How Power Affects Communication | Intro to Human Communication | Study Hall

Summary

The video explores how culture shapes power dynamics, using examples like Mirabel's family from 'Encanto' and Geert Hofstede's theory of power distance. In high power distance cultures, like Colombia, inequality is accepted, with older members holding more authority, as seen with Abuela in the Madrigal family. In contrast, low power distance cultures, like Sweden and the U.S., emphasize equality and fair distribution of power. The video explains how understanding power distance helps us navigate relationships and interactions across different cultural contexts.

Takeaways

• 🌐 In 'Encanto', Mirabel Madrigal's family dynamics reflect the cultural values of close-knit Colombian families where elders hold significant power.
• 👵 The Madrigal family's respect for abuela as the matriarch illustrates the importance of respecting older community members in Colombian culture.
• 🏠 Mirabel's family represents the common Colombian practice of multigenerational households living together.
• 🧠 Power, as defined by Geert Hofstede, is the extent to which individuals can influence others' ideas and behaviors, often shaped by cultural upbringing.
• 🏛 The cultural values of a nation can trickle down to influence institutions and organizations, as exemplified by the fictional nation of Bomont's anti-dancing laws.
• 🌳 Hofstede's concept of 'power distance' measures how much less powerful members of a society accept the power imbalance they experience.
• 🌱 Inequality is a universal societal issue, arising from the ways societies categorize people into groups like gender, race, and class.
• 🌎 High power distance cultures, such as Colombia, India, and China, endorse significant inequality and have a strict social hierarchy.
• 🌿 Low power distance cultures, like Sweden and Denmark, promote fairness and equitable sharing of power, valuing equality and individualism.
• 🌟 Understanding power distance helps explain the distribution of power in societies and how it affects interpersonal relationships and community dynamics.
• 🚀 Recognizing cultural attitudes towards power can enhance cross-cultural communication and foster stronger connections.

Q & A

What is the primary influence on how Mirabel Madrigal's family values are shaped?

Mirabel's family values are shaped by the Colombian culture, which values close-knit family connections and respects older community members.

What is the significance of 'abuela' in Mirabel's family structure?

In Mirabel's family, 'abuela' is the matriarch who has the final say on everything, reflecting the cultural value placed on respecting older members in Colombian culture.

How does the concept of power, as defined by Geert Hofstede, relate to Mirabel's family?

According to Hofstede, power is the extent to which people can influence the ideas and behaviors of others. In Mirabel's family, 'abuela' has more power because she influences family decisions.

What is the role of cultural values in shaping power dynamics within a society?

Cultural values shape power dynamics by influencing who has power and how they exercise it. In Mirabel's Colombian culture, the elderly are given more power and respect.

What is the concept of 'power distance' and how does it relate to the distribution of power?

Power distance is a tool for measuring how much the less powerful members of a society accept the imbalance of power or inequality they experience.

How does the concept of power distance manifest in Mirabel's society?

In Mirabel's society, power distance is manifested by the acceptance of the elderly having more power, such as 'abuela' having the final say in family matters.

What are the characteristics of a high power distance culture according to Hofstede?

High power distance cultures are characterized by a high degree of inequality, strict social hierarchy, and acceptance of the distribution of power by its members.

What are the characteristics of a low power distance culture according to Hofstede?

Low power distance cultures believe in the fair and equitable sharing of power among members, with less acceptance of inequality.

How does the cultural value of independence in the U.S. differ from that in Sweden, as per Hofstede's research?

While both the U.S. and Sweden are low power distance cultures, the U.S. values independence more, leading to a loosely knit society where individuals are expected to be self-reliant.

How can understanding power distance help in cross-cultural communication?

Understanding power distance helps in cross-cultural communication by providing insights into how people from different cultures perceive and accept power and inequality, thus facilitating stronger connections.

What is the importance of recognizing power dynamics in everyday interactions?

Recognizing power dynamics is important as it influences behavior and interactions in various settings such as families, workplaces, and communities.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Dynamics and Cultural Influence in Encanto

This paragraph introduces the theme of how individuals learn social behaviors from their upbringing and culture, using the example of Mirabel Madrigal from *Encanto*. It discusses how Abuela, the matriarch of the family, holds authority over major family decisions, such as holiday celebrations, marriage, and sensitive topics like Bruno. Mirabel’s family values are influenced by Colombian culture, which emphasizes close family bonds and respect for elders. These cultural values shape the family’s power dynamics, reflecting how societies and families are structured by cultural norms and hierarchies.

