or false information many American have about this religion.