Week 6.2

Question 1

Example of ethnocentrism research

Answer 1

Autocratic, authoritative parenting styles - is it the same across cultures

Question 2

Example of ETIC versus EMIC cultural universals

Answer 2

Need to eat, need to breathe, need to sleep (ETIC requirements)

Different in each culture e.g. what type of food I eat, what utensils I est - EMIC

Question 3

Is psychology ETIC or EMIC

Answer 3

Psychology only studies a particular culture, our psychology is EMIC for this culture

Question 4

Intellectual imperialsm

Answer 4

Intellectual imperialism - then say it is for all cultures and imposing our EMIC values across all cultures (domination of one kind of thinking)

Question 5

Theories in psychology (4)

Answer 5

• History of psychology theory development in [Western] psychology
• Universal explanation of behaviour = aim of theories
• All these theories were developed within one culture [EMIC approach]
• All tests associated with these theories were validated within that culture [EMIC research] – eg DSM-5; WISC-5; WAIS-4

Question 6

Example of ‘universal’ theories created in EMIC culture (3)

Answer 6

Examples include

• Freudian psychodynamic theory
• Piagetian cognitive developmental theory
• Bandura’s social learning theory

Question 7

Issues with this

Answer 7

• However, once validated in own culture, vast majority of researchers assume it is a valid test of that concept [a universal trait]
• Given this assumption, researchers complete cross-cultural comparisons
• If a cross cultural study [ETIC approach] shows differences, then one culture must be superior, and the other inferior
• [for instance, Arthur Jensen in 1969 published his research determining racial differences in IQ and concluded these were inherited differences
• However, if the concept is not universal, then it leads to discrimination

Question 8

Identification as Indigenous

Answer 8

While indigenous people indicate self-identification as an aboriginal is a personal decision, government agencies use more objective criteria.

Question 9

Government criteria for being Indigenous

Answer 9

• Being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
• Self-identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
• Being accepted as such by the community in which they live, or formally lived

As well as:
- Being of at least quarter caste [at least one grandparent is indigenous]

• This criterion was developed by the English and tried to quantify aboriginality
• This measure is offensive to indigenous people who focus on any heritage, self-identification and community acceptance

Question 10

What percentage of Australians identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

Answer 10

2.8%

Question 11

Is the current indigenous population more or less than pre-colonialization?

Answer 11

It is less – estimated to be 800,000 [1780] and at last census it was ~650,000

Question 12

Fronteir war

Answer 12

Many indigenous people want conflict between colonialists and indigenous people to be classified as a “Frontier war”. How many people do you think would need to die for this to be considered a “war”

Question 13

As a bench mark - the loss of Australians in other conflicts [Official war memorial figures]

Answer 13

Boer war - 588
World War 1 - 61,566
World War 2 - 39,653
Korean war - 340
Vietnam war - 521
Afghan war - 43
Iraq war - 2

Question 14

Indigenous population at beginning of colonisation 1788

Answer 14

At the beginning of colonisation = 750,000 inhabitants, mainly in what is now known as NSW and Victoria

Question 15

Indigenous population in 1850s

Answer 15

Below 200,000 - mainly due to infectious diseases, but also includes malnutrition [forced off fertile land] and massacres [~20,000 murdered]