Intercultural communication teamwork and leadership/CCOM103/Communicating across difference/Video signpost: Amsterdam

View video series – University of Amsterdam: MOOC ICS: “Cultural Approach.” These four brief videos explain the cultural view of communication as the carrier and building block of culture and society. The first video, Introduction to the Cultural Approach, [3:43 min.] St discusses how cultural similarity and difference affect message construction and deconstruction, in context of dynamic cultural change. The second video, Producing and Maintaining Culture, [4:01 min.] St presents various disciplinary definitions of culture, noting common themes of sharing and belonging. It also discusses how observing and participating in ‘other’ cultural activities is a key way to overcome cultural bias. The third video, Making Sense of the World [4:42 min.] St discusses social construction theory, which states there is no fixed, objective reality. Instead, our social environments influence the way we construct and deconstruct messages, and in turn are influenced by our messages, ongoing. The fourth video, Popular Culture: Reflection or Illusion? [4:49 min.] St discusses the debate on whether pop culture is a reflection of mainstream society constructing shared values, ideas and truths, or artificially created by mass media producers to maintain current power structures.