Communication
Shaping interpretations of reality: Cultural values
Cultural values upheld by the society dictates the understanding of reality. Perceptions and beliefs form the basis of cultural value integration. Perception can be described as the state through which an individual connects and understands the physical world. The adherence of specified perceptions and beliefs in the society cultivates diversity in cultural values. A good example is reflected by frankness of Western people and privacy of Japanese in relation to public expression. There is a chain-link pattern among culture, perceptions and character of an individual. On the other hand, beliefs form the basis of culture development, which originates from life experiences. Cultural patterns extrapolate on the diversity, dominance and respect of specified values. Similarly, beliefs form an integral part of culture values. The decision-making process in the society is entirely dependent on beliefs, which form the basis of solving problems. Subsequently, beliefs dictate what is right and wrong. In addition, values originating from beliefs dictate the code of conduct in the society. Mahatma Gandhi states that beliefs form cultural values, which in turn shape the attitude and character of an individual.
I find it fascinating that culture unites people of diversified origin such as United States, and yet there area aspect of individualism in the society. I understand the significance of culture in shaping the society through formulating acceptable behaviour. This indicates that culture develops individualism and unity in the society through defining moral values and ethics in the society. Contrastingly, Hofstede indicates that culture creates social strata such as the rich and poor. As a result, i understand that beliefs and perceptions dictate the implementation of cultural values on the basis of gender, social class and knowledge, among others.
Hodkinson in media, culture and society
The paramount system of communication is media. As a result, media form the primary platform of social interaction and cultural development. Raymond Williams indicates that culture is passed through generations. Media develops a societal culture through music and literature. Consequently, media acts as the link between the society and cultural development. Society is developed through the coexistence of diversified groups of people. There exists social ranking in the society based on cultural practices, gender, wealth and religion. Additionally, the there exists close relationship between media and society. The media represent occurrences in the society while the society provides information to the media. Contrastingly, the uniqueness of media presentation influences the cultural practices in the society instead of reflecting them. Such influence is brought about by the societal understanding of the information conveyed by the media. As a medium of communication, media information is liable to distortion. Such misinterpretation and distortion of messages creates negative influence to the society. Social and cultural diversity are dictated by factors such as technology, media, media information and people. Lasswell’s model depicts contemporary relationship between media and society in cultural integration and development. Subsequently, media play a center role in delivering information.
I understand that media represents power, influence and identity of the society through communication. Contrastingly, media can influence the society through the introduction of new cultural values. On the other hand, media can be influenced by the society through reflecting on the true identity and cultural values of people. Conclusively, the society relies on the media through communication, which leads to the revolution of culture.
