CS Student Workbook 2019

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Culture Studies
Student Workbook
Page 1 of 69 Culture Studies Student Guide

Modification History
Version Date Revision Description

1.0 April 2009 For release
2.0 May 2012 Revision and Update
2.1 September 2018 Update to TQT and private study
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Culture Studies Student Guide

CONTENTS
Topic 1: What is Culture?............................................................................................. 9
1.1 Learning Objectives ......................................................................................... 9
1.2 Timings ............................................................................................................ 9
1.3 Topic 1 Lesson 1 – Private Study – 2 hours................................................... 10
1.5 Topic 1 Lesson 3 – Task 1 – 30 minutes........................................................ 13
1.8 Topic 1 Lesson 3 – Private Study – 1 hour .................................................... 15
1.9 Topic 1 Lesson 4 – Task 2 In Class: Web Quest – 30 minutes ...................... 16
Topic 2: Subculture .................................................................................................... 18
2.1 Learning Objectives ....................................................................................... 18
2.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 18
Topic 3: Government .................................................................................................. 21
3.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 21
Topic 4: Values ........................................................................................................... 24
4.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 24
4.5 Topic 4 Lesson 3 – Private Study – 30 minutes ............................................. 29
Topic 5: Education Systems ...................................................................................... 30
5.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 30

Topic 6: Application to Higher Education................................................................. 32
6.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 32
6.6 Topic 6 Lesson 3 – Task 1 – 1 hour ............................................................... 41
Topic 7: Work .............................................................................................................. 49
7.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 49
7.6 Topic 7 Lesson 3 ............................................................................................ 51
Topic 8: Digital Culture .............................................................................................. 63
8.2 Timings .......................................................................................................... 63
8.5 Topic 8 Lesson 3 – Task 1 ............................................................................. 68

1. Overview and Objectives
This module aims to enable you to gain awareness and increased understanding of other cultures.
The content aims to help you to define and describe the concept of culture and use this as a
framework to critically analyse your own and other cultures. You will learn about various features of
a foreign country and its culture, with a particular focus on student life and studying abroad. As part
of this, the module aims to provide you with the opportunity to gain knowledge of important life
skills necessary for university students when studying away from home.
2. Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Learning Outcomes; Assessment Criteria;
The Learner will: The Learner can:
1. Understand the concept of culture 1.1 Explain the terms ‘culture’ and ‘subculture’
and how different cultures can be 1.2 Identify a range of cultural practices and values
defined their unique aspects
1.3 Explain what is meant by a ‘stereotype’
2. Understand how the political and 2.1 Explain the general organisational structure of the
education system of a foreign education and political systems of a particular city
country differs from their own or country
2.2 Demonstrate understanding of the application and
enrolment process for studying abroad
3. Understand how the business culture 3.1 Identify variances in work culture and management
of a foreign country differs from their structures
own 3.2 Describe the benefits of cultural diversity for an
organisation
3.3 Assess how cultural factors impact on
communication and effective working practices
4. Understand the relationship between 4.1 Understand how life online has impacted how
digital technologies, communication, people communicate
and culture
4.2 Explain the impact of social media, online retail,
and online news on culture
4.3 Understand aspects of digital culture
4.4 Explain the ways in which digital technologies have
impacted on the individual and society

3. Syllabus
Syllabus
Topic Title Proportion Content
No
1 What is 1/8 • Definition of culture
Culture? Lectures: 6 hrs • Aspects of culture
Private Study: 6
• Personal Cultural Identity
hrs
• Cultural Practice and unique aspects
Learning Outcome: 1
2 Subcultures 1/8 • Definition of subculture
• Aspects of subcultures
Lectures: 5 hrs
• Comparisons between different cultural
Private Study: 6 aspects
hrs
• Stereotypes
Learning Outcome: 1, 3
3 Government 1/8 • Basic types of political system
• Police and Crime
Lectures: 6 hrs
Private Study: 4
hrs
4 Values 1/8 • Personal, familial and societal values
Lectures: 4 hrs • Common etiquette in different countries
Private Study: 4
• Common pastimes and the values
hrs
associated with these
Learning Outcome: 1, 3, 4
5 Education 1/8 • Different stages of education systems at
Systems Lectures: 6 hrs home and abroad
Private Study: 5 • Identifying universities in different places
hrs
6 Application to 1/8 • Courses, subjects and methods of
Higher assessment at chosen universities
Education
Lectures: 6 hrs • The university application process
Private Study: 6 • Personal statements
hrs
Learning Outcome: 2

7 Work 1/8 • Understanding different attitudes to work
Lectures: 6 hrs • Work culture; organisational and
Private Study: 6 management structures
hrs
• Cultural differences in international
business
• Benefits of cultural diversity to an
organisation
Learning Outcome:1, 3
8 Digital Culture 1/8 • Understanding social media, online retail
Lectures: 6 hrs and online news and its impact on culture
Private Study: 8 • Digital culture and disparity in access
hrs
• Positives/ negatives of life online on the
individual
• Positives/ negatives of life online on society

4. Teaching and Learning
Suggested Learning Hours
Lectures: Private Study: Assessment: Total:
45 45 10 hours (assignment) 100
The teacher-led time for this module is comprised of lectures. The breakdown of the hours is also
given at the start of each topic.
You are expected to work independently but also to share your findings, views and experiences
with other classmates and your teacher.
4.1 Lectures
The lecture time for this module is given over to small-group interactive classes. Each lesson is
designed to last for one or two hours and each topic has five to six hours of contact time.
You will be expected to participate in the classes and complete activities both on your own and in
small groups. You will be able to focus on a foreign culture of particular interest to you called your
‘destination country’, and will be asked to compare and contract this with your own culture.
4.2 Private Study
This time is allocated for homework. You will find details of the homework in this guide and will also
need to follow the instructions given by your teacher. You need to make sure that you allocate
sufficient time outside of the classroom to complete the required work and to develop your
understanding of other cultures.
Time is also included here for you to work on your assignment for this module.
5. Assessment
This module will be assessed by means of an assignment, based on the assessment criteria given
above, and you will be expected to demonstrate that you have met the module’s learning
outcomes.
Your teacher will provide you with the details of your assignment and set a deadline for completion.

Topic 1
Topic 1: What is Culture?

1.1 Learning Objectives
In this topic you will learn about culture and the ways it can be categorised and defined. You will
think about your culture and how it compares to other cultures around the world.
On completion of the topic, you will be able to:
• Explain the term ‘culture’;

• Identify various aspects (components) of culture;
• Draw comparisons between your home culture and other cultures;
• Demonstrate a sense of personal cultural identity;
• Identify a cultural practice and its unique aspects;
• Define the concept of subculture;
• Describe various subcultures;
• Identify stereotypes and assess their accuracy;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how stereotypes influence our opinions;
• Demonstrate an understanding that all people have different interpretations of the same
fundamental cultural components.
1.2 Timings
Lessons: 6 hours
Private Study: 6 hours

1.3 Topic 1 Lesson 1 – Private Study – 2 hours
Preparation for next lesson
What is culture? Use dictionaries, encyclopaedias, the Internet etc, to research what ‘culture’
means. Bring definitions and examples to the next lesson.

