Culture

Question 1

Cultural bias

Answer 1

Tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the ‘lens’ of ones culture i.e. if we are ‘normal’ then any behaviour that is different is ‘abnormal’. This means that the behaviour of other cultures is misrepresented. It is usually the result of ignoring the role that culture plays in influencing behaviour and so mistakenly assuming that results from studies in Western culture apply all over the world.

Question 2

Define ethnocentrism

Answer 2

A type of cultural bias. It is the use of our own ethnic group as a basis for judgements about other groups. There is a belief in the superiority of one’s own cultural group. Any difference seen in other groups is seems as deficiency or underdeveloped.

Question 3

Define cultural relativism

Answer 3

Not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong, strange or normal.

Question 4

What is the emic approach?

Answer 4

A research strategy that fully studies one culture without a primary focus on cross-cultural differences, aiming to understand phenomena within their own cultural context

Question 5

What is the etic approach?

Answer 5

Looks at behaviour from the outside of a given culture and attempts to find trends that can be generalised , universal behaviours