such as food shelter and physical protection. The second need is derived need
such as organization of work, distribution of food, defense and social control.
Last, the integrative needs like psychological security, social harmony and
purpose in life. Culture is understood as collectively held set of attribute,
which is dynamic and changing over time (Gopalkrishnan, 2003).
Because culture influences people from the instant they are born, they rarely
aware of the many messages it sends. The stories each culture tells its people ,
whether in form of folktales, legends, or myths, are all intended to transmit
the culture from person to person and from generation to generation.
Every culture has hundreds of tales. They are very useful tools for teaching
children culture because they cover a wide range of cultural concern.
In fact the ‘group’s knowledge stored up in (memories, books and
objects) for future use’ (Samovar, 2001) is the core of concept of culture.
There would be no culture, without the advantages from those who lived
before. A trip to a museum and galleries quickly reveals how the art of culture
is another method of passing on culture, found in every culture.
Communication is an exchange of meanings between individuals through a
common system of speech, symbols, signs or behaviour.
Signals, signs and symbols are three related components of nonvocal
communication processes found in all known cultures. Beating drums was one
of the earliest methods used to tell members of a community that it was
curfew time. The use of bells for this purpose is also of great antiquity, and in
1068, during the reign of William the Conqueror, the bells were rung by law,
at seven in the evening, so that all might cover the fire and extinguish the
lights (Semmelroth, 2003). They have attracted considerable attention because
they do not relate primarily to the usual conception of words or language.
A signal may be considered as an interruption, indicating the presence of an
individual in a room, his impatience, agreement, or disagreement with some
aspect of the environment. In the case of screaming for help, a critical
situation demanding attention, coded to refer to spoken or written language.
Signs are usually less germane to the development of words than signals; most
of them contain greater amounts of meaning of and by themselves. All known
cultures utilize signs to convey relatively simple messages fast and
conveniently.
Symbols are more difficult than signs to understand and to define because
unlike signs and signals, they are intricately woven into an individual’s
ongoing perception of the world. The symbol has been defined as a device
with which an abstraction can be made; they may include written or spoken
language as well as visual objects. Rich clusters of related und unrelated
symbols are usually regarded as icons. They are a group of interactive
symbols, like the White House in Washington D.C. or an Impressionist
painting.
Professional actors and dancers have known since antiquity that body gestures
also generate a vocabulary of communication more or less unique to each
culture.
Proxemics involves the ways in which people in various cultures utilized both
time and space as well as body positions and other factors of purpose of
communication. The body heat human’s give of, odour they perceive in social
situations.
Communication can be nonvocal or vocal, a respond does not has to be
observable action, also could be a mental responds. Every received and
responded message is rooted in culture (Samovar, 2001).
About 150,000 years ago our first ‘relatives’ initiated an activity that would
have a profound and everlasting effect on all lives. It took another 140,000
years to refine the process; these early ancestors evolved the vocal tracts
necessary for human communication. This extraordinary accomplishment was
one of the major precursors for the development of culture around 6,000 years
ago. From that day until now, communication and culture have been
inseparable.
Although communication and culture are two different words, and in some
way different concepts, they are directly linked. They are so inextricably
bound that some anthropologists believe the terms are virtually synonymous.
Culture is learned, acted out, transmitted and preserved through
communication.
The dictionary meaning of culture is the integrated pattern of human
knowledge, belief and behaviour that depends upon man’s capacity for
learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generation
(Britannica, 2003). The dictionary meaning of communication is a process by
which information is exchanged between individuals through a common
system of symbols, signs, or behaviour (Britannica, 2003).
But every communication event takes place on a time-space-continuum, and
the amount of time allotted, whether it is for social conversation or a formal
speech, affects that event. Cultures as well as people use time to
communicate (Samovar, 2001). A general part of communication event is
the cultural setting. ‘The largest system affecting communication is our
culture, which is the context within which all our interactions take
place.’(Higgings, 1995). The rules, values, norms, traditions, taboos and
customs of a culture all affects the other areas of the communication system.
Every culture has a language, rules and norms about age, gender, a system of
government, religions, economic system, recreational and play activity, art
and music.
In modern society different people communicate in different ways, as do
people in different societies around the world. The way people communicate
is the way they live. It is their culture. Who talks with whom, about what?
These are questions of communication and culture (Samovar, 2001).
Heritage includes ‘those places and events which define and sustain a
country’s character and provide a living and accessible record of the nation’s
history (Elms, 1999). It represents the important examples of our landscape,
the critical moments in our development as a nation and the joys and sorrows
in the lives of our varied inhabitants’ (Australia Heritage Commission, 1997).
Our cultural heritage, both indigenous and non-indigenous, contributes
significantly to the quality of life humans value. Our heritage is a living
heritage and will be continually added to. Through stories, folktales, legends,
myths, language and written documents.
In conclusion a cultural heritage is communicate through culture, which is based on
humans communication verbal and nonverbal.
Tina Rauer Student #10153131 Page 7 of 7
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Devito, J. 1991, Essentials of Human Communication and Human Relationship, Allyn
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Britannica, 2003, Communication, [Online], from Encyclopaedia Britannica Premium
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Britannica, 2003, Culture, [Online], from Encyclopaedia Britannica Premium Service,
Available: ?... [ 2003, March 28].
Enviromental Operations Unit, 1999, Cultural Heritage Guidelines, Heritage
Consulting Australia, Walkerville SA.
Gopalkrishnan, N., 2003, Cross Cultural Communication, Paper presented at the
Lecture for COR 109, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore.
Higgins, A. G., ‘Multimedia Readiness of U.S. Ranked No.1’, San Diego Union-
Tribute, 19.October 1995.
Samovar, L.A & Porter, R. E., 2001, Communication Between Cultures,
Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, Belmont C.A..
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