Sociocultural Tradition of Communication

Sociocultural Tradition of Communication

By Shawn, Vicky, Clare & Stanley

Origins: Sociocultural Theory

The contributions that society makes to individual development

The interaction between developing people and the culture in which they live

Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)

Sociocultural Tradition of Communication Theory“Sociocultural approaches to

communication theory address the ways our understandings, meanings, norms, roles, and rules are worked out interactively in communication. ”(Littlejohn & Foss)

Sociocultural Tradition of Communication TheoryThis tradition holds that reality is not

an objective set of arrangements outside us but is constructed through a process of communicating in groups, society, and cultures.

It focuses on patterns of interactions rather than individual characteristics of mental model.

Theories under the Sociocultural TraditionSymbolic interactionism Social constructionismSociolinguisticsEthnography &

Ethnomethodology

Symbolic interactionism

This theory focuses attention on the way that people interact through symbols: words, gestures, rules, and roles.

Based on how humans develop a complex set of symbols to give meaning to the world. (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993)

Key idea: Social structures and meaning is created and maintained within social interactions.

George Mead (1863–1931)

Social constructionismInvestigates how human

knowledge is constructed through social interaction

Argues that the nature of the world is less important than the language used to name and discuss it.

Ethnography & EthnomethodologyThe observation of how actual

social groups come to build meaning through their linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors, is another perspective within the sociocultural tradition.

Sociocultural Tradition

Compare with Phenomenological Tradition

Racial Discrimination

Mario Ballotelli

Phenomenological Tradition1. human being come to understand the world through direct experience.

2. Basic principles:1). Knowledge is found directly in conscious experience2). The meaning of a thing consists of the potential of that thing in one’s life.3). Language is the vehicle of meaning, we experience the world through the

language used to define & express that world.

Sociocultural tradition1.interaction is the process and

site in which meaning roles etc. are worked out.

2.people together create the realities of their social groups, organizations and cultures.

3.identities are established through interaction in social groups, organizations and cultures.

4.significant part of what gets made in social interaction

Compare and ContrastPhenomenal----superficial of

racial discrimination.

Sociocultural----deeper about the culture of racial discrimination

Use both of tradition to thinking comprehensively

Hongkongers angry with China

What is Culture?All the behaviours of a given

individuals are established and decorated, which understands commonly(OSullivanWay, p.2).

Nationalitydefine the state of originrelationship between a person

and his or her state of origin and there is protection of the state where they born

Race

literary a group of people descended from a common ancestor

different density of gene frequencies

physical performances such as (skin color or hair form)

no inherent connection with regulations and cultural patterns

Components to form a culture

Knowledge BeliefArt MoralsLawCustoms Habits

History of HK as UK colony

HK became British colony is due to ‘Opium War’

The Communist and highly nationalistic government of the People’s Republic of China convinced the real measurement of unusual achievement of Hong Kong

Keep the system and way of life in Hong Kong for 50 years when it talked an end to British imperial rule

Difference between HK culture and Mainlander culture

Applying Sociocultural TraditionSymbolic Interactionism (SI)Ethnomethodology

Social Constructionism

Symbolic Interactionism (SI) & Ethnography

1st Issue protest against opening up Hong Kong for Mainland China drivers

She used ‘local’ for describing Hong Kong resource

(May imply she think mainlander take over the resources!! )

Symbolic Interactionism (SI) & Ethnography

A relative negative, angry tone

Gesture‘overwhelm’ the local

populationHong Kong unique ‘local’

culture Rhetorical questions

Symbolic Interactionism (SI) & Ethnography2nd issue Mainland parents give

birth in Hong Kong

Using word

‘inconvenience’ Give personal experience

to blame mainlander causing the problem

Symbolic Interactionism (SI) & Ethnography

Negative, angry tone Facial expression ‘has no choice over who I

have to serve’ ‘Hong Kong taxpayer’ The right of her children

Social Constructionism

(Hong Kong Anti D & G Protest)

Social Constructionism

(A Peking University Professor called Hongkongers ‘dogs’)

ConclusionSociocultural approach focuses

on Social relationship, interaction & identity

Unlike other traditions, the context e.g.(norms, roles, rules) is EXTREMELY important.

Potentials to be subjective