1.4 Studying Culture and Communication

Culture has been and is being studied in many fields. Therefore, there are many definitions of culture as well, depending on from which perspective the researchers approach it.

Below are some definitions. Please try to think from what kind of academic, or other, background the authors of these definitions come from, and what is their focus in their studies of culture:

• "Culture is communication" (Edward T. Hall)
• "Culture is the collective programming of the mind" (Geert Hofstede)
• "Culture is how things are done here" (John Mole)
• "All communication is more or less cross-cultural" (Deborah Tannen)
• "Culture is a kind of storehouse or library of possible meanings and symbols" (Ron Scollon)

© Liisa Salo-Lee, 2006