Take one or two particular aspects of culture discussed in the class e.g. music, and make
a detailed comparison of that aspect in your culture and in the culture of your destination
country. What are the major similarities and differences? Think about private, public, and
national approaches to that aspect. Do they differ within a country and between countries?
Taking music as an example, people might listen to different music privately or in a
different way than they do publicly. Do people go to concerts? What kind? What role does
music have at a national level? Do people in both countries feel strongly about their
national anthem? Is there a particular type of music that is part of the national character?
Choose your own aspect of culture to compare.

1.5 Topic 1 Lesson 3 – Task 1 – 30 minutes
Reading Activity: Cultural Events
Every year my friends and I hold a super bowl party. The super bowl is the final game of the year in
American football. About 50 million people watch the game on TV. It doesn’t matter what clothes
we wear to the party, it’s about being together and having fun, so most people are usually in jeans
and sweaters. Each year we go to someone’s house and watch the game on TV. We usually order
delivery food or takeout food from a restaurant. We typically eat pizza, BBQ chicken wings or
meatball subs. For some of my friends, it’s the only football game they watch each year. The result
is very important and we watch the game carefully, often yelling and cheering at the TV! During the
commercial breaks, we chat and eat. It’s a great way to be with my friends and it’s something I will
do every year for the rest of my life.
Every year my family and I celebrate Vietnamese New Year together. We live in Melbourne,
Australia, so the way we do things is different from the way my parents used to do things in their
country. We usually go to the street festival, which is organised by the council and community
leaders. We wear traditional clothes – they look quite beautiful, but too fancy (I would never wear
them normally!) – and meet friends and family at the festival. We watch lion dances and other
performances by students, clubs, and even the local Melbourne police band! Some performances
are traditional Vietnamese and some are modern. We can buy all sorts of Vietnamese snacks and
take part in games and activities. In the evening, we always go to my grandmother’s house and eat
rice cakes. Our entire extended family will all be there; it’s a time to wear new clothes, and think
about the New Year, so it is a very special day for us.
When someone gets married in my community, it’s a very religious occasion. There will be a
wedding ceremony in the local church, performed by our minister. The bride and groom may not
see each other on the day, until the bride arrives at the church and walks down the aisle to meet
the groom - we believe that would be bad luck. The groom wears a black suit and white shirt, and
the bride wears a white dress. All the bride and groom’s family and friends will be there. They will
wear their best clothes – it looks very formal. Everyone in the church will pray and sing hymns as
part of the ceremony. When the minister has officially married the couple, a special song is played
and the couple walk out of the church as man and wife. Later, there is a dinner party where the
couple will have a large wedding cake that they cut, both holding the knife, together.

1.6 Topic 1 Lesson 3 – Task 2 – 1 hour
Activity: Special event
Think of a cultural practice that you take part in – it could be a: Celebration, Ritual, Special
date, National event, Ceremony, Festival and Public holiday
Think about what you do at that time: What do you: Wear? Eat? Say? Sing? Listen to?
See? Believe? Where do you go? Why is it important?

Write about your cultural practice and discuss the above points.

1.8 Topic 1 Lesson 3 – Private Study – 1 hour
What is the meaning of “Cultural Ecology”? Use dictionaries, encyclopaedias and the Internet to
research this term. Can you find 3 examples of cultural ecology?

1.9 Topic 1 Lesson 4 – Task 2 In Class: Web Quest – 30 minutes
• Choose a cultural component – clothing, for example - and find different examples in at
least 10 different countries.
• Can you make a guess as to what influenced the chosen cultural component in your own
culture? Compile a list of these influences into a word document and copy and paste
relevant images or examples from the web. Information should be listed in bullet points or
short facts only.
Share your list with the class; try to outline the major similarities and differences between cultural
components in different countries. Explain possible influences on these examples.

What is the meaning of “subculture”? Use dictionaries, encyclopaedias and the Internet to research
this term. What examples can you find of a subculture?

Topic 2
Topic 2: Subculture
This topic aims to help students define and understand subculture. They will explore stereotypes
and consider how they influence our opinions and behaviours.
On completion of the topic, students will be able to:
• Define the concept of subculture;

• Describe various subcultures;
• Identify stereotypes and assess their accuracy;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how stereotypes influence our opinions;
• Demonstrate an understanding that all people have different interpretations of the same
fundamental cultural components.
2.2 Timings
Lessons: 5 hours

Who am I?
Create something that shows what your personal culture is. It

could be a poster or a brainstorm, a picture or collage, a table or
spreadsheet, a story or a blog entry – anything you like! Think
about different cultural influences, environment, subcultures
and cultural components – what makes your culture different?
What makes your personal or family culture unique?
Complete your personal culture homework to share with your

class in the next lesson.

In Class: Group Activity
Aussies
• Drink a lot of Beer

• Are suntanned
• Like BBQs
What are the stereotypes of your country? Culture? People?
Make a list of common stereotypes associated with your culture.
How close are these stereotypes to the truth?
How similar/different are they to your personal culture?
Choose a country that you plan to travel to, or would like to travel to.

What do you think the following will be like?
People’s appearance?
• Food?
• Clothes?
• Housing?
• Transport?
• Cities?
• Sports?
• Religion?
• Attitudes?
• Climate?
What are the above ideas and opinions based on?
How do you usually find out about other countries?
Do you think your ideas about the above country come from stereotypes?

Take between 4 and 6 of the areas you considered about your destination country and
research them online. If you know anyone with firsthand experience of this country, speak
to them.
People's appearance, Food, Clothes, Housing, Transport, Cities, Sports, Religion,
Attitudes, Climate.
How does the evidence you found support or contradict the ideas you originally had about
these aspects of your destination country?

Choose three or four aspects of society and culture listed on slide 9, and write a paragraph
about attitudes in your country towards those things.
Research attitudes towards those social and cultural aspects in your destination country.
Find phrases and saying related to those aspects. Compare the attitude in your country
with the attitude in your destination country. How much do things differ? Take one aspect
and describe a scenario where different cultural attitudes could lead to problems or even
disaster.
Consider how your personal attitude differs from the generally held attitude in your own
country; don’t forget that people don’t always uphold the general attitudes and beliefs of
their country.

Topic 3
Topic 3: Government
In this topic, students will look at how countries organise themselves from a governmental and
social viewpoint. They will explore different political and value systems and look at how this affects
citizens’ behaviour.
• Describe basic types of political systems;

• Identify which system is used in their home country;
• Identify which political system is used in another country and describe any differences with
the system in their home country;
• Demonstrate knowledge of what behaviour is considered criminal in their own country and
compare this to countries around the world.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to seek police assistance in another country.
3.2 Timings
Lessons: 6 hours

Topic 3 Lesson 1 – Private Study – 2 hours
Research the system of government in your destination country. If your destination country in the
UK or US, research the system in more detail, looking at how individuals participate in the system
of government via voting, running for election locally or nationally etc, what political parties exist
and the differences between them etc.

