Culture is the arts, customs and ideas of a nation, people or group. Also it’s the way of life of people.
Different societies and cultures have varying values and changes in interpersonal and intergroup interaction, but in intercultural communication, the varying values could pose serious challenges. Significant disparities exist between some interactional standards in black African cultures and their Western counterparts.
The specific issues examined include the use of Personal names and honorifics, breaking of kola nuts, culinary practices, festivals and gender distinctions. Based on analysis, it reveals that these practices which may be of little significance in Western cultures are crucial for successful communication and interaction with Africans, some of these values are; social values, ethical/moral values, doctrinal/religious values, ideological values e.t.c.
According to Satoshi Ishii and Donald W. Klopf, “The values which are of primary importance to citizens of a particular country maybe of only secondary or tertiary importance to citizens of another country, a difference which can lead to problems in international communication.
With over 500 languages and tribes in African, still the cultural heritage is preserved and unique. The Sub Saharan cultures in Nigeria, take for an example; Igbo Ethic group. Igbo’s are “a closely knit ethnic group, with a population of over Twenty million speakers of Igbo which comprises more than 3 dialects and several sub-dialects and a beautiful cultural background, having Hausa and Yoruba as one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria.”
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Currently Igbo’s are campaigning for promotion of their cultural values, wherever in the world they may be, in the face of erosion of such values owing to Westernization; though in Diaspora, we should try to preserve our culture, norms and values, which appears to be fading.
Cultural changes may come from some internal and external factors leading to changes in the cultural pattern of societies. Some of these factors of cultural changes are, Technology. Technological evolution in the county will bring a change to their culture, examples; change in means of transportation, change in means of communication and change in means of commerce e.t.c.
Other factors are geographical and ecological factor which involves in change in location and it affects the culture, habits and way of living. Sometimes members of a society are often confronted by customs that differs from those which they have learnt to accept. In such a situation they adopt some of the new customs and rejects others.
These changes in culture are always imposed on existing culture especially during cultural contact, while all the cultural changes are not equally important. Some changes are introduced to culture because they are considered necessary for human survival, some changes are accepted in order to satisfy socially acquired needs, but not essential for survival.