05:02

🧑‍🏫 Understanding Power through Cultural Values

The paragraph explains the concept of power using Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede’s definition: the ability to influence others’ ideas and behaviors. It uses examples like parents’ control over children to illustrate power dynamics. Hofstede's theory is that cultural values within a country significantly shape power distribution within institutions and social groups. A fictional country, Bomont, is used to illustrate how a nation's cultural values (like banning dancing) trickle down into family rules and workplace behaviors, emphasizing the broader societal impact of cultural norms.

10:02

💃 Power Distance: Societal Acceptance of Inequality

This section introduces the concept of 'power distance,' defined by Hofstede as how much less-powerful members of society accept inequality. The paragraph highlights how categories like age, gender, and race can affect power dynamics, using Mirabel’s lower societal power due to her youth as an example. It further illustrates how inequality in societies is often accepted by less-powerful groups, with examples from *Encanto* and Bomont. Cultural values dictate the level of inequality and how it is reinforced or resisted within societies.

🏰 High Power Distance Cultures: Structured Inequality

This paragraph explores high power distance cultures, where inequality is widely accepted by society. Examples include Thailand, India, China, and Colombia. It highlights that in such cultures, strict social hierarchies are maintained with little resistance from less-powerful members. In *Encanto*, Mirabel’s family accepts Abuela’s authority, illustrating how these power structures remain largely unchanged over time. The paragraph notes that while there are benefits for individuals in different social tiers, high power distance cultures are resistant to change, maintaining a strict chain of command.

🌍 Low Power Distance Cultures: Embracing Equality

This section contrasts high power distance cultures with low power distance cultures, where leaders and citizens alike value equitable power distribution. Sweden, Denmark, Costa Rica, and the United States are given as examples. These societies value fairness and individualism, which affects their social norms and communication styles. However, even within low power distance cultures, there are differences in how equality is practiced. For instance, the U.S. values independence, while Sweden provides more institutional support, showing variety within the same category.

🎓 Cultural Variation within Power Distance

The paragraph emphasizes that even within a particular power distance culture, there can be differences in how values are implemented. Using the U.S. as an example, it explains that although the U.S. is generally a low power distance society, individual institutions or people may follow stricter power hierarchies, such as professors requiring formal titles. It argues that personal differences and institutional values create variation in how societies interpret and enact power distance, reflecting the fluid nature of culture and individuality.

🔑 The Importance of Understanding Power Dynamics

The final paragraph wraps up by explaining the importance of understanding power distance and its effect on relationships and communities. It stresses that our cultural background and experiences with power influence how we treat others. By learning how different societies perceive and accept power inequality, we can build stronger cross-cultural connections. The paragraph humorously advises against discussing Bruno, a nod to the cultural dynamics in *Encanto*, while encouraging viewers to continue exploring topics of human communication.

Keywords

💡Power

Power, as defined by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, is the ability to influence the ideas and behaviors of others. In the video, power is central to understanding the social dynamics within a family or culture, such as how Mirabel's abuela controls key decisions in the Madrigal family. Power is also framed as something shaped by national and cultural values, determining how individuals interact within their communities.

💡Power Distance

Power distance refers to how much less powerful members of a society accept the imbalance of power. The video uses this concept to explain the differing attitudes toward inequality, depending on whether a culture has high or low power distance. For example, in Colombia (and Mirabel's family), a high power distance culture, people accept the authority of elders like abuela without question.

💡High Power Distance

High power distance cultures exhibit a high level of inequality, where less powerful individuals generally accept the hierarchy. The video cites examples such as Colombia, where Mirabel’s family shows a clear deference to elders like abuela, respecting their authority. Members of these societies expect a strict chain of command and are less likely to challenge it.

💡Low Power Distance

Low power distance cultures value equality and fair distribution of power. In such cultures, people expect to share power more equally, and less powerful members feel empowered to question authority. The video mentions countries like Sweden and the U.S. as examples, where even students might be on a first-name basis with professors, showcasing a more egalitarian structure.