Complete the following 2 tasks.
Task 1
Create a Venn diagram and use your notes and any additional research to compare the political
system in your home country to the system in your destination country.
Remember to include similarities in the middle section of the diagram.
Task 2
Private Study: preparation for next lesson
What does the police force look like in your country? What do they wear?
What different kinds of police are there in your country? (traffic, undercover, detectives, etc.)
What kind of transport do they use?

How would you describe police in your country? List 5 words or write sentences if you prefer.
Can you find any pictures of police in your country? If possible, print some pictures to bring to the
next lesson.
What do you think the police will be like in your destination country? List 5 words or write
sentences if you prefer.
Can you find any information or pictures about the police in your destination country? If possible,
print pictures or articles to bring to the next lesson.
Do you think these police are very different to those from your home country? What similarities or
differences do you notice?

Topic 4
Topic 4: Values
In this topic, students will look at how countries organise themselves from a governmental and
social viewpoint. They will explore different political and value systems and look at how this affects
citizens’ behaviour.
• Demonstrate awareness of both the values systems of their country and another country
• Identify common etiquette in their home country
• Demonstrate understanding of the etiquette of another country
• Common pastimes and the values related to them
4.2 Timings
Lessons: 4 hours

Family Life Case Study
Wang Li is a 25-year old Chinese student studying in Australia. She has been there for 6
months. She is talking to Maria, an Australian friend.
“Before I came to Australia, I never did any housework. My mother did all the housework.
She also did the cooking”
Maria replies, “I always helped with the housework. After my 13th birthday my sister and I
also did a lot of cooking.”
1. Maria probably thought that, because Wang Li did not do any housework:
a. Wang Li is lazy.
b. Wang Li was busy with other things.
c. Wang Li’s mother wanted to show her love.
d. Other….
2. Wang Li probably thought that, because Maria did a lot of housework:
e. Maria’s family didn’t have much money.
f. Maria’s mother is lazy.
g. Maria’s mother was very busy.
h. All girls in Maria’s country must learn to clean and cook.
i. Other…..
Discuss your choice with your lecturer and the rest of the class.

Handout: Do you agree or disagree?
A. Our real purpose in life is to marry and have children.
B. Work is the most important thing in life.
C. It isn’t possible to combine a happy family life with a career – for men or women.
D. The man is the head of the family.
E. People should not be allowed to have more than 2 children.
F. Men and women are equally important in bringing up a child.
G. Abortion should be illegal.
H. The state should pay for women to stay at home and look after their children.
I. Non-married couples should not be allowed to have children.
J. Children are the future, so they are more important than adults.
K. Women are luckier than men. They can choose whether to work or not, but men are
expected to be the bread-winners.
L. Family life comes to an end if the mother works.
M. Homosexual couples should not be allowed to foster children.

Topic 4 Lesson 1 – Private Study – 2 hours
What is etiquette? Use a dictionary or the Internet to research what ‘etiquette’ means. Write your
definition below.
Can you find any online articles about etiquette? Use the Internet to research etiquette in other
countries.
List some facts about etiquette in the country you would like to visit and write whether it is the
same or different in your culture.

Role-Play
Choose one of the following scenarios

• On a subway/ bus/ public transport
• In a restaurant
• Queuing to buy a ticket
• Going to a friend’s house for dinner
Prepare 1 role play that demonstrates what to do in that scenario in your home country
and 1 role play that demonstrates the correct etiquette in your destination country for the
same scenario. You might need to research etiquette in your destination country in the
scenario you have chosen.
4.5 Topic 4 Lesson 3 – Private Study – 30 minutes

So, pastimes and socialising can be both positive and negative, and are often linked to
particular cultural values. Compare popular pastimes and social activities in your home
country to those in your destination country. Think about how you might need to adapt to
different pastimes if you were to live in your destination country. How would you feel about
that?

Topic 5
Topic 5: Education Systems

In this topic, students will consider what it is like to study overseas. Continue to focus on the same
country and city students have been focusing on in previous lessons. Students will learn about the
education system in a city abroad, and reflect on what high school students experience when
graduating and preparing for university.
• Demonstrate understanding of the education systems in other countries;

• Identify what universities there are to choose from in a particular city;
5.2 Timings
Lessons: 6 hours

1 hour
Research the education system of your destination country in depth. Create a flow chart
for your destination countries education system. Compare the education system of your
destination country with the education system of your home country.
1 hour
Research the kinds of skills, knowledge and understanding you are expected to have at
the end of high school in a subject you would like to/ intend to study as an undergraduate.
For example, if you would like to study Engineering in the UK, look at the national
curriculum for maths or physics at level 3 in the UK. A good place to start would be the
Ofqual website (Ofqual is the assessment regulatory body in the UK who publishes
material related to the national curriculum on their website)
If you would like to study History in Australia, you might start on the Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACRA) website.
Do you feel that there might be gaps in your knowledge, skills and understanding now?
How might you bridge those gaps to improve your success in your first year of studying
abroad?

Take your private study time to continue your research. Choose 5 universities that you
would like to attend and rank them yourself, creating your own personal top 5 world
ranking. Note which city your chosen universities are in and think about which city you
would most like to study in. What is your priority? The location, the course, the cost or
something else?

Topic 6
Topic 6: Application to Higher Education

In this topic, students will consider what it is like to study overseas. Continue to focus on the same
country as in previous lessons. Students will consider course, subject and methods of assessment
• Demonstrate knowledge of the kinds of courses, the subjects and assessment available at
certain foreign universities;
• Understand the university application process
• Understand the purpose and process of writing a personal statement or essay for university
applications;
• Identify what makes a strong personal statement.
6.2 Timings
Lessons: 6 hours

Prepare a study plan. Students should focus on 1-3 possible course options and write up a
plan that details what subjects they would study, any prerequisites, and methods of
assessment for each year of the course. Students can change their mind about which
university or which courses they want to research.
Pay attention to the structure of the courses, including how a major/minor is calculated,
and how many subjects are needed to graduate.
Compare your plans in groups. Share your plans with the class. Consider if the courses
seem similar to those in your own country and identify any major differences.

University application form

Complete an application form for one of the universities in your top 5. You can find them on their
website.

Guide to writing a personal statement

Personal statement mind map

Personal statement worksheet

Personal statement worksheet

Consider how you would respond to an interview as part of the application procedure.
• Think about the kinds of questions commonly asked in an interview and understand
that they are similar to that in the application form and personal statement.
• Brainstorm possible answers to typical questions.
• Research advice from universities on how to prepare for interview. Universities such
as Cambridge and Oxford almost always invite candidates to interview so might
have some good advice.

Topic 7
Topic 7: Work
In this topic students will focus on the world of work. Students will consider different attitudes to
work across the world, work culture and differing organisational and management structures as
well as cultural differences in international business. Students will look at different types of
multinational organisations as they relate to culture, understand the benefits of cultural diversity in
an organisation and how cultural factors impact communication.
• Understand different attitudes to work in different cultures

• Understand the benefits to an organisation of cultural diversity
• Understand work culture as well as organisational and management structures
• Understand cultural differences in international business
7.2 Timings
Lessons: 6 hours

In Class Activity:
Use these words to label the diagram below: Family, Work, Community and Leisure.

