Lesson 4 of 6 · 35 min

Beyond Culture: Self-Concept, Biology, Upbringing, Status and Relationships

Explain why culture is not the only factor in conflict style (paras 9-11), keeping strictly to what the reading says. Biology: only that our approach to conflict 'may be part of our biological makeup' (Beatty and McCroskey, 1997); add no specific biological traits, genes or mechanisms. Self-concept: scholarship suggests it is more powerful than culture; independent, interdependent and both. Parental influence (para 10) covers only corporal punishment (Simons and Wurtele, 2010) and the link between a mother's conflict style and her adult children's (Martin et al., 1997); do not mention First Nations storytelling in this section. Status: it has a powerful effect 'at least in individualistic cultures' (Kim et al., 2007). Only students with an individualistic orientation were more argumentative with a classmate than with a professor; students with a collectivistic orientation were not more argumentative with a peer or more avoidant with a professor; both groups felt more apprehension about a conflict with the professor. Relationships: the 'culture' of each relationship (Messman and Canary, 1998).

Lesson explanation

Beyond Culture: Self-Concept, Biology, Upbringing, Status and Relationships In Managing Conflict, the reading says that culture matters in conflict, but it is not the only factor. Paragraphs 9–11 explain several other influences on conflict style. Biology Fir...

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