The first element requires that you get to the heart of the paper and think through the question of “why even care about culture when studying communication?”  If you answer that question, you will begin to think through the importance of culture.  If you think back to last week, when we defined communication, Bevan (2020) stated it is “a process where two or more individuals strive to create shared meaning using verbal and nonverbal messages in a variety of contexts” (Section 1.1. Para. 2).  So, in addition to communication being a “process,” it is about creating some “shared” meaning.  Many times, this shared meaning is already there, and we are simply affirming meaning and sustaining relationships.  But regardless, communication is fundamentally a social activity and so is culture.  Note any similarities you see in the definition of communication here and Bevan’s definition of culture. 

Also, consider these questions – Is communication possible without culture?  Is culture possible without communication?  If you answer no to both questions, this might help you to start thinking through why it is important to think about culture when addressing communication.