Weel 2) Culture Flashcards
What is culture?
It refers to the large amount of variation in transmitted norms, values, beliefs, behaviours. Culture not the same as ‘country’/’nation. It includes: Ethnicity, nationality Religion Region Social class & SES Stereotypes
Give an example of principles used to describe culture in bipolar unidimensional continua terms. Explain each of these:
Individualism (IDV) Power Distance index (PDI) Truth (UAI) Gender (MAS) Virtue (LTO)
Individualusm (relationship btn ind and group).
Collectivism < ————–> Individualism
Power distance (the degree of accepted inequality btn people e.g. low power distance=everyone expects equality. Low < --------------- > High Power distance
Truth (how ppl in a culture cope with unpredictable & ambigious).
Weak Uncertainty avoidance < ———> Strong Uncertainty avoidance
Gender (core orientated societies vs achievement orientated).
Femininity < ——————————- > Masculinity
Virtue (issue of truth and virtue, society’s attitudes towards time)
Long-term orientation < ———- > ST orientation
Distadvantage of Hofstede’s culture dimensions model?
They are conceptualised as bipolar unidimensional continua. An individual could potentially be both e.g. collectivist and individualist. But this system only allows for bipolars.
What is the self?
“… a continually developing sense of awareness & agency that guides action & takes shape as the individual, both brain & body, becomes attuned to the various environments it inhabits. Selves are thus psychological realities that are both biologically … & socioculturally rooted” (Markus & Kitayama, 2010, p. 421)
(when you come into the world you are an organism, but immediately you become enculturated)
What influences the self? There are 4 parts.
The self: emotion, motivation, perception etc
The situation: home, school, workplace
Institutions and products: language, education, political, legal, media etc.
Societal factors and pervasive ideas: What is good, what is moral, historical and economical factors
Describe the idea of mutual constitution btn the self and culture?
Being a person—a self—requires input from sociocultural meanings & practices, & the self is the center of awareness & agency that incorporates & reflects these sociocultural patterns. In turn, peoples’ thoughts, feelings, & actions (i.e., the self) reinforce, & sometimes change, the sociocultural forms that shape their lives. This is the cycle of mutual constitution”
Distinguish btn independent & interdependent self schemas/ cultural self patterns.
Independent schema of self: primary referent is the individual’s own thoughts, feelings, & actions
Interdependent self: interaction with others produces a sense of self as connected to, related to, or interdependent with others (much more collectivist identity).
Loss of child for those countries with high interdependence, caused a …………. in purpose of life.
Decrease
What are the different ‘causes’ of psychopathology according to individualist and collectivist nations ?
Individualist: intrapersonal causes (intra=within=disorder lies within person.
Collectivist: interpersonal causes
Does western psychotherapy emphasise intrapersonal or interpