Week 2 Emic & Etic & Ethnocentric Perpective of Culture Flashcards
What are the characteristics of culture?
Culture is shared by members of a group (nations)
Culture is learned through membership in a group or community
Culture influences the attitudes and behaviours of group members. (Acceptable behaviour and unacceptable behavior - this influences our normative behaviour - how we think those around us expect us to behave),
Cultural barriers
Stage 1: Normative beliefs and values : beliefs, norms, and values that society deems to be correct and proper.
Stage 2:Institutional requirements: laws, regulations, and public policies aimed at reinforcing societal norms and values
Stage 3:Social control, stability, and continuity: “correct” social behaviour occurs that is consistent with societal needs and goals.
Stage 4: Reinforcement of normative beliefs and values: “Correct” outcomes reinforce continuity of normative beliefs and values.
Customer Service as an Example of Culture & normative Beliefs
In Mitsukoshi, Japan, Japanese Sales clerks do not guarantee customer satisfaction: instead, they aim to do their best and believe that satisfaction will follow. No guarantees. For a Japanese manager, a guarantee of satisfaction sounds too pretentious, almost like an invasion of privacy. => values: caring for the relationship, loyalty, and interdependence
=> They keep their own opinions about the product to themselves, they state the facts.
In the West, the buyer is more like a master and the seller like a servant. Expressions such as “The customer is always right”, makes little sense within a hierarchical framework, because the very assessment of right and wrong implies a position of superiority by those making the assessment.
=> Values: balanced commercial relationship for both buyers and sellers
=> They persuade the customers of the need to purchase the product- preferably immediately, because it is “on sale”.
Examples of cultures & subcultures
- organisational cultures
- professional cultures
- Ethnic minorities
- Political coalitions
- Family cultures
- Religious cultures
Emic Perspective
An emic perspective tries to understand how Latinos & Hispanics see their own culture and view the world.
Taking an insider’s view.
People who were born and brought up in one culture have been socialised to the emic perspective of that culture.
Etic Perspective
An Etic perspective focuses on how outsiders describe these cultures.
You need to understand the emic perspective and be able to emotionally detach yourself from that culture in order to arrive at an objective description that explains observed behaviours and beliefs.
Most people from outside a culture will not have an emic perspective about it; they will have an ethnocentric perspective, interpreting behaviour and beliefs in light of their own culture.
