Cross-Cultural Psychology Flashcards
What is culture?
Unwritten rules and learned behaviour
- shared way of life
- members co-exist/survive
- artefacts, rituals, food, clothes, housing, social structures
What is the importance of culture?
Shapes awareness of the world
FIlter through which we see/understand our current reality
Why is culture difficult to define?
- facets interrelated/closely related
- relatively stable but also dynamic - evolving
- NOT homogenous
What is enculturation?
process of absorbing and internalising the rules of the culture we live in
What is acculturation?
assimilation to different culture - typicallt the dominant one
What is assimilation?
abandonment of traditional culture
What is fusion?
combing 2 cultures to form a new one
What is alternation?
bicultural competence/multiculturalism
maintaining distinct cultural identities within single multicultural structure
What are the 2 different types of cultural psychologists?
- cultural psychologists - study of the way people are affected by their culture
- cross-cultural pscyhologists - compares sims/diffs in behaviour across cultures
Research in cross-culture psychology
Emic perspective
- focus on 1 culture/culture specific
- thorugh the eyes of the people
- cultural psychologists
Research in cross-culture psychology
Etic perspective
- commonalities/differences across cultures
- is the behaviour culture specific or universal?
- cross-cultural psychologists
Research in cross-culture psychology
Goldberger & Veroff
approaches to research - etic
- study cultures to determine relationships
- compare behaviour
- interaction between cultures that co-exist
Research in cross-culture psychology
Ember & Ember
research relies on assumption that comparison is possible because identifiable behaviour can be oberserved
Research in cross-culture psychology
Challenges
- research methods
- equivalent samples
- interpreting results
- research bias
- sensitive issues
What is good psychology research?
objective measurement
theoretical framework
standardised procedure
generalisability
Research in cross-culture psychology
How is cultural variability measured?
individualism - collectivism continuum
Time perspectives
Monochronic cultures
time divided into linear segments
closely regulated
= punctual, one task at a time, created plans ahead
USA, Australia, Germany, NZ, Switzerland
Time perspectives
Polychronic cultures
time more fluid
less regulated
= unpunctual, many tasks at once, fast/loose with time
Spain, India, Indigenous Australians
Dimensions of culture
Cultural display rules
display rules = appropriateness of displaying certain emotions in social settings
- interpersonal space
- intimate space
- social/consultative space
- public space
Dimensions of culture
Low context cultures
interpret actions/words literally
Dimensions of culture
High context cultures
attention to nonverbal signs to decode real meanings
Dimensions of culture
Tight cultures
group members expected to closely adhere to cultural norms and expectations
Dimensions of culture
Loose cultures
norms either unclear or deviance from them is tolerated
What is multiculturalism?
What does this look like in Australia?
Dominant culture + minority cultures
1/4 population born oversears, >40% have 1+ parent born overseas
What is pluralism?
right to retain cultural heritage
Brief history of multiculturalism in Australia
- ATSI 60,000+ years, original inhabitants
- 1788 British invasion
- 1850 Gold Rush (chinese/indian)
- WW2 - european migration
- until 1960 White Aust. Policy
- 1970s middle Eastern/Asian migration
- 1990s NZ residents
What are Australia’s two migration approaches?
- skilled migrants/family migrants
- humanitarian programs - refugees, asylum seekers
Impact of multiculturalism on Australia
policy goal by govt (1999 - John Howard)
conflict between different cultures
NOW - one of the most multicultural countries
+ enrichment, social stability
- stereotyping, ehtnocentrism, prejudice, racism, discrimination
What is cultural shock?
disorientation + anxiety that occurs as people from one culture encounter/adapt to another
coping with language, unwritten rules, social structures, political structures, legislative processes
What are the 4 stages of culture shock?
- honeymoon phase
- disenchantment phase
- beginning resolution phase
- effective functioning stage
Cultural stereotypes
positive AND negative
normal - way to process/categorise info (mental categorisation)
some have basis in facts BUT some untrue
neg stereotypes = damage intercultural relationships, distort reality
Cultural stereotypes
Negative impacts
- accentuate group different - us vs them, ignore similarities
- create selective thinking - one see what reinforces stereotype
- assume homogeneity in other groups - assume everyone in that group is the same
What is ethnocentrism?
tendency for own culture to influence how they view the rest of the world
use of values, standards, behaviours as a yardstick
natural + understandable - own culture ‘normal’, bond within group
What is prejudice?
neg stereotypes about members of other groups (ethnic, race, nationality)
often unable to recognise own ethnocentrism/stereotypical thinking
dec prejudice = legislative action, cooperative tasks
What is racism?
prejudice + different/unfair treatment of groups
physical/social features (skin, clothing)
‘old fashion’ racism/prejudice VS ‘modern’ racism/prejudice
Indigenous Psychology
Objectives
develop psych methods/research that is not imposed
psych that is influenced by the context
develop from within the culture
psychology that results in lovalled relevant psych knowledge
Indigenous Psychology
European occupation of Australia
‘social darwinism’
belief of biological inferiority - entrenched in social/poltical structures
- 1840s protectionist/segregation policies
- 1950-70s assimilation
- 1965 freedom ride
- 1967 recognised as citizens
Indigenous Psychology
Promoting cross-cultural interactions
Education and culture
education systems meet needs of environment
Western (formalised), ATSI (learning by observing)
need for inclusive learning environment
understanding difficulties important for education in multicultural settings
Indigenous Psychology
Promoting cross-cultural interactions
Communication and culture
cultural differences can influence all components of communication process
high context cultures ATSI - nonverbal com. prevalent, com more implict, less formal perception of time
What is cultural competence?
person’s effectiveness in communicating/behaving appropriately with people from another culture
Culturally competent professionals
understanding + practical application of this knowledge
ethical responsibility
cultural respect can determine services effectiveness, way the service is presented/conduct themselves
Culturally competent professionals
Indigenous Australians
culture may impact perception of service, how ATSI commuinication and willingness to access
display certain levels of respect and understanding of aboriginal culture
