Psychology of Culture, Communities and Global Citizenship (PSY3CCG)

Transcription

1 Psychology of Culture, Communities and Global Citizenship (PSY3CCG) Lecture 1 & 2 Cultural Impacts Essential Readings: Social Psychology of Culture by Chiu, C. Y. & Hong, Y. Y. pg (Chapter 2) Triandis, H. C. (2002). Subjective Culture. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(2). Global Citizenship A multidimensional construct that hinges on 3 interrelated factors: Social Responsibility: understanding interdependence and social concern to others, to society and to environment Global Competence: having an open mind while actively seeking to understand others cultural norms and expectations, use this knowledge to interact and work effectively outside one s environment Global Civic Engagement: demonstrate action or orientation towards recognizing local, state, national, and global community issues and responding through actions such as volunteerism, political activism, and community participation Cultural Psychology Cultural Psychology: understanding how culture influences psychological processes, 3 kinds; cross cultural psychology, cultural psychology & indigenous psychology Different Approaches within Cultural Psychology Global approach (etic approach; view from outside) Assumes that cultures differ in degree Seeks to understand a culture by comparing it to other cultures on pan cultural, or universal, dimensions (like latitudes & longitudes) Focal approach (emic approach; view from inside) Assumes that all concepts vary from culture to culture Seeks to understand a culture through studying how its attendant normative meanings are socially and historically constituted

2 Cross cultural psychology: by taking the global approach, explore the universality and cultural diversity in psychological processes, and how the latter relates to other societal factors as human history, environment and human migration Cultural psychology: by taking both the global and focal approaches, try to understand how human culture and human psychology make up each other Indigenous psychologies: by taking views from inside, try to describe a particular group s unique cultural worldviews and their historical changes Community Psychology Community Psychology: concerns the relationship of individuals with communities and societies. By integrating research with action, it seeks to understand and enhance the quality of life for individuals, communities, and societies A multi level perspective: community psychology assumes that every individual lives within many communities that exist at multiple levels: Family Network of friends Workplace School Voluntary association Neighborhoods Nation Global Views from inside & Protective goals: conducts research to see how problems can be prevented in their communities, rather than finding a solution for existing problems Advocacy for social change: aspires to increase the sense of personal control and empowerment among minorities and disadvantaged What is Culture? Community psychologists view: Culture is a group of people who share the same heritage Cultural psychologists view: Culture is a set of knowledge (information) shared and maintained over time by a large group of people. This knowledge includes: Objective culture: objects e.g. tools, arts, architectures Subjective culture: understanding about the world, communicated in

3 language Behaviors that use objective and subjective culture e.g. behavioral scripts, tasks, games, and ceremonies Elements of Subjective Culture (Triandis 2002 pg 4 7) Categories: some categories may be unique to certain groups e.g. the color category blue (different for each culture), what being intelligent means Cognitive associations Beliefs: various propositions linking an object with an attribute Attitudes: evaluations (pleasant/unpleasant, good/bad) e.g. conformity is viewed as good in some countries and as bad in others Norms: ideas about behavior expected of group members Roles: ideas about behavior expected of people in a particular position in a social group Tasks: a sequence of behaviors considered as undertaking Self: beliefs and attitudes associated with self Values: beliefs that concern desirable states or behaviors, which transcended specific situations and guide peoples decisions Stories Un packaging Cultural Difference Explaining Difference in Observed Behaviors using Subjective Culture When two groups exhibit very different behaviors, this may be due to cultural differences or other reasons Cultural psychologists try to explain differences in behaviour by using elements of subjective culture Many group differences are explained in reference to: Values* The self Beliefs Cognitive mindset Cross Cultural Level of Conformity In Asch s (1951) line experiment of conformity, conformity occurred 35% of the time 75% of all subjects conform at least once Larger effect size found for Hong Kong, Africa, Japan Fiji Lesser effect size found for France, UK, Netherlands, Germany