Choose a big corporation or a big international organisation that operates in your home
country and research its corporate values, mission statement and any other indicators of
its corporate values.
Consider the attitude to work in your home country.
Compare the culture of the organisation you have chosen to the general attitude to work in
your country.
Note areas where the two ‘cultures’ are the same, and areas where they might clash.
Bring your findings to the next lesson.

For every category on the list, consider the ways in which working with someone with the
opposite cultural view to you could lead to problems, disagreements and
misunderstandings. Try, for one of the categories, to think of how you could overcome the
differences.

7.6 Topic 7 Lesson 3
In Class Activity:

Consider the ways in which different work cultures might influence the way in which you
use different digital means of communication in the workplace:
Consider;
• Email
• Instant messages such as Skype or Microsoft Teams
• Video conferences

In pairs, small groups, or individually read and summarise 1 (ONE) of the following 3 articles:
Article 1: 8 Amazing Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

Lauren Clark, 6Q
6Q is proprietary software that measures employee happiness and provides feedback to
companies.
https://inside.6q.io/benefits-of-cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace/
What is cultural diversity in the workplace?

Cultural diversity in the workplace is when companies are open to hiring employees from all sorts
of different backgrounds; regardless of race, religion and culture. When companies recruit and
retain a diverse pool of people, it brings about different benefits to the company as well as its
employees.
Think of the human race as a whole; we are a very diverse species across the globe, with many
different cultures, languages and beliefs. Why then, in this age of globalisation, should we not
focus on ensuring our workforces are just as diverse?
“When employees respect each other and get along in the workplace, it’s amazing how productivity
increases, morale increases and employees are more courteous to customers.”
– Maureen Wild
Cultural diversity can improve productivity levels

Do you know that a diverse company can lead to greater productivity? Diversity brings in different
talents together, all of them working towards a common goal using different sets of skills.
In their research, The economic value of cultural diversity: evidence from US cities, the Authors
conclude that “these findings are consistent with a dominant positive effect of diversity on
productivity: a more multicultural urban environment makes US-born citizens more productive.”
Companies will also gain from each employee by learning from each other’s experiences and
applying this new-found knowledge to their work. Employees from all sorts of different backgrounds
get to learn from their colleagues’ experiences from a different perspective. Thus, they are able to
bring fresh ideas to the project by thinking out of their comfort zone.
Remember that a diverse workplace combines employees from different backgrounds, ethnicity
and experiences, and together breed a more productive environment.
Cultural diversity can increase creativity

Another benefit of cultural diversity in the workplace is the increase in creativity among teams, and
the ability to have a more diverse set of solutions to specific problems.
In this Forbes article, the writers points out “Research on creativity and innovation has been
consistent in showing the value of exposing individuals to experiences with multiple perspectives
and world views. It is the combination of these various perspectives in novel ways that result in
new ideas “popping up.”
With so many different and diverse minds coming and working together, many more solutions will
arise as every individual brings in their personal way of thinking, operating and solving problems
and making decisions. Companies that encourage diversity in the workplace inspire all of their
employees to perform to their highest ability.

Photo: Kenneth Lu, Flickr
Cultural diversity can increase profits

Many recent studies have shown that increased cultural diversity in the workplace can lead to
greater profits for the organisation.
A 2013 survey undertaken by think tank, Center for Talent Innovation, found that 48 per cent of
companies in the US with more diversity at senior management level improved their market share
the previous year, while only 33 per cent companies with less diverse management reported
similar growth.
48 per cent of companies in the US with more diversity at senior management level improved their
market share
This may be in part to global business trends, and the benefits of language diversity.
For example; with the rise of companies dealing their businesses in China, a company that hires
employees fluent in Mandarin to increase the company’s reputation in Chinese communities. This
could result in an increase in sales and resulting in improved profits.
Cultural diversity can improve employee engagement

What better way to learn about other culture and ethnicity than from colleagues that come from a
different background than your own? Forget about researching them online.
Ask and learn them from employees during lunch break or after work drinks. What is the point of
having a pool of diverse employees when they do not learn more about each other’s lifestyle and
culture.
When your employees are sharing their personal experiences when they were in high school or
what each or every festive season meant to them, they have built a trusting relationship among
their colleagues.
This is great because it increases employee engagement and at times increase employee
motivation as well, which is great for the company.
Cultural diversity can reduce employee turnover

A company that embraces cultural diversity in the workplace would immediately entices a wider
pool of candidates for its job vacancies. Higher-educated candidates who experienced diversity

while at university may feel that a diverse company is more progressive and therefore will want to
work there.
The more candidates that applied for a job with a company, the company would generally enjoy a
larger pool of candidates; the company is than spoilt for choice.
See also How We Encourage Diversity and Equality in Our Content Marketing
Companies who are recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates only mean a more qualified
workplace. When companies recruit from a diverse set of potential employees, they are more likely
to hire the best of the best for the industry.
In a constantly increasingly competitive economy where skills and talents are crucial to improving
the company, put together the most diverse set of candidates is increasingly necessary to succeed
in the market.
Studies also show that job seekers are often drawn to companies with diverse workforces because
it is publicly obvious that these companies do not practice employment discrimination.
Cultural diversity reflects positively on reputation

Another benefit of cultural diversity in the workplace is the positive reputation that the company
would receive. Companies who recruit and encourage individuals from a wide range of
backgrounds generally gain a reputation for being a good employer.
Potential clients often feel more valued and thus give more business to these organisations.
A diverse collection of skills and experiences allows a company to provide service to customers on
a global basis because the company is able to relate and understand their clients better, and some
even on a personal level.
Image: unsplash
Cultural diversity encourages wider range of skills

When companies hire a more diverse workforce from all backgrounds, these employees inevitably
bring their own specific skills, that can be often just as diverse.

Having a wider range of skills and knowledge available to them, these companies often enjoy a
more diverse and adaptable range of products and services that they can offer to their respective
markets.
Diversity in cultures means diversity in skills and therefore products and service offerings.
Cultural diversity improves insights and reduces racism

By enjoying a more culturally diverse workforce, it is often found that employees then spend more
time in their daily lives with people from cultural backgrounds that they are often never exposed to.
The end result of this is that employees learn new cultural insights and this in turn, reduces
negative emotions such as racism, homophobia, sexism and the like.

