Cultural Reporter Blog

Culture, as defined by Martin and Nakayama, is "learned patterns of behavior and attitudes shared by a group of people" (Martin & Nakayama, 88). In other words, culture is the shared beliefs and customs pertaining to a specific group of people. These shared beliefs and customs influence the the actions and attitudes of those associated with that group, often influencing how one not only communicates with someone in the same group but also with those outside of the group.

The cultural group that I have decided to research for the duration of the semester is that of Judaism. Having grown up in a Christian household but later coming to describe myself as agnostic, I have some farmiliarity with Judaism, however only on the basis of association, as Christianity branched off of Judaism. While I may be familiar with the stories of the Jewish faith, I am entirely unfamiliar with the activities and rituals associated with Judaism. These activities are what characterize Judaism as a distinct culture because these traditions hold symbolic significance, which is by Martin and Nakayama's definition "the importance or meaning that most members of a cultural group attach to a communication activity" (Martin & Nakayama, 92).

I will be using the interpretive method to research Judaism because it emphasizes qualitative data. By using qualitative data, I hope to familiarize myself with the personal motivations behind the faith in order to understand Judaism on a more personal level.

References

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural Communication in Contexts (6th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw Hill.