💡Geert Hofstede

Geert Hofstede is a Dutch social psychologist who developed the framework used in the video to explain the concept of power and how it's influenced by cultural values. His theories are central to the video’s explanation of power dynamics within societies, including the ideas of high and low power distance.

💡Inequality

Inequality is the uneven distribution of power, resources, and opportunities in a society. The video explains that every culture experiences inequality, often based on categories like gender, age, or class. For example, Mirabel has less power in her family because she is younger and female, while abuela holds more power due to her age and role as the family leader.

💡Culture

Culture refers to the shared values, norms, and behaviors of a society that influence how its members interact and understand power. The video emphasizes how Mirabel’s upbringing in Colombia, a country that values family hierarchy and elder authority, shapes her interactions with others. Culture also impacts larger institutions like governments and workplaces, as shown in the fictional Bomont example.

💡Hierarchy

Hierarchy refers to a system where people or groups are ranked one above the other based on status or authority. In the video, the Madrigal family is an example of a hierarchical system, where abuela sits at the top, making key decisions, while younger members like Mirabel have less influence. This reflects how power is structured in high power distance cultures.

💡Bomont

Bomont is a fictional nation used in the video to illustrate the concept of how national values influence behavior and power dynamics. In Bomont, dancing is banned, and this national value trickles down into family and workplace norms, reinforcing the idea that power and culture are interconnected. Bomont’s strict anti-dancing laws demonstrate how power structures shape everyday life.

💡Social Categories

Social categories are the groups people are sorted into based on traits such as gender, race, age, or class. The video explains that these categories influence the power individuals have in a society. For example, Mirabel is categorized as young, female, and Latina, which affects how much power she has in her family and community, compared to older, male, or more privileged members.

Highlights

Mirabel Madrigal from Encanto learns about power dynamics from her Colombian family and culture.

In Colombian culture, close-knit family connections and multi-generational living are valued.

Respecting older community members is a key aspect of Colombian culture, reflected in the Madrigal family's respect for abuela.

Abuela's authority in the Madrigal family illustrates the influence of cultural values on power within families.

Geert Hofstede's definition of power is the ability to influence others' ideas and behaviors.

Cultural values of a nation significantly shape an individual's power dynamics.

The fictional nation of Bomont exemplifies how national values can trickle down into institutional and personal behaviors.

Power distance is a measure of how much less powerful members of a society accept power imbalance.

Inequality arises from societal categorization of people based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and class.

Mirabel's power in her society is influenced by her being young, female, and Latina.

High power distance cultures, like Colombia, endorse a high degree of inequality and strict social hierarchy.

Low power distance cultures, such as Sweden and Denmark, value fairness and equitable sharing of power.

The U.S., despite valuing equality, can still have high power distance dynamics in certain contexts.

Variation in power distance values can occur even within the same cultural category.

Understanding power distance helps in bridging cultural gaps and forming stronger connections.

The video concludes with a humorous note about not mentioning Bruno, staying true to the Encanto narrative.

Transcripts

In episode 3, we talked about  how we learn to interact with  

other people from the people  and cultures we grew up with.

The same thing is true for Mirabel  Madrigal, the hero of Encanto

In the family Madrigal, abuela, the family  matriarch, has the final say on everything,  

like how holidays are celebrated,  who her granddaughters marry,  

and who’s allowed to talk about Bruno.

(Spoiler alert: no one talks about Bruno.)

And because Mirabel grew up in Colombia,  

her family’s values are also influenced by  the culture of the society she grew up in.

Colombian culture really values  close-knit family connections,  

and it’s common for multiple generations to live  together in one home, like in Mirabel’s casita.

And in most parts of Colombia, respecting  older community members is really important,  

which is why the Madrigals  look to abuela as their leader.

Mirabel’s family accepts that abuelas  have more power in family culture than  

younger family members in  the family they live in….

…which is why what abuela says, goes.

And while we don’t live in magical houses, we all  have something in common with Mirabel’s family.  

Like the Madrigals, our perception  of who has power and why they have  

power is shaped by the values of the  cultures and societies we live in.