4 Conformity was found to be stronger in cultures that are high on the value of collectivism Conformity was associated with distinct meanings in individualistic vs. collectivistic cultures: Individualist cultures yielding and submission Collectivistic cultures tactful and social sensitivity Individualism vs. Collectivism Individualism syndrome involves emphasis on individual goals, following own attitudes in deciding how to act, and defining the self to be autonomous from others and social context Collectivism syndrome involves emphasis on in group goals and needs, following norms and defining the self in relation to one s in group and personal relations Within Culture variation in Individualism Collectivism Individuals tendencies are distributed within the culture Some individuals have a tendency contrary to their cultural tendency Where 2 groups are compared, there are many contrary instances Implications of Individualism & Collectivism Conformity Emotion expressivity Subjective well being Preferred reward allocation rule Parenting style Residential mobility Relationship orientation Hofstede Value Dimensions 32 value items were rated by 60, 000 managers from 60 countries with 5 value dimensions identified 1. Individualism Collectivism 2. Power distance: the degree of acceptance of unequal power distribution in groups 3. Uncertainty avoidance: degree to which people feel threatened by the unknown or ambiguous situations, and to develop beliefs, institutions, or

5 rituals to avoid them 4. Masculinity femininity: emphasis on achievement (success, money, possessions) vs. harmony (caring for others and quality of life) 5. Long vs. short term orientation: emphasis on perseverance & thrift, delay of gratification of needs Australian Value profile (Hofstede Values) High Individualism Low Power Distance Low Uncertainty Avoidance Masculine Short Term Orientation National Rankings of Hofstede Values USA, Australia, UK, Canada = Higher on Individualism Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong = Higher on Collectivism Austria, NZ, Australia and USA = Low Power Distance Philippines, Mexico, Venezuela = High Power Distance Sweden, Singapore, USA, UK, Australia = Low Uncertainty Avoidance Japan, Portugal, Greece, Mexico, Pakistan = High Uncertainty Avoidance Inglehart World Value Survey (60, 000 respondents from 43 countries) 1. Traditional authority vs. secular rational authority emphasizing obedience to traditional authority (e.g. Church) & communal obligations, compared to legal authority, economic capital, individual achievement 2. Survival Values (hard work, self denial) vs. Well being Values (equality of life, gender equality, self expression) Evidence of cultural change Industrialization increases secular rational authority values and reduces traditional authority values Satisfaction of material needs (shift from industrial to post industrial society) increases well being values and reduces survival values Schwartz Value Clusters (Analysis of 50+ value concepts rated in 31 countries)

6 7 Value Types at the Cultural Level Conservatism Affective autonomy Intellectual autonomy Hierarchy Mastery Egalitarian commitment Harmony 10 Value Types at the Individual Level Security Conformi ty Power Achieve ment Hedonis m Self direction Universal ism Benevole nce Tradition Conservation Self Transcendence Self Enhancement Openness to Change Amae Amae is widely considered a Japanese emic concept concerning interpersonal relations Doi (1992) translated amae as to depend and presume upon another s love

7 or bask in another s indulgence It involves a sweet feeling, warmth, security, and intimacy Amae is a behavioural script tied with a set of assumptions: 1. There is a certain role expectation in the context which the amae requester is tempted to violate (seeking indulgence) 2. There is a mutual intimacy motivation in the relationship 3. The partner s acceptance of the requester s role violation will enhance their intimacy The Global & Focus Approaches Combined Some culture specific meanings of an etic concept in different cultures can be compared Power distance may be practiced and maintained in distinct manners in Indian and Chinese society Filial Piety Authoritarian Filial Piety stresses children s obligations to parents who have absolute authority. It is endorsed more by older males with less education; felt as self oppression by some. Reciprocal Filial Piety involves acceptance of unequal power in social relations, mutual affection and intimacy, in both ways: the senior is benevolent towards the junior, who reciprocates with loyalty. Endorsed more by females and educated people.