Class #19: Cultural Diversity

Question 1

What is culture?

Answer 1

• A shared system of behaviors and symbols
• Transmitted from one generation to the next
• Serves a function within a group with a common history
• Closely related to ethnicity and race

Question 2

What are some dimensions of culture?

Answer 2

•Physical dimensions (objective)
- Places: countries, nations, world region
- Environments: niches, ecological
- Contexts: situations, surroundings
- Objects: tools of culture (technology, guns, flags, etc)
•Social dimensions (subjective)
- Groups: race, ethnicity, nations
- Contents: symbols, values, language
- Processes: learning, socialization, identity
- Behaviors: practices, rituals, routines
- Goals: system-justification, equality

Question 3

What are some approaches to culture in psychology?

Answer 3

EMIC:
•Cultural Psychology: compares groups to show differences
•Cross-Cultura Psychology: compares groups to show similarities and universals
ETIC:
•Indigenous Psychology: focuses on local psychological experiences
•Ethnic Minority Psychology: focuses on psychological experiences of minorities

Question 4

How is culture related to diversity?

Answer 4

• All human beings are cultural beings

* Culture can be used to emphasize differences between whites and racial/ethnic minorities

Question 5

What is the Cultural (Mis)Attribution Bias?

Answer 5

The tendency to see racial/ethnic minorities as group members whose traits, beliefs, and behaviors are shaped primarily by culture and to perceive whites as autonomous and independent individuals who are instead largely influenced by psychological processes (mass shooters, etc).