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Co-cultural Speech Directions
Delivery on Thursday 1/13 and Tuesday 1/18
Context
From An introduction to Human Communication :
Culture can be defined as a system of shared beliefs,
values, interests, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that
members of society use to cope with one another and to
makes sense of the world around them. In the U.S., many
co-cultures exist based on characteristics such as race,
religion, age, gender, economic status, sexual orientation,
language background, occupation, social organization membership,
and political affiliation. Co-cultures involve groups
of persons united by a common element or interest and
who live in a culture operating within a dominant culture.
We will use the term co-culture rather than the more common
term subculture because the latter implies that these
groups are somehow less than or inferior to the dominant
culture. It is possible for an individual to belong to
several co-cultures simultaneously. Effective intercultural
communication requires careful planning and respect for
differences, as well as a commitment to learning from
each other.
Assignment
Your assignment for this presentation is to choose an
experience that will be appropriate to share with this
audience (chapter 5) and that reflects cultural identity,
heritage or shock. Careful thinking about how you live
and what practices and habits you engage in can often
give you insights into your cultural identity. Talking
with family over winter break may also give you another
opportunity to generate ideas about your cultural identity
and heritage. Your speech must be 4-5 minutes. In addition
to the previous requirements, the goals for this speech
include organization (chapter 8) and an effective introduction
and conclusion (chapter 9).
- Cultural
identities- those characterizations that
give you a sense of identity
- Cultural
heritages-
those histories that help you understand where you come
from or why you do the things you do.
- Cultural
shocks- those experiences that startle you
into recognizing the differences or similarities among
your own and others cultural understandings, practices,
and identities.
Examples
of topics you might choose: how your grandmothers
ethnic background has shaped your personality (identity);
the history and evolution of you sororitys/fraternitys
rituals or meetings (heritage); the malls of Detroit and
the mall of Houghton (shock). No matter which kind of
topic you choose, you must develop in into a theme and
set forth a specific purpose that becomes clear during
the course of your speech. The conclusion should leave
the audience with something to continue thinking about
after youve finished speaking.
A few definitions to keep in mind as you prepare
for this speech:
- Ethnocentrism-
the belief that your own group or culture is superior
to all other groups or cultures.
- Stereotyping-
a belief, based on previously formed opinions and attitudes,
that all members of a group are more or less alike and
think and act in a similar fashion.
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