3.2 Introduction

We communicate and interact with people every day, be it at university, at the grocery store, at work or when meeting friends and family. Culture is one important variable that influences the process and the outcome of such interactions. At times, this involves meeting people whose ways of thinking and behaving is quite distinct from our own routinised behaviour. It is at this point that we become aware of the fact that we are operating according to different sets of knowledge, beliefs and values, which in turn may provoke a sense of unease in one or both communicators.

If we recognise culture as one important variable influencing the process and outcome of our interactions, then this raises further questions about the nature of culture. Which aspects of culture, for example, can cause a sensation of unease or even irritation and at the same time offer tremendous learning opportunities and potential for personal growth?

Understanding the characteristics of culture will serve as a stepping stone to understanding intercultural communication. And within this context we will embark on the objective of this session: to explore ourselves as a person who is surrounded by and embedded in culture.