Culture and CommunicationIntroductionIn The Silent Language, Edward Hall's (1959) seminal examination of nonverbal communication, it is ambiguously stated that "culture is communication and communication is culture” (217). Although this statement clearly lacks general explanatory power, Hall nonetheless aptly expresses the crucial role that culture plays in communication research. From its role in communication theories to its treatment as both an independent and dependent variable in experimental studies, culture shapes the nature of what communication researchers do and speaks to the very heart of what they do. is communication. This literature review will first briefly mention the historical origins of culture in communication research, and identify what has become the primary area of ​​quantitative communication research on culture: intercultural communication. We will then examine the definition of culture adopted by intercultural communication researchers. Finally, we will explore how this definition is applied through an exploration of variables, levels of analysis, and other important dimensions of communication. History and MotivationEven before Hall's concise equation of communication and culture, early communication scholars had identified the importance of culture. in matters of communication. As Delia (1985) noted, Chicago sociologists actively sought to understand how the flood of immigrants arriving in American cities at the turn of the century would fit into this new society. In these early studies, communication was seen as a way to shape a culture that would make immigrants feel more American, with a unified culture acting as a mitigation mechanism...... middle of paper .... .. individualism -Collectivism refers to the extent to which a culture emphasizes the goals of an individual over the goals of the collective. (e.g. quotes from Gudykunst p 40). Low to high uncertainty avoidance indicates the extent to which a culture tends toward consensus and the extent to which it is tolerant of deviant behavior. Power distance varies according to “the extent to which less powerful members of institutions and organizations accept that power is unequally distributed” (Hofstede and Bond, 1984, p419). Finally, masculinity-femininity refers to the extent to which cultural systems “emphasize differentiated sex roles, performance, ambition, and independence” (Gudykunst & Ting-Tully, 1988, p. 48 ). Unlike work on acculturation, this work is generally cross-sectional and uses surveys to determine dimensions of acculturation at particular times..