Article 2: Embracing Diversity and Fostering Inclusion Is Good For Your Business
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shereeatcheson/2018/09/25/embracing-diversity-and-fostering-
inclusion-is-good-for-your-business/#32575d1672b1
Sheree Atcheson Contributor
Diversity & Inclusion

Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Monzo. Listed as one of the U.K's most influential women in
technology, Sheree is an international multi-award winning Diversity and Inclusion leader who is a
global change maker in pushing for equality in industry.
Diversity and inclusion are topics on many executive agendas. Companies should be working to
create more diversity within and outside of their organisation, because firstly, it’s the right thing to
do, and secondly, it makes business sense. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity
outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform
their competitors by 35%.
Embracing diversity & fostering inclusion is good for your business
If you want to create a diverse solution or product, you need a diverse team and leadership. So,
how can companies reach those targets, create more diverse products and outperform
competitors?
Top-level buy-in
Executive buy-in is a necessity. A shift in industry cannot be expected without engaging those who
pull the strings. A 2016 study by Fenwick and West showed that the largest 150 Silicon Valley
public companies averaged only 14 % women directors and an average of only 0.8 women
executive officers. Additionally, almost 58% of main boards in the FTSE100 currently have no
ethnic minority presence. This means companies must engage people which D&I strategies do not
usually directly affect. Executive buy-in should focus on highlighting the business benefits of having
diverse teams and inclusive environments. When employees “think their organisation is committed
to and supportive of diversity, and they feel included,’ their ability to innovate increases by 83%. As
an executive, your role should be focused around running your company in the best way possible,
which empowers your employees. Executives need to embody any diversity and inclusion strategy

– writing down words on a piece of paper does not make a culture, having leaders which embody
and live it does.
Having top-level buy-in is only one step in any strategy. Organisations must create environments
which allow people to bring their whole, true selves to work and understand they can climb the
career ladder internally - they should feel a sense of belonging. Leaders cannot continue to look
and sound the same, as this directly forms the unconscious/unchecked bias that these traits are
associated with success. Companies need to create environments where people of all races,
genders, sexuality, religions, socio-economic backgrounds (and everything in between) can thrive
and realistically see themselves as leaders within the industry. To foster this culture, companies
need to have a theme of allyship throughout the organisation.
What is allyship?
Allyship can take many forms - the overarching themes to follow are:
1. Openly sponsor someone within your organisation from an

underrepresented/marginalised community
2. Speak your sponsee’s name when they aren't around
3. Share their career goals with influencers
4. Recommend them for stretch assignments which allow skill-set growth and career
progression
5. Invite them to high-profile meetings
6. Open endorse them publicly
Allyship gives visibility and credit to under-represented groups, ensuring their voices are heard and
actioned accordingly.
Humans need to see people who look, sound and have similar backgrounds to them in their
leadership and organisation – additionally, they need to see people who do not look, sound or have
similar backgrounds to them. The industry needs to embrace diversity and inclusion because tech
does not have just one face.
Reworking company policies

An organization’s policies are crucial in embodying their on-paper diversity and inclusion strategy.
Companies should work to provide parental leave, annual leave, flexible working hours, opt-in
benefits, medical care and recruitment processes which can be tailored to embrace different needs
and situations. A crucial part of forming inclusive policies is simply asking what your employees
need and want – form employee resource groups and ask people what they think works well and
what your organization is missing. Listen, form a strategy which actions this feedback in an
appropriate timeframe, listen again and be prepared to adapt and rework your ideas of what's
needed.
Unconscious bias should be readily discussed in your organisation and regular training given to all
levels of the organisation on recognizing privilege and bias. Typically, underrepresented groups of
employees are in junior or mid-tier roles meaning these people are actively working with middle-
management in their daily roles. Simply providing training for executive level/partners will not
directly positively affect the environments in which these people work in – companies need to
invest in training middle-management to ensure they understand any bias on their part, their role in
empowering their team members and their ability to make the tech industry of tomorrow better than
the one which exists today.
Switching up recruitment avenues and tactics

Moreover, diversity and inclusion strategies must focus on the talent pipeline in conjunction with
empowering the current organization’s talent. Recruitment avenues and processes must go further
to reach an array of talent which may not be feasible through standard recruiter pools. Partnerships
should be formed with non-profits and organizations dedicated to helping underrepresented groups
excelling in industry, allowing organizations to directly support and empower diverse potential
future employees. Interviewers should not fall into one demographic, and gender-neutral language
should be used in job applications.
A shift in diversity won’t happen without time and financial investment. There is no magic spell to
fix the issues the industry faces, but by taking steps internally and externally, we can expect an
impact in what the tech teams and leaders of tomorrow look like – and ultimately, a healthier
bottom line.

Article 3: Delivering though diversity
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity
Mckinsey and Company is an American Worldwide management consultancy firm who helps
organisations create change that matters.
Our latest research reinforces the link between diversity and company financial performance—and
suggests how organizations can craft better inclusion strategies for a competitive edge.
Downloadable Resources
Awareness of the business case for inclusion and diversity is on the rise. While social justice
typically is the initial impetus behind these efforts, companies have increasingly begun to regard
inclusion and diversity as a source of competitive advantage, and specifically as a key enabler of
growth. Yet progress on diversification initiatives has been slow. And companies are still uncertain
about how they can most effectively use diversity and inclusion to support their growth and value-
creation goals.
Our latest study of diversity in the workplace, Delivering through diversity, reaffirms the global
relevance of the link between diversity—defined as a greater proportion of women and a more
mixed ethnic and cultural composition in the leadership of large companies—and company
financial outperformance. The new analysis expands on our 2015 report, Why diversity matters, by
drawing on an enlarged data set of more than 1,000 companies covering 12 countries, measuring
not only profitability (in terms of earnings before interest and taxes, or EBIT) but also longer-term
value creation (or economic profit), exploring diversity at different levels of the organization,
considering a broader understanding of diversity (beyond gender and ethnicity), and providing
insight into best practices.
Diversity and financial performance in 2017

In the original research, using 2014 diversity data, we found that companies in the top quartile for
gender diversity on their executive teams were 15 percent more likely to experience above-
average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. In our expanded 2017 data set this
number rose to 21 percent and continued to be statistically significant. For ethnic and cultural
diversity, the 2014 finding was a 35 percent likelihood of outperformance, comparable to the 2017
finding of a 33 percent likelihood of outperformance on EBIT margin; both were also statistically
significant
Gender and ethnic diversity are clearly correlated with profitability, but women and minorities
remain under-represented.
Several other findings on gender diversity, ethnic diversity, and diversity around the world are also
interesting.
Gender diversity
Gender diversity is correlated with both profitability and value creation. In our 2017 data set, we
found a positive correlation between gender diversity on executive teams and both our measures
of financial performance: top-quartile companies on executive-level gender diversity worldwide had
a 21 percent likelihood of outperforming their fourth-quartile industry peers on EBIT margin, and
they also had a 27 percent likelihood of outperforming fourth-quartile peers on longer-term value
creation, as measured using an economic-profit (EP) margin
For gender, the executive team shows the strongest correlation. We found that having gender
diversity on executive teams, specifically, to be consistently positively correlated with higher

profitability across geographies in our data set, underpinning the role that executive teams—where
the bulk of strategic and operational decisions are made—play in the financial performance of a
company.
Executive teams of outperforming companies have more women in line roles versus staff roles. We
tested the hypothesis that having more women executives in line roles (typically revenue
generating) is more closely correlated with financial outperformance. We know from research, such
as our Women in the Workplace 2017 report, that women are underrepresented in line roles. In our
data set, this holds true even for top-quartile gender-diverse companies experiencing above-
average financial performance. Yet these top-quartile companies also have a greater proportion of
women in line roles than do their fourth-quartile peers: 10 percent versus 1 percent of total
executives, respectively.
Ethnic and cultural diversity