And those values trickle-down into our everyday  communities, like our families and workplaces,  

and they affect our behavior and  how we interact with other people.

Hi, I’m Cassandra Ryder, and this is  Study Hall: Intro to Human Communication.

First, we need to understand the concept of power.

Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede  defines “power” as the extent to which  

people are able to influence the  ideas and behaviors of others.

So for instance, a parent has more power  than a child because parents influence  

their children’s choices, like which  veggies they eat and when bedtime is.

According to Hofstede, the power people have  is heavily influenced by the culture of the  

nation they grow up in. That’s because a  person’s country is probably the largest  

and most powerful cultural  group they’re a part of.

And because of that, our nation’s  cultural values also influence the  

values and behaviors of other institutions  and organizations that we participate in too.

Here’s what we mean:

Let’s say you grew up in a fictional nation,  called Bomont, that is totally against dancing.

Bomont shows its anti-dancing values by passing  laws that outlaw dancing in any public place,  

including proms, flash mobs,  and swing dancing classes.

In Bomont, doing the robot  can get you thrown in jail.

And Bomont’s no-dancing-ever  values trickle down from the  

national level into other institutions  and organizations within your country.

For instance, families in Bomont show that  they support anti-dancing attitudes by banning  

all books and movies that mention dancing  from their homes. Workplaces even fire  

employees who get caught bobbing  their heads to the elevator music.

Bomont shows us how a nation’s  cultural values can influence  

how other institutions and people behave.

And it also shows us how those values influence  power dynamics. In this case, the nation has  

the most power because it exerts the most  influence over individuals and institutions.

Which is why Bomont is a no-hip-wiggle zone.

But Hofstede also wanted to explain how members  of societies feel about how power is distributed  

within their nation and communities. And to do  that, he created a concept called power distance.

I know, that sounds like a yoga  pose…but power distance is actually  

a tool for measuring how much the  less powerful members of a society  

accept the imbalance of power,  or inequality, they experience.

Every culture and individual  experiences power distance  

because there’s inequality in every society.

Bummer, I know!

Inequality exists because of the ways that  societies group and categorize people. We use  

categories like gender, race, ethnicity, religion,  and class to sort people into different groups.

In Mirabel’s case, her society  would categorize her as young,  

female, and Latina…and she’s assigned a  degree of power based on these categories.

So for instance, Mirabel has less power because  of how young she is. The amount of power Mirabel  

has then influences her interactions with  other members of her society and community.

Grouping people into categories like this  

becomes a problem because societies  prioritize some groups over others.

Like, Bomont places more value on people  who are anti-dancing over those who aren’t.

And Mirabel’s family prioritizes the views of  older members of her family over younger ones.

And according to the concept of power  distance, the people in society who experience  

more inequality are going to show a certain  level of acceptance of that power imbalance.

Like, maybe the pro-dancers of Bomont  think they’re being treated unfairly,  

which means they have a low  acceptance of their power distance.

Which is why they (along with the help of Kevin  

Bacon) protest and win the  right to have school dances.

But in Mirabel’s family, everyone  pretty much accepts that abuela has  

more power than everyone else, meaning they have  a higher acceptance of their power distance.

And according to Hofstede, the attitude  that members of a society have toward the  

distribution of power depends on what type  of power distance their society endorses.

To explain this idea, Hofstede defines  two types of power distance cultures:  

high power distance cultures,  and low power distance cultures.

The category that a country falls into  depends on how accepting its less-powerful  

citizens are of the distribution  of power within their society.

For instance, in a high power distance  culture, the level of inequality that’s  

endorsed by a nation’s leaders is  also supported by its followers.

And high power distance cultures usually  exhibit a high degree of inequality.

According to Hofstede’s research,  countries like Thailand, India,  

China, and Colombia are examples  of high power distance cultures.

The degree of inequality we see  in these cultures trickles down  

into smaller institutions and organizations  without much pushback from its members.

Members of a high power distance culture also  accept that there’s a strict social hierarchy.

In Mirabel’s family, elderly family members  are placed at the top of the social hierarchy,  

and younger family members are at the bottom.  And everyone is pretty much good with that.

