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Basic Knowledge
In order to communicate successfully across cultures, first of all, we must understand what the term "culture" means in intercultural communication.
Definitions of Culture
The term "culture" can be defined in different ways and there is no agreed-upon definition of it. We here quote the culture theory of Samovar and Porter.
Culture is the deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.
文化是一个大的人群在许多代当中通过个人和集体的努力获得的知识、经验、信念、价值、态度、角色、空间关系、宇宙观念的积淀，以及他们获得的物质的东西和所有物。
文化冰山
The iceberg metaphor indicates that like an iceberg, the visible part of culture is only a small part of a much bigger whole.
Culture above the waterline refers to the aspects of culture that are explicit and visible, which can be conveyed or learned through lessons and interactions such as art, music, food, clothing, just to name a few.
Culture below the waterline is what we called "hidden" culture, such as values, communication styles, habits and judgments.
Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is Shared
Culture is shared in various forms, such as people's beliefs, values and expectations on the human society.
The exchange of thoughts provides people with opportunities to understand and learn human cultures and traditions.
2. Culture is Learned
Culture is not inborn or inherited biologically. Instead, it is learned socially by human.
It is acquired by human from interactions with others. People acquire information about cultures by various means.
This is done by learning languages and other froms of information in the society.
3. Culture is Symbolic
Symbols are used in the communication processto identify people's actions, attitudes and behaviors.
There are various types of symbols, depending on the environment, educational and social experience, and other infuences. Words, gestures, dress, and icons are some examples of cultural symbols.
The social experience as a whole provides specific communicative symbols along with art, music, literature, history and other forms.
4. Culture is Integrated
Culture is patterned by specific dimensions of social life, such as the economic and political activities.
People follow the norms in order to meet the psychological and social needs.
These social activities are patterned with innovations and inventions of cultural groups that need to be integrated into the social life of members in the society.
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