Culture Flashcards
Culture=
customs, habits, beliefs and values that shape emotions, behaviours and life patterns
processes in engaging in culture> (2)
- Acculturation= active process of changing to adopt to the dominant culture
- Enculturation= incremental assimilation of own culture
what is selective migration?
Idea individuals tend to relocate to places where people have similar values & personalities to them (if have choice)
Characterising culture> WEIRD (2)
WEIRD:
> Psychology de-facto context= cultural focus of most psych research conducted
> cultural psychology= focus on redressing the WEIRD bias
Characterising culture> collectivism vs individualism> collectivist cultures> (6)
- emphasise benefit of group over individual
- more sociable
- other-focused emotions
- happier when “connecting” with others
- less risk-taking
- reduced self-enhancement (ambition etc)
Characterising culture> collectivism vs individualism> individualistic cultures> (5)
- emphasise benefit of individual over group
- focus on independence, competition & achievement
- high risk-taking
- self enhancement important
- social structures vs individual interests
Characterising culture> Tightness vs looseness> influencing factors> (3)
- ecological & historical threats (natural disasters, territorial conflict, resource scarcity)
- socialisation factors in societal institutions (media regulations, autocracy)
- micro-level psychological affordances (prevention self-guide)
Characterising culture> tightness vs looseness> what is it?
idea that cultures which face threat are more likely to be restrictive on people’s individual freedoms
Culture & psychology> personality/ individual differences (2)
- macro & micro influence= understanding macro-influence to explain individual level difference
- Assumptions of importance= culture is an environment that can influence personality
Cultural theory> what is the configurationalist approach?>
- links to anthropology
- assumption that personality is culture
–>culture ‘takes’ on character of members’
personalities
–>therefore, cultural differences due to individual
differences
Cultural theory> Configurationalist theory> study
Tribal cultures> traits: harmonious, group focus, appollonian culture
Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> (3)
- idea that focus on individual is INADEQUATE explanatory paradigm;
- focus should be on societal structures
- idea shared experiences within primary institutions produce basic personality traits; basic traits interact with secondary institutions
Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> components
- Primary institutions of a culture (e.g. family unit)
- Aspects of culture (child’s cultural training> economic environment, industrialised area? tourism?)
- Secondary institutions (e.g. religious groups, community rituals)
Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> conc
> idea shared experiences within primary institutions produce basic personality traits;
basic P traits then interact with secondary institutions
idea can work out what common traits are for that particular culture
problems with the basic personality structure approach
> issue is that focus on most common trait as the dominant trait (but most common=general, oversimplification)
Cultural theory>Modal personality approach>
- rejection of basic personality structure approach
- identifying most common traits to ALL members=oversimplification
- instead: looked at most frequent encountered= wider range of traits considered
Integrated model of personality> Critiques of personality psych>
- personality psych is too fragmented (many areas but don’t come together to form coherent whole)
- concepts & theories devised on untested assumptions (PEN model)
Integrated model of personality> Evolutionary theory>
- explains why certain traits emerge across cultures (i.e. good for group> continuation of genetic lineage)
Integrated model of personality> 3 influencing factors>
- culture has MODEST impact on individual behaviour
- culture has STRONGER impact on motivation to adopt behaviour to align with cultural norms
- Culture has MOST influence on life narratives
Integrated model of personality> critiques>
w & J, 2007,
- overclaim on importance of life narratives in personality theory
- important other factors offer more salience (learning from experience)
Integrated model of personality: (1) Culture has MODEST impact on individual behaviour>
> same trait, expressed differently in contrasting cultures
(e.g. high neuroticism:
in US= excessive worries & concerns;
in Ghana= magical thinking & causal reasoning
Integrated model of personality: (1) Culture has STRONGER impact on motivation to adopt behaviour to align with cultural norms>
> e.g. USA individualistic vs china collectivist
“artistic” type:
in US= creative, intense;
in China= ‘type’ doesn’t exist, despite traits existing
Integrated model of personality> culture has MOST influence on life narratives
> cultures differ in story tropes/character archetypes that exist
e.g. US ‘rags to riches’ story & ‘self-made man’
Japan “samurai seppuku” (selfless acts for greater cause)
Life narratives=
culturally-influenced life narratives are manifestations of personality (inspired by the psychology/anthropology intersection)