That’s partially because high power distance  cultures are really unlikely to change how  

they’re structured. Like, a nation’s  military isn’t going to change up its  

social structure just because soldiers don’t  like having less power than the officers.

High power distance cultures run on a strict  chain of command that all members of society  

are expected to follow without complaining. And  if someone does complain, they’ll probably be  

disciplined. That can be as minor as getting  a warning…or as serious as ending up in jail.

But there are also privileges that come with  your place in a high power distance culture,  

depending on what group you fall into.

Like, powerful people probably have  wealth and status, and they might be  

exempt from the restrictions that  apply to less-powerful members.

At the bottom of the hierarchy,  

less-powerful citizens might receive social  benefits like free education or housing,  

which is designed to keep them from becoming  dissatisfied with their power distance.

So to recap, members of high power distance  cultures generally accept that there’s a high  

degree of inequality in their society.  And because of that, they follow their  

society’s preferences for how members at every  level of the social hierarchy should behave.

…And then there are low power distance cultures. In low power distance cultures,  

both leaders and members believe in the fair  and equitable sharing of power among members.

According to Hofstede’s research,  Sweden, Denmark, Costa Rica,  

and the United States are all examples  of low power distance cultures.

For instance, Sweden values  equality and individualism,  

which are the types of cultural values we’d  expect to see in low power distance cultures.

These values are baked into societal norms,  which affects how every citizen views power  

and equality. And those social norms  shape the way that people from Sweden  

communicate with each other and  with people from other cultures.

So we know the key differences between high  power distance and low power distance cultures.  

But Hofstede also tells us that there can be a lot  

of variety in how high and low  power distance cultures look.

Like Sweden and the United States may  both be low power distance cultures,  

but they are definitely not the same!

To understand the differences between cultures  that fall into the same power distance category,  

we can look at other values that  a nation endorses. For instance,  

Hofstede points out that U.S.  culture really values independence  

in addition to the core low power  distance value of fairness and equality.

Like, while U.S. culture tends to be pretty  open and informal, it’s also loosely knit  

because it values independence. So that means  that families and individuals are expected  

to take care of themselves without relying on  support from institutions like the government.

But other low power distance countries don’t  value independence as highly. Like Sweden  

and Denmark provide more government  support to all members of society.

So we see how two countries can  have a low power distance culture  

but put those values in practice  in totally different ways.

And of course, that doesn’t mean that  low power distance cultures are perfect.  

Inequality is hard-baked into all societies,  

and high power distance cultures are no different.  That’s why the U.S. can value equality and justice  

and still struggle with issues like  racism, social inequality, and injustice.

At the end of the day, high  and low power distance cultures  

are different. Members of high and  low power distance cultures have  

different expectations for how power and  inequality are distributed in their lives.

And their attitudes toward power and  inequality affect the way they behave  

in their relationships and communities.  But there can also be differences in how  

power distance values play out within  a high or low power distance culture.

Like, just because the majority of members of a  society endorse their culture’s distribution of  

power doesn’t mean that all members  of that culture feel the same way.

We’re most likely to see variation in how  members behave in low power distance cultures,  

since they tend to be more open to displays of  independent thinking from less-powerful members.

Take college, for instance. College professors  who buy into low power distance values may ask  

students to call them by their first names and  let students suggest different topics to study.

But other college professors in the U.S. may lean  towards high power distance values. They might  

require students to refer to them as “doctor” or  “professor” and have stricter classroom policies.

So even though the power dynamics of lots of  organizations are influenced by their nation’s  

values, there’s still variation in how different  communities put those values into practice.

Because people are unique, creative,  and always growing and changing!

And that’s a good thing.

Understanding the concept of power  distance helps explain why power  

is distributed in certain ways in  our communities and relationships.

And understanding how members of our  cultural groups feel about power can  

explain why people behave in certain ways at  home, at work, online, and in the community.

Power distance also gives us clues about  what people who aren’t from our cultural  

groups may expect and accept where  power and inequality are concerned.

Whether you’re interacting with a classmate, a  coworker, or a family from Colombia that lives  

in a magical casita, understanding that  our experiences with power and inequality  

influence how we treat others can help us make  stronger connections across cultural boundaries.

But…maybe don’t mention Bruno  anyway. Just to be safe.

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