Top-team ethnic and cultural diversity is correlated with profitability. In our 2017 data set, we
looked at racial and cultural diversity in six countries where the definition of ethnic diversity was
consistent and our data were reliable.1 As in 2014, we found that companies with the most
ethnically diverse executive teams—not only with respect to absolute representation but also of
variety or mix of ethnicities2 —are 33 percent more likely to outperform their peers on profitability.
That’s comparable to the 35 percent outperformance reported in 2014, with both figures being
statistically significant.
The penalty for not being diverse on both measures persists. Now, as previously, companies in the
fourth quartile on both gender and ethnic diversity are more likely to underperform their industry
peers on profitability: 29 percent in our 2017 data set.
Ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams is low. We focused on our US and UK data sets to
examine ethnically and culturally diverse representation among US and UK companies,
considering the pipeline starting with university graduates. Black Americans comprise 10 percent of
US graduates but hold only 4 percent of senior-executive positions, Hispanics and Latinos
comprise 8 percent of graduates versus 4 percent of executives, and for Asian Americans, the
numbers are 7 percent of graduates versus 5 percent of executives. In the United Kingdom, the
disparity is even greater: 22 percent of university students identify as black and minority ethnic, yet
only 8 percent of UK executives in our sample do.
Black women executives are underrepresented in line roles and may face a harder path to
CEO. As discussed, within our US and UK data sets, overall representation of women on executive
teams shows an apparent bias toward staff roles. Among our US sample, not only do women hold
a disproportionately small share of line roles on executive teams but also women of colour
(including Asian, black, and Latina women) hold an even smaller share.
Line roles versus staff roles on executive teams tend to differ in their ability to propel individuals to
the CEO position, with line roles the more likely incubators of future CEOs. In our US sample,
black female executives, specifically, are more than twice as likely to be in staff roles than in line
roles, and our sample denotes an absence of black female CEOs. Other studies have found
that black women suffer a double burden of bias that keeps them from the uppermost levels of
corporate leadership. Underrepresentation on executive teams in general, and in line roles in
particular, could be an important piece of this story.
Diversity around the world

The correlation between gender and ethnic diversity and financial performance generally hold true
across geographies, though with some variations in certain regions. Our data yielded some
noteworthy findings concerning the country-level differences in executive-team diversity:

Australian companies lead the way when it comes to the women’s share of executive roles (21
percent). The share in the United States is 19 percent and in the United Kingdom is 15 percent.
The same holds true for board positions, with Australian companies at 30 percent, US companies
at 26 percent, and UK companies at 22 percent—and for women at the whole company level. The
disparity among these countries is interesting, given that women’s participation in the workforce is
similar in all three and given that they dominate among top performers, representing 47 percent of
the data set but more than 70 percent of the top-quartile companies.
The picture on ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams is nuanced. Among our sample,
South Africa has the highest levels of diverse representation on executive teams, with 16 percent
of executive positions held by blacks. However, this must be understood in the context of local
demographics: South Africa’s population is 79 percent black, but among large corporations, the
impact of South Africa’s complicated social history means that the large majority of global and
national corporate entities are led by white executives (69 percent in our sample). As our work
considers the local context with respect to ethnicity, we therefore evaluated South Africa’s diversity
from this perspective, defining black South Africans as the minority. Singapore, the United
Kingdom, and the United States follow South Africa with 11 to 12 percent of ethnically diverse
executives.
When considering ethnic-minority representation in the broader population, British executive teams
seem closer to achieving a “fair share.” This, however, masks huge variations within the UK data
set, in which a large proportion of companies have no ethnic minorities on their executive teams (or
boards) and a handful of companies have particularly international executive teams. Ethnically
diverse representation on UK and US executive teams increased by an average of six and five
percentage points, respectively, since 2014. However, this was offset by declines in other
geographies, leading to an overall lower increase of one percentage point across regions.
Delivering impact through diversity

Our research confirms that gender, ethnic, and cultural diversity, particularly within executive
teams, continue to be correlated to financial performance across multiple countries worldwide. In
our 2015 report, our hypotheses about what drives this correlation were that more diverse
companies are better able to attract top talent; to improve their customer orientation, employee
satisfaction, and decision making; and to secure their license to operate—all of which we believe
continue to be relevant.
Companies report that materially improving the representation of diverse talent within their ranks,
as well as effectively utilizing inclusion and diversity as an enabler of business impact, are
particularly challenging goals. Despite this, multiple companies worldwide have succeeded in
making sizable improvements to inclusion and diversity across their organizations, and they have
been reaping tangible benefits for their efforts.
We found that these companies all developed inclusion and diversity (I&D) strategies that reflected
their business ethos and priorities, ones that they were strongly committed to. Four imperatives
emerged as being crucial:
Articulate and cascade CEO commitment to galvanize the organization. Companies increasingly
recognize that commitment to inclusion and diversity starts at the top, with many companies
publicly committing to an I&D agenda. Leading companies go further, cascading this commitment
throughout their organizations, particularly to middle management. They promote ownership by
their core businesses, encourage role modeling, hold their executives and managers to account,
and ensure efforts are sufficiently resourced and supported centrally.
Define inclusion and diversity priorities that are based on the drivers of the business-growth
strategy. Top-performing companies invest in internal research to understand which specific
strategies best support their business-growth priorities. Such strategies include attracting and
retaining the right talent and strengthening decision-making capabilities. Leading companies also
identify the mix of inherent traits (such as ethnicity) and acquired traits (such as educational

background and experience) that are most relevant for their organization, using advanced business
and people analytics.
Craft a targeted portfolio of inclusion and diversity initiatives to transform the organisation. Leading
companies use targeted thinking to prioritize the I&D initiatives in which they invest, and they
ensure there is alignment with the overall growth strategy. They recognize the necessity of building
an inclusive organizational culture, and they use a combination of “hard” and “soft” wiring to create
a coherent narrative and program that resonates with employees and stakeholders, helping to
drive sustainable change.
Tailor the strategy to maximize local impact. Top and rapidly improving companies recognize the
need to adapt their approach—to different parts of the business, to various geographies, and to
sociocultural contexts.
Paying rigorous attention to all four imperatives (Exhibit 6) helps to ensure that inclusion and
diversity will support a company’s growth agenda. In our experience, companies tend to fall short
on leadership accountability for meeting goals, on building the business case, and on the
coherence and prioritization of the resulting action plan.
It is worth noting that while progress on representation can be brought about relatively rapidly with
the right set of initiatives, embedding inclusion within the organization can take many years and
often requires action outside the organization. Companies that do this well can create a strong
corporate ethos that resonates across employee, customer, supplier, investor, and broader
stakeholder groups.
This work sheds light on how companies can use inclusion and diversity as an enabler of business
impact. It is important to note, however, that correlation does not demonstrate causality, which
would be challenging to demonstrate. While not causal, we observe a real relationship between
diversity and performance that has persisted over time and scale, and across geographies. There
are clear and compelling hypotheses for why this relationship persists including improved access
to talent, enhanced decision making and depth of consumer insight and strengthened employee
engagement and license to operate. We encourage businesses to examine the case for inclusion
and diversity at a more granular level to craft an approach that is tailored to their business, learning
from leading diverse companies around the world as to ways to do this with high impact.
The business case for diversity continues to be compelling and to have global relevance. There’s
an opportunity for promoting diversity in senior decision-making roles, and specifically in line roles
on executive teams. Although levels of diverse representation in top teams are still highly variable
globally—with progress being slow overall—there are practical lessons from successful companies
that have made inclusion and diversity work. Creating an effective inclusion and diversity strategy
is no small effort and requires strong, sustained, and inclusive leadership. But we, and many of the
companies we studied, believe the potential benefits of stronger business performance are well
worth it.

