The Social and Cultural Bases of Communication

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the social and cultural bases of communication, including definitions of cultural aspects, communication processes, and linguistic variations.

Culture

A set of beliefs and assumptions shared by a group of people that guide how individuals think, act, and interact.

Communication

A social act that occurs within cultural norms, beliefs, practices, and attitudes.

Collectivism-Individualism Continuum

A spectrum where some cultures prioritize group harmony while others emphasize individual achievement.

Socialization

The process of learning about one’s own culture.

Acculturation

The process of adapting to another culture.

Bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages, with development patterns varying considerably among multilingual speakers.

Dialect

A variety of language characteristic of a particular group, which reveals information about ethnicity, class, age, and more.

Semantic Variation

Differences in word usage among speakers of the same language depending on their dialect.

Phonological Variation

Differences in pronunciation across dialects, exemplified by variations such as the pronunciation of 'tomato'.

Syntactical Variation

Differences in the structure of sentences across dialects, such as the use of modal verbs.

African American English (AAE)

A variety of English often misunderstood as incorrect, with distinct phonological and syntactic features.

Pidgin

A simplified language that develops as a means of communication between speakers of different native languages.

Creole

A stable, fully developed language that evolves from a pidgin and becomes the first language of a community.