Cultural Values

Question 1

3 principles related to cultural values

Answer 1

• All human societies face the same problems
• Each problem has multiple solutions, and any given society is capable of using any/all of those solutions
• Different societies will prioritize different solutions based on their cultural values

Question 2

Cultural values

Answer 2

• Guiding principles for how people in certain cultural environments interact with their physical and social environment
• Studied using value dimensions, like the ones created by Kluckhohn and Stodtbeck or by Hofstede

Question 3

Kluckhon & Strodtbeck’s 4 value dimensions

Answer 3

• time orientation
• nature orientation
• human nature orientation
• relational orientation

Question 4

Kluckhon & Strodtbeck’s 4 value dimensions: time orientation

Answer 4

• Where in the chronological timeline do people focus on?
• Past orientation: ex. ancestor worship (dedicated space in home to burn incense and make offerings to ancestors)
• Present orientation: ex. 1950s hispanic-americans → didn’t want to look back, but because future was so unsure they didn’t want to look forward either
• Future orientation: focusing on looking ahead and future development

Question 5

Kluckhon & Strodtbeck’s 4 value dimensions: nature orientation

Answer 5

• What is our role in the universe? How are we meant to interact with the environment?
• Subjugation to nature: feeling helpless, feeling they have little influence over the environment, are at the mercy of the elements (common amongst homeless populations)
• Harmony with nature: we are extensions of nature, we are a part of it, we must protect it → damage to nature is damage to ourselves
• Mastery over nature; when we feel we have mastery over nature and can do what we want with it (ex. Digging underground to create tunnels)

Question 6

Kluckhon & Strodtbeck’s 4 value dimensions: human nature orientation

Answer 6

• What is the nature of humanity?
• Good: ex. Koreans traditionally believed humans are born with “chi” (pure energy) that can be corrupted over time if we don’t protect it
• Evil: ex. Catholicism - people are born with sins, need to be baptized to wash away sins
• Mixed: we might have impulses and do bad things, but we’re generally good people

Question 7

Kluckhon & Strodtbeck’s 4 value dimensions: relational orientation

Answer 7

• What is the nature of our interactions/relationships between people?
• Collateral: everyone gets a say; group’s goals/needs prioritized, horizontal power structure (ex. In Navajo communities)
• Lineal: hierarchical → people at the top have the most power and make the decisions; don’t share power with people at the bottom; vertical power (ex. Corporate hierarchy)
• Individualistic: no sharing power; you make your own decisions by yourself

Question 8

Hofstede’s 5 value dimensions

Answer 8

• power distance
• uncertainty avoidance
• masculinity
• individualism
• indulgence

Question 9

Hofstede’s 5 value dimensions: power distance

Answer 9

• whether people in a group, particularly those who are at the bottom of society, accept and expect unequal distributions of wealth (to what extent is income inequality acceptable?)
• Societies tend to be high or low on this
• • Low: low rates of government corruption; equal distribution of wealth and income; children given more autonomy
• • High: rampant corruption, political scandals common; uneven distributions of wealth and income; children taught to respect authority

Question 10

Hofstede’s 5 value dimensions: uncertainty avoidance

Answer 10

• whether people in a group are comfortable with ambiguity and unstructured interactions
• • High: tolerate different opinions and viewpoints, dislike rules and norms, teachers may say “I don’t know”
• • Low: different opinions seen as dangerous/threatening, emotional need for rules for clarity and structure, teachers supposed to have all the answers

Question 11

Hofstede’s 5 value dimensions: masculinity

Answer 11

• whether men and women in a group have differentiated gender roles (ie. men should be more assertive and ambitious, women should be more modest and caring)
• • Feminine: minimal gender role differentiation, many women elected into politics, sexuality is not a moral issue
• • Masculine: maximum gender role differentiation; few women elected in population; sexuality highly regulated and moralized

Question 12

Hofstede’s 5 value dimensions: individualism

Answer 12

• whether people are integrated into cohesive groups rather than a loose collection of individuals
• • Collectivism: strong emphasis on maintaining harmony; breaking rules leads to feelings of shame; born into complex network of extended relationships
• • Individualism: strong emphasis for speaking one’s mind; breaking rules leads to feelings of guilt; primary relationships involve immediate family

Question 13

Hofstede’s 5 value dimensions: indulgence

Answer 13

• extent to which people value gratification of their needs and value happiness
• • Restrained: little concern for freedom of speech; personal life seen through helplessness; less likely to remember positive emotions
• • Indulgent: great importance placed on freedom of speech; people see personal life as controllable; more likely to remember positive emotions

Question 14

Connections between Kluckhohn & Strodbeck and Hofstede’s dimensions

Answer 14

• Relational = individuality & indulgence

- Individualism-collectivism = most studied value dimensions in cultural psych