E - Cultural Theories - Part 2 Flashcards
Preliminary Consideration:
Pyramid of Needs by Maslow
Basic problem and Stages
Problem = need = shortage, Target and Actual is not the same
Physiological needs Safety Social relationships Appreciation Self-Fulfillment
Preliminary Consideration:
Pyramid of Needs by Maslow
Example
Example: beverage
Physiological needs:
- Quench one’s thirst
Safety:
- stay healthy
Social relationships:
- drinking together
Appreciation:
- being cool
Self-Fulfillment:
- experience something
Preliminary Consideration:
Pyramid of Needs by Maslow
Critique
- static model -> dynamic model
- depending on culture (only way to Western culture?) and religion (e.g. celibacy)
Postmaterialism-Hypothesis
Basic Idea of the “Silent Revolution” (Inglehart)
- values are ordered hierarchically (from biological over material to social and psychological needs -> see Maslow)
- societies are subject to value change
- value change triggered by the wealth of a society
- Politologe -> sociology (dynamic, changeable)
Postmaterialism-Hypothesis
Devolopment from Materialism to Postmaterialism
Materialism
- > surviving
- > e.g. African nations
Postmaterialism
- > Wellness
- > e.g. Industrialized countries
Postmaterialism-Hypothesis
Claims of the Postmaterialism-Hypothesis
- in developed, Western societies consumers soon will be satisfied by consuming material goods
- if there is no material need / short-coming, higher values become more important
- > postmaterialistic values
Value Map
Empirical Study: World Value Survey (1981)
-> two overarching dimensions
Traditional vs. secular-rational values
Survival vs. Self-Expression
Value Map
Empirical Study: World Value Survey (1981)
Traditional vs. secular-rational values
Traditional values:
- obedience, religion
- > dictators accepted (e.g. Libya)
Secular-rational values:
- autonomy, responsibility
- > party-systems accepted (e.g. Germany)
Value Map
Empirical Study: World Value Survey (1981)
Survival vs. Self-Expression
Survival:
- family life, security
- > basic needs (e.g. Nigeria)
Self-Expression
- well-being, leisure time, openness
- > self-fulfillment (e.g. Sweden)
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Modernization Hypothesis
As societies become wealthier, more educated, and capitalistic, they become more individualistic and analytical
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Pathogen Prevalence Theory
A high prevalence of communicable diseases in some countries made it more dangerous to deal with strangers, making those cultures more insular and collectivistic
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Subsistence Style Theory
Argues that some forms of subsistence (such as farming) require more functional interdependence than other forms (such as herding). At the same time, ecology narrows the types of subsistence that are possible
- > e.g. paddy rice requires a significant amount of water
- > over time, societies that have to cooperate intensely become more interdependent, whereas societies that do not have to depend on each other as much, become more individualistic
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
- rice and wheat lead to different cultures
Rice:
- farmers need to build elaborate irrigation systems, that require farmers to cooperate
- in these irrigation systems one families’ water use can affect their neighbors -> rice farmers have to coordinate their water use
- extraordinary amount of work needed
- > intense cooperation, tight relationships based on reciprocity, avoid behaviors that create conflict
Wheat:
- easier to grow, so farmers can rely on rainfall -> no coordination needed
- less work for planting and harvesting needed
- > lighter burden means, that farmers can look after their own plots without relying as much on their neighbors
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Operationalization of Collectivism
Tasks
Triad Task
Sociogram Task
Loyalty and Nepotism Task
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Operationalization of Collectivism
Triad Task
Tests for Holistic Thought
List with three items (e.g. train, bus and tracks). Participants decide which two items should be paired together
Analytic choice:
- Same abstract category (train and bus -> category vehicles)
- > Western / Individualistic
Holistic Choice:
- Share a functional relationship (trains run on tracks)
- > East Asians / collectivistic cultures
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Operationalization of Collectivism
Sociogram Task
Tests for Implicit Individualism
Drawing a diagram of one’s social network, with circles to represent the self and friends.
Implicit measure of individualism (or self-inflation) = measuring how large participants draw
the self:
- bigger in individualistic cultures
their friends:
- bigger in collectivistic cultures
Rice Theory (Talhelm 2014)
Operationalization of Collectivism
Loyalty and Nepotism Task
Tests for Loyalty/Nepotism
Do people draw a sharp distinction between how they treat friends vs. strangers?
Imagine going into a business deal with... ... an honest friend ... a dishonest friend ... an honest stranger ... a dishonest stranger
The friend’s/stranger’s lies cause the participant to lose money in a business deal, and the honesty causes the participant to make money more.
- Friend/stranger is honest -> how do you reward him?
- Friend stranger is dishonest -> how do you punish him?
Operationalization of Culture
Countries as proxy for cultures?
Pro
- easy to define and target
- secondary data on cultural profiles available (e.g. Hofstede, Globe)
Operationalization of Culture
Countries as proxy for cultures?
Contra
Cultural areas cross borders
-> tribes, clans
Cultural variation within a country
-> subjective culture
Different Segments within a country
-> sub-cultures, ethno-marketing
Transnational clusters
-> LOHAS, cosmopolitans
therefore: country is not the same as culture
Subjective culture
Allocentric vs. Idiocentrics
Allocentric
Internalized value profile:
Striving for …
Reconsidering the consequences of their behavior for …
Internalized value profile:
- collectivistic
Striving for …
… Integration in society
Reconsidering the consequences of their behavior for …
… their “in-group”
Subjective culture
Allocentric vs. Idiocentrics
Idiocentric
Internalized value profile:
Striving for …
Reconsidering the consequences of their behavior for …
Internalized value profile:
- individualistic
Striving for …
… Disintegration and independence
Reconsidering the consequences of their behavior for …
… themselves
Proxy Variables for Culture
Further possibilities to operationalize culture
National Borders
-> Countries as substitutes for cultures
Cultural values and norms
-> Operationalizing culture on an individual level
Topography
-> Differentiating of different areas (e.g. urban vs. rural, Eastern vs. Western)
Migration
-> Comparison of people with migration background
Language
-> Comparison of people with different mother tongues
Religion
-> Comparison of people with different religions
Number of countries to compare
Minimal number of countries needed for valid cross-cultural comparisons
1 cultural dimension (CD) -> 3 countries
(special extent of one culture is different to two others)
2 cultural dimensions (CD) -> 4 countries
Number of countries to compare
Analyzing cultural dimensions
If you only have two countries you can’t be sure about the reasons, you need at least one to contrast
