Sociocultural Flashcards
Define culture
Cultures are made up of a set of attitudes, behaviors and symbols shared by a large group of people. Cultural groups are characterized by different norms and conventions.
What is surface culture?
Surface culture includes all of the aspects of culture that are outward and visible - like the foods, language, places of worship, and style of dress that are common within a culture
What is deeper culture?
The real impact, encompassing our beliefs, attitudes and thoughts
Organize these according to the iceberg model:
Food, Music, Language, Norms, Artifacts, , Beliefs, Values, Behavior, Perceptions, Views on raising children, Etiquette
Surface: Artifacts, Behavior, Food, Music, Language
Deeper: Values, Beliefs, Etiquette, Perception, Views on raising..
What is cross culture psychology?
The study of inter connected and inter related cultures as a result of globalization
What is Hofstede’s definition of culture?
The collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another
What is Matsumoto’s definition of culture?
A unique meaning and information system, shared by a
group and transmitted across generations allowing the group to:
-Meet basic needs of survival
-Coordinate socially to achieve a viable
-Existence
-Transmit social behaviour
-Pursue happiness and well-being
-Derive meaning from life.
Define cultural norms
Cultural norms are the unique set of
attitudes, beliefs and behaviours specific to a
particular culture.
Define Enculturation
Enculturation is the process by which individuals
learn their culture. This could be via observation,
formal instruction or direct personal experience.
How is Cultural transmission accomplished?
Cultural transmission is accomplished through
the process of enculturation and social
cognition
What is gate keeper theory?
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) - A psychology and communication theory
related to who controls access to information
and ideas in a social group
What is cultural honor?
A culture of honor exists in societies where
individuals (normally men) place a high value
on strength and social reputation and where any
insult to someone’s reputation, family or property
is met with a violent response
Cohen et al (1996)
Method: Quasi Experiment
Aim: Test his theory that southern white males in the
USA responded differently to threats and insults
than northern white males
Participants: 83 Male University of Michigan
students who either grew up in the south or the
north of the USA. (42 northern, 41 southern)
Procedure: Those who group in southern states for at least 6 years: (Texas, Kentucky, Delaware etc.) were deemed southern, and the remaining students were deemed northern. A confederate bumped into the participant and then insulted him by calling him by a derogatory name.
Findings: Northerners were only half as likely as
southerners to become more angry about than
amused by an insult (35% versus 85%)
Acculturation
A process of psychological
and cultural change as a result of contact and
interaction between cultures
In group favoritism
Behavior that is biased towards the benefits of the in-group
Minimal group paradigm
The experimental procedure where trivia group differences are created artificially to investigate the effects of social categorization on intergroup discrimination
Out-group discrimination
Behavior that creates disadvantages for the out-group
Social categorization
The cognitive process of categorizing` people into in-groups and out-groups
Social comparison
The process of comparing the in-group to out-groups