Read the other 2 articles in the Student Workbook and reread the article your summarised
in class. Create hints and tips for managers aiming to create or support a more diverse
workforce.

Topic 8
Topic 8: Digital Culture

In this topic students will focus on digital culture. Students will consider how social media, online
retail, and online news has impacted on culture across the world. Students will assess the positives
and negatives of life online for the individual and society, including exploration of disparity in
access. They will understand digital culture and how that overlaps with the cultures of different
countries.
• Understand how life online has impacted how people communicate

• Explain the impact of social media, online retail, and online news on culture
• Understand aspects of digital culture
• Explain the ways in which digital technologies have impacted on the individual and society
8.2 Timings
Lessons: 6 hours

Make list of the most popular sites in your country including social media/networking site,
online news site, and online shopping sites in your opinion.
Decide a rank order for the sites, from most popular to least popular.
Estimate what proportion of your time you spend online and what proportion offline to
communicate with friends, family members, teachers or colleagues, or conduct official
business with companies and organisations such as buying goods, paying household bills,
applying for jobs etc.
How much shopping do you do online vs offline?
Estimate how much ‘news’ you read online and offline. What proportion of your online
news comes from official sites such as newspapers and state/government media, and how
much comes from friends and other unofficial sources such as social media?
What factors effect whether you do something online or offline?
Bring your notes to the next lesson

Reuter’s Institute Digital News Report 2019.
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-06/DNR_2019_FINAL_0.pdf
NB: If you would prefer, you can substitute this report for a more recent version. They are
published annually in the Autumn. Simply search online for ‘Reuter’s Institute Digital News
Report’ and the year you are in and read the executive summary and key findings.
This year’s report comes against the backdrop of rising populism, political and economic
instability, along with intensifying concerns about giant tech companies and their impact on
society. News organisations have taken the lead in reporting these trends, but also find
themselves challenged by them – further depressing an industry reeling from more than a
decade of digital disruption. Platform power – and the ruthless efficiency of their
advertising operations – has undermined news business models contributing to a series of
high-profile layoffs in traditional (Gannett) and digital media (Mic, BuzzFeed) in the early
part of 2019. Political polarisation has encouraged the growth of partisan agendas online,
which together with clickbait and various forms of misinformation is helping to further
undermine trust in media – raising new questions about how to deliver balanced and fair
reporting in the digital age.
Against this background we are seeing some real shifts of focus. News organisations are
increasingly looking to subscription and membership or other forms of reader contribution
to pay the bills in a so-called ‘pivot to paid’. Platforms are rethinking their responsibilities in
the face of events (Christchurch attacks, Molly Russell suicide) and regulatory threats, with
Facebook rebalancing its business towards messaging apps and groups – the so-called
‘pivot to private’. Meanwhile audiences continue to embrace on-demand formats with new
excitement around podcasts (New York Times, Guardian) and voice technologies – the so-
called ‘pivot to audio’.
And amid all this frenetic change, some are beginning to question whether the news media
are still fulfilling their basic mission of holding powerful people to account and helping
audiences understand the world around them. The questioning comes in the form of
government inquiries in some countries into the future sustainability of quality journalism
(with recommendations as to what can be done to support it). But it also comes from parts
of the public who feel that the news media often fall short of what people expect from
them.
Our report this year, based on data from almost 40 countries and six continents, aims to
cast light on these key issues, principally through our survey data but supplemented with
in-depth qualitative research on the news habits of young people in the UK and US. The
overall story is captured in this Executive Summary, followed by Section 2 with chapters
containing additional analysis on key themes and then individual country pages in Section
3 carrying additional context provided by local experts in each market.
A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FINDINGS FROM OUR 2019

RESEARCH.
• Despite the efforts of the news industry, we find only a small increase in the numbers
paying for any online news – whether by subscription, membership, or donation. Growth is
limited to a handful of countries mainly in the Nordic region (Norway 34%, Sweden 27%)
while the number paying in the US (16%) remains stable after a big jump in 2017.
• Even in countries with higher levels of payment, the vast majority only have ONE online
subscription – suggesting that ‘winner takes all’ dynamics are likely to be important. One
encouraging development though is that most payments are now ‘ongoing’, rather than
one-offs.
• In some countries, subscription fatigue may also be setting in, with the majority preferring
to spend their limited budget on entertainment (Netflix/Spotify) rather than news. With
many seeing news as a ‘chore’, publishers may struggle to substantially increase the
market for high-priced ‘single title’ subscriptions. As more publishers launch pay models,
over two-thirds (70%) of our sample in Norway and half (50%) in the United States now
come across one or more barriers each week when trying to read online news.
• In many countries, people are spending less time with Facebook and more time with
WhatsApp and Instagram than this time last year. Few users are abandoning Facebook
entirely, though, and it remains by far the most important social network for news.
• Social communication around news is becoming more private as messaging apps

