3.6 People as products and producers of culture

Culture can be perceived as acquired knowledge that people use to make sense of the world around them, to interpret experiences and generate social behaviour. The knowledge of one cultural group is distinct from the knowledge of another group and this enables group members to behave in a way that is meaningful to them. This means that we can think of culture as a cognitive map, frame of reference, or guidelines that informs us how we ought to behave and see the world. Such cognitive maps can be viewed as an aid to orientation and they help us to assess what is right or wrong. As such we are products of culture because we are socialised, shaped and influenced by the cultures we are part of.

However, having a map of orientation does not compel us to follow a particular course. It also does not mean that such maps cater for all circumstances and are unchangeable. We can, for example, deliberately depart from certain ideas or norms or even reject them altogether. A young woman, for example, who has been socialised into following the life path of her mother as a housewife who raises children and takes care of the household, may respond to educational programs that support women to carve out their own independent career. This means that culture can change, in this case as a result of knowledge acquisition.

And we are also producers of culture. In fact, we are constantly involved in cultural production, although in most cases unconsciously. For example, when we get a call from friends asking us to join them for dinner in the new 'cross-over' restaurant offering a fusion of cuisine from India, the Caribbean and China, we are involved in the production of new culture. Another example might be when we try the new ice-cream flavour containing a salty-liquorice taste. Whereas cultural production in the area of food, music and art is widespread and well known, we are also involved in producing culture on a much more conscious level.

Another example of cultural production in a German context would be the 'Urban gardening' trend which started to boom about 10 years ago and refers to the establishment of small gardens in urban areas to grow vegetables, flowers and plants either in repurposed or previously unused areas. Many of these new 'gardeners' are not skilled and started to garden because they appreciate and value growing their own fresh vegetables.

Our map of orientation is influenced by many factors. One influencing factor might be the experiences we have, which initiate a change. Another could be the result of a negotiation process among team members. When a group of people start working together, they are likely to attune their working routines to each other. This may be the result of a negotiation and adaptation process among team members, but it may also be enforced due to company regulations or contextual factors, as in the case of Covid-19.

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, people around the world were explicitly forced to change their behaviour in some countries and in others people changed voluntarily. This included people changing their ways of greeting, even in environments where it is common to hug and kiss each other. In cultures where people are used to standing very close to each other, this meant learning to maintain distance to other people and to many people around the world it was uncommon to cover their face and mouth.

Power, as the term already suggests, is a very forceful generator of change and may directly or indirectly influence our map of orientation. Of course there is formal power, which is the most obvious type, e.g. the power a superior has to influence the action of an intern. But in intercultural communication we are particularly concerned about the subtle aspects of power and how they impact interactions. For example, by excluding others, we exercise power. We also need to be aware that the norms and standards dominant within a culture are essentially the result of a power struggle. Over the course of time or through indirect and direct negotiations, certain people have made a particular set of behaviours the norm and standard.

People living now are the bearers of the culture they received from prior generations, but they are also the generators and carriers of culture into the future, as they adapt, develop and possibly reject particular aspects of it. Culture thus refers to a living system. We are the products of culture but at the same time producers of culture. This shows that culture is an ongoing process and underlies constant changes, some of which are hardly noticeable. Others are more profound.

Photograph by Adelheid Iken