Cultural+Dimensions


 * __Define the term culture and cultural //norms//__**.
 * ==Culture:==
 * Dynamic system of rules, implicit or explicit, established by a social group.
 * Surface culture (Visible, Explicit)
 * Music, Clothing, Food
 * Deep culture (Invisible, Implicit)
 * Emotions, Beliefs, Expressions.




 * ==Cultural norms:==
 * Behavior typical to the specific cultural group.
 * Observational (social) learning
 * Rules within the deep culture
 * Expectations
 * “Gatekeepers” (e.g. the media) keep the cultural norms in place.

Figure 1: Culture. N.d. Photograph. ISE IB PSYCHOLOGY 2012Web. 3 Oct 2013. .

**__Examine the role of two cultural dimensions on behavior.__**
 * ==__The Theory of Cultural Dimensions (Theorist: Geert Hofstede):__==
 * Initial study carried out by Geert Hofstede which led to the theory.
 * ===__Individualism-Collectivism:__===
 * Measure of whether people prefer to work alone or in groups.
 * Indication of the degree of social integration.
 * ====**__Collectivism:__**====
 * People find ways to benefit all.
 * More harmonious society.
 * Tendency to show higher level of affection towards family members.
 * Tend to live close together.
 * Higher birth rate.
 * Collectivism on Behavior  Conformity and Compliance:
 * Tendency to conform more easily because a harmony will be reached that way.
 * Unanimity.
 * Groupthink.
 * Lower Compliance level.
 * Compliance requires the subject to be persuaded.
 * Collectivists tend to be harder to persuade because they will seek other people’s opinion in their group.
 * Emotions:
 * Less expression.
 * Seen as unimportant and looked down upon, specially negative emotions
 * Emotional memory tend to be weaker (LTM)
 * Social identity:
 * Stronger social identity
 * ====**__Individualism:__**====
 * The interest of an individual prevails the interest of the group.
 * Ties between individuals are relatively loose.
 * Care only extend to their immediate family members.
 * Individualist countries
 * Tend to be wealthier:
 * Are in areas of the world with colder climate.
 * Relatively lower birth rate
 * Individualism on Behavior  Conformity and Compliance:
 * Individual thoughts are encouraged, hence lower level of conformity.
 * Compliance is higher.
 * Less likely that person from an individualist culture will seek for other’s opinion before making a decision.
 * Emotions:
 * Encourages expression of emotions.
 * Seen as a highly valued way of self expression.
 * Emotional memory tend to be stronger (LTM).
 * Social identity:
 * Stronger self identity.
 * **__Geert Hofstede – IBM Employee Correlation Study:__**
 * **A**im: Identify traits through the classification of behavior according to culture.
 * **M**ethod: Experiment.
 * **P**rocedure: Participants were 60,000 IBM employees from over 50 different countries. They were asked to fill in surveys. The study carried on for 10 years.
 * **R**esults and **C**onclusion: Hofstede concluded with 4 bipolar Cultural Dimensions. Individualism-Collectivism. Masculinity-Femininity. Power Distance. Uncertainty Avoidance.


 * **__Masculinity-Femininity__**
 * Depicts the degree to which masculine traits are preferred to female characteristics.
 * Masculine traits
 * Authority
 * Assertiveness
 * Performance
 * Success
 * Female characteristics
 * Personal relationship
 * Quality of life
 * Service
 * Welfare
 * To a minimal degree showing dominance of gender.
 * ====**__Masculinity:__**====
 * Where the culture’s dominant values are masculine traits.
 * Looser relationship ties, relatively independent.
 * Must be a dominant character in a relationship.
 * Materialistic achievements are important e.g. trophies.
 * __Masculinity on Behavior__
 * Higher level of aggression
 * More assertive
 * ====__**Femininity:**__====
 * Where the culture’s dominant values are display less masculine traits. (or more feminine traits)
 * Higher emphasis on harmonious interpersonal relationships.
 * More overlapping social roles.
 * Shows more concern over the weak.
 * Importance on the quality of life.
 * __Femininity on Behavior__
 * Display more affection.
 * Higher quality of life.
 * More harmonious social circles.
 * **__Mead – New Guinea Anthropological study:__**
 * Aim: Comparing masculine and feminine traits in different cultures in New Guinea.
 * Method: Covert observation.
 * Procedure: Research was done in three different tribes in New Guinea.
 * Results: One tribe shows that both male and female displayed the same sensitive behavior. Another tribe shows that both male and female were aggressive and ruthless. Another tribe shows that female had the dominant characteristics and male showed more “feminine” traits.
 * Conclusion: Mead’s demonstration of cultural differences in many respects a valid indication of how society scan influence gender-role development.

Figure 2: individualist VS collectivist. N.d. Photograph. ISE IB PSYCHOLOGY 2012Web. 3 Oct 2013. .

**__using examples, explain emic and etic concepts.__**
 * ==**__Etic – Cross-culture approach__**==
 * Tackles culture with one general approach.
 * **__World Health Organisation Study on Depression:__**
 * Aim: A study of diagnosis and classification of depression in Switzerland, Canada, Japan and Iran.
 * Method: Observation.
 * Procedure: 576 patients were studied. Used a standard diagnosis system for the four countries
 * Results: 40% of patients displayed symptoms that were not on the classification system.
 * Conclusion: Diagnosis and classification system need an Emic (Culture specific) approach because socially acceptable norms are different in different cultures.


 * ==__Emic – Cultural specific approach__==
 * Tackles culture specifically and individually.
 * __**Bond and Smith – Asch’s Paradigm with different cultures (Conformity/Culture):**__
 * Aim, Method, Procedure: Meta-analysis of 133 Asch's Paradigm study in 17 different countries around the world.
 * Results: Individualist societies tend to have a lower rate of conformity (e.g. US, UK, France). Collectivist societies tend to have a higher rate of conformity (e.g. Hong Kong, Fiji, Brazil)
 * Conclusion: Displayed the effect of culture on conformity.

Bibliography: Leung, Stanley. "ib psych notes." . Stanley Leung,. Web. 3 Oct 2013. .