continue to grow everywhere. WhatsApp has become a primary network for discussing
and sharing news in non-Western countries like Brazil (53%) Malaysia (50%), and South
Africa (49%).
• People in these countries are also far more likely than in the West to be part of large
WhatsApp groups with people they don’t know – a trend that reflects how messaging
applications can be used to easily share information at scale, potentially encouraging the
spread of misinformation. Public and private Facebook Groups discussing news and
politics have become popular in Turkey (29%) and Brazil (22%) but are much less used in
Western countries such as Canada (7%) or Australia (7%).
• Concern about misinformation and disinformation remains high despite efforts by
platforms and publishers to build public confidence. In Brazil 85% agree with a statement
that they are worried about what is real and fake on the internet. Concern is also high in
the UK (70%) and US (67%), but much lower in Germany (38%) and the Netherlands
(31%).
• Across all countries, the average level of trust in the news in general is down 2
percentage points to 42% and less than half (49%) agree that they trust the news media
they themselves use. Trust levels in France have fallen to just 24% (-11) in the last year as
the media have come under attack over their coverage of the Yellow Vests movement.
Trust in the news found via search (33%) and social media remains stable but extremely
low (23%). Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism / Digital News Report 2019 10
• Worries about the quality of information may be good for trusted news brands. Across
countries over a quarter (26%) say they have started relying on more ‘reputable’ sources
of news – rising to 40% in the US. A further quarter (24%) said they had stopped using
sources that had a dubious reputation in the last year. But the often low trust in news
overall, and in many individual brands, underlines this is not a development that will help
all in the industry.
• The news media are seen as doing a better job at breaking news than explaining it.
Across countries, almost two-thirds feel the media are good at keeping people up to date
(62%), but are less good at helping them understand the news (51%). Less than half
(42%) think the media do a good job in holding rich and powerful people to account – and
this figure is much lower in South Korea (21%), Hungary (20%), and Japan (17%).
• There are also significant differences within countries, as people with higher levels of
formal education are more likely to evaluate the news media positively along every
dimension than the rest of the population, suggesting that the news agenda is more
geared towards the interests and needs of the more educated.
• To understand the rise of populism and its consequences for news and media use, we
have used two questions to identify people with populist attitudes, and compared their
news and media use with those of non-populists. People with populist attitudes are more
likely to identify television as their main source of news, more likely to rely on Facebook for
online news, and less likely to trust the news media overall.
• More people say they actively avoid the news (32%) than when we last asked this
question two years ago. Avoidance is up 6 percentage points overall and 11 points in the
UK, driven by boredom, anger, or sadness over Brexit. People say they avoid the news
because it has a negative effect on their mood (58%) or because they feel powerless to
change events.
• The smartphone continues to grow in importance for news, with two-thirds (66%) now
using the device to access news weekly (+4pp). Mobile news aggregators like Apple News
and Upday are becoming a more significant force. Apple News in the United States now
reaches more iPhone users (27%) than the Washington Post (23%).
• The growth of the smartphone has also been driving the popularity of podcasts,
especially with the young. More than a third of our combined sample (36%) say they have
consumed at least one podcast over the last month but this rises to half (50%) for those
under 35. The mobile phone is the most used device (55%) for podcast listening.
• Voice-activated smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home continue to
grow rapidly. Usage for any purpose has risen from 9% to 12% in the United States, from
7% to 14% in the UK, from 5% to 11% in Canada, and from 4% to 8% in Australia. Despite
this, we find that usage for news remains low in all markets.

8.5 Topic 8 Lesson 3 – Task 1
How Social Media Has Changed How We Consume News
Nicole Martin
AI & Big Data
It’s the age of “fake news” and gone are the days of waiting for the morning news for
breaking stories or reading gossip magazines for the latest celebrity dirt. We now have all
the information we need at the touch of an app and most people now get their news
information online, specifically from social media.
Social media has become the main source of news online with more than 2.4 billion
internet users, nearly 64.5 percent receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram instead of traditional media.
In a recent survey, 50 percent of Internet users surveyed said that they hear about the
latest news via social media before ever hearing about it on a news station. Many internet
users will see the breaking stories on their feed and go to the news sites to learn more.
The survey found 57 percent increase in traffic to news sites referred from social media.
However, there has been a decrease in how much of an article that people read. Most
people will just scroll through their newsfeed and stumble upon relevant news content but
just read the headlines or a short video clip of the piece. An average visitor will only read
an article for 15 seconds or less and the average video watch time online is 10 seconds.
However, social platforms have a control over what news and information we see. Our
social media friends have become the “managing editors” deciding what we see. An article
needs to be "liked" and shared multiple times before many people see it in their feed.
Therefore social media and your social friends have control over what news pieces you
see and what you do not. There are also many "fake news" websites that compete for
attention with sensational headlines and ridiculous storylines that tend to get shared more
often due to the lack of readers fact checking or reading more than the headline. That
means that authentic content is hard to come by now. In fact, fake news is actually more
likely to spread than the truth.
“Falsehood diffused significantly farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth in
all categories of information, and the effects were more pronounced for false political news
than for false news about terrorism, natural disasters, science, urban legends, or financial
information,” the team, led by Sinan Aral of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, wrote in the journal Science.
Also, timely and sensational news does better like Buzzfeed who has 17.2 million
subscribers. Content needs to be shareable and likable so often times it is overly
exaggerated for social. Brands can pay more to appear in news feeds and get noticed.
While syndication is nothing new, it is more prevalent in social media with so much
information allowed to be given at once and 24/7.
News happens fast now. Today’s story will be tomorrow’s forgotten story. It is easy to miss
things now because of how quick stories can get turned around and shared. While having
so much information at our fingertips is great, it is worth always checking sources and not
taking headlines as truth. With social media as our new news managers, it is up to us to be
the new fact checkers for media.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2018/11/30/how-social-media-has-changed-
how-we-consume-news/#3edf2efc3c3c

Review the contract for the web in more detail at https://contractfortheweb.org/. If this link
isn’t work, search online for “contract for the web” and use the official site.
Think about how the contract clashes or fits in with the dimensions of culture you learnt
about earlier in this unit, specifically (1) Power distance, (2) Individualism and (3) Low-
contextualism
Think about your own country and your destination country and consider whether the
contract for the web would be welcomed or whether it would clash with the way that people
use the web.

Review your notes for the unit in preparation for beginning your assignment.

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FOUNDATION

Page 1 of 69 Culture Studies Student Guide

Version Date Revision Description

© NCC Education Limited

Culture Studies Student Guide

Culture Studies Student Guide

Culture Studies Student Guide

2. Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Culture Studies Student Guide

Culture Studies Student Guide

Culture Studies Student Guide

4.2 Private Study

Culture Studies Student Guide

Topic 1: What is Culture?

On completion of the topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the term ‘culture’;

Private Study: 6 hours

Culture Studies Student Guide

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1.7 Topic 1 Lesson 3 – Task 3 – 30 minutes

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1.10 Topic 1 Lesson 4 – Private Study – 2 hours

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On completion of the topic, students will be able to:

• Define the concept of subculture;

Private Study: 6 hours

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Create something that shows what your personal culture is. It

Complete your personal culture homework to share with your

2.4 Topic 2 Lesson 2 – Task 4 – 30 minutes

• Drink a lot of Beer

What are the stereotypes of your country? Culture? People?

Make a list of common stereotypes associated with your culture.

How close are these stereotypes to the truth?

How similar/different are they to your personal culture?

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What are the above ideas and opinions based on?

How do you usually find out about other countries?

2.5 Topic 2 Lesson 2 – Private Study – 2 hours

2.6 Topic 2 Lesson 3 – Private Study – 2 hours

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On completion of the topic, students will be able to:

• Describe basic types of political systems;

Private Study: 4 hours

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3.3 Topic 3 Lesson 2 – Private Study – 2 hours

Remember to include similarities in the middle section of the diagram.

What kind of transport do they use?

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On completion of the topic, students will be able to:

Private Study: 4 hours

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b. Wang Li was busy with other things.

c. Wang Li’s mother wanted to show her love.

2. Wang Li probably thought that, because Maria did a lot of housework:

e. Maria’s family didn’t have much money.