Interculturality of Southeastern United States Culture

Interculturality is defined as “the way that aspects of cultures blend together” (Grace). SEUS culture is the epitome of intercultural because of the way that it not only allows differnent cultures to operate in the same sphere, but also allows cultures to blend and create the whole of SEUS culture. Time, Context, Group Mentality, Communication, and Values all exhibit this intercultural expression.

Time:

SEUS culture is intercultural in its expression of time because of the way it operates under the monochronic time system, as well as the polychronic time system. Monochronic time describes when cultures focus on doing things one at a time. This is highly characterized by cultures that follow strict schedules. Examples of these include: Canada, Northern Europe, and the United States (Rutledge).

Polychronic time describes cultures that essentially multitask as an intrinsic aspect of their culture. They do not focus on punctuality and move from action to action as they please. Examples of this include: Latin America, Arabia, and the Middle East (Rutledge).

SEUS culture is monochronic primarily because of its American parent-culture. The one time when Southerners are absolutely monochronic are in aspects of certain professions. SEUS culture is well-known for agriculture and farming is certainly a profession where following a schedule is essential. As soon as the weather allows, farmers rush to get tractors in the field working the soil. As soon as the ground dries out, seeds are in the ground. When they sprout, farmers monitor the plants religiously and water accordingly. As soon as the moisture levels are right, harvest begins. Thousands of acres can be planted and cleared within weeks.

SEUS culture is polychronic because when Southerners are not on a strict schedule, they are very relaxed. It is a stereotype that Southerners “mosey” around, and it is true to an extent.

Context:

Cultural context describes how cultures communicate in such a way as to the extent of what is spoken, and what must be understood. Everett Rogers and Thomas Steinfatt differentiate cultures based on if they are “low” or “high” context (90–92). In low context cultures, spoken communication is the norm. Basically, people say what they mean. In high context cultures, unspoken communication is the norm. These cultures rely more on body language and facial expressions. The United States is considered a low context culture, while Brazil would be considered high context (High- and Low-context).

SEUS culture is a mix of both of these contexts. Because SEUS is a sub-culture of US culture, it is naturally low context. Southerners say what they mean, and are very open and vocal about their communication. However, they are also high context in ways. In high stress situations, humans in general speak less and react more, as do all animals. In SEUS confrontations, it is natural for people to do the same. Also, a common saying in SEUS culture is “Bless your heart.” This sounds like a sympathetic statement, but, in fact, it is sometimes meant as an insult denoted by the tone of voice and inflection of who is speaking which are all contextual.

Group Mentality:

Cultural group mentality refers to whether or not a culture values individualism or collectivism more. Rogers and Steinfatt distinguish between these in that collectivism values the interests of the group over one person’s. Individualism values that one person’s values over the group well-being.

SEUS culture is intercultural in the nature of its group mentality because they operate as both the collective and the individual. The United States scores a 91 on Geert Hofstede’s “Individualistic vs. Collective” cultural dimension (What about the USA?). This is one explanation of why SEUS culture is individualistic. Americans look out for their self-interests. They, generally, take opportunities that benefit themselves.

However, they are also collective because of their emphasis on relationships and tradition. Southerners are known for their “Southern hospitality.” It is a common thing for Southerners to smile, wave, and talk to strangers. Sometimes they even invite them over for supper. This interest in building relationships and caring for others highlights the collectivist mentality. Southerners also have a tendency to band together to assist people who are in need within their community.

Communication:

Communication in SEUS culture relies heavily on the use of metaphors to express emotions and feelings in different situations. These are colorful metaphors that relate emotion to the Southern environment. Examples of this are: “I’m madder than a tornado in a trailer park,” and “If I tell you a duck can pull a truck, then shut up and hook the sucker up.” Now, most people would laugh at the absurdity. However, what these really mean is “I’m really mad,” and “I know what I’m talking about, so don’t question me.”

This is intercultural because of the way it mixes other aspects of SEUS culture. Southerners’ communication could stem from the cultural context perspective, as well as the time perspective. Being high context allows the culture to speak in such a way and the connotation to be understood. Also, the polychronic perspective might point to the fact since Southerners are more leisurely, they take longer to make their point.

Values:

The values associated with SEUS culture that exhibit interculturality include: religion, food, and ethics among other aspects. The South is known as the “Bible Belt.” This, alone, denotes a high reliance on religion. 76% of Southerners are Christian in religious preference (Wormald). This exhibits itself in the collectivist way Southerners place an emphasis on family and relationships.

Food in the South is intercultural in that it has roots in many other cultures. The staples of Southern food include: soul food, Cajun food, and barbecue. Soul food (like fried chicken and greens) is rooted in African and black culture, Cajun food (like crawfish) is rooted in the Cajun, and French culture, and barbecue actually originated in the Trobriand Islands (Campbell).

Southern ethics is best understood in hunting. When we hunt, we know where our food comes from, we know what it eats, and we know the meat we take from it is clean. When we hunt, we know what we are doing. When we do have to kill an animal we know how to do so in the quickest, least painful way possible and we do not waste what we take. We practice on targets so we do not make mistakes that needlessly hurts an animal. As I have said, there are those who do not follow these rules. But, another value we have in the south is honor. So, when someone does not honor those rules, they are punished with fines or even jail time. Ethics are intercultural because it mixes modern morals with the culture of people that came long before Southerners: hunter-gatherers.

Interculturality is how cultures blend. In all five of these aspects, different cultural concepts blend to create one of the greatest cultures in the world (yes, I’m a little biased). Of course, as with every culture, SEUS culture has its issues and flaws. However, if cultures can ultimately blend in the way that they already have for Southerners, there is no telling what could be possible years from now, or maybe even in the near future.

Works Cited

Campbell, Mary F. “Cultural Anthropology.” Cultural Anthropology 160-CBU. Christian Brothers University, Memphis. Fall 2015. Lecture.

Grace. “Multicultural vs Intercultural.” Legend Of A Nomad. Wordpress, 13 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

“High- and Low-context Cultures.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

Rogers, Everett M., and Thomas M. Steinfatt. Intercultural Communications. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 1999. Print.

Rutledge, Brett. “Cultural Differences — Monochronic versus Polychronic.”’The Articulate CEO’ TypePad, 28 Aug. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

“What about the USA?” United States. Ed. ITIM International. The Hofstede Centre, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

Wormald, Benjamin. “Religious Landscape Study.” Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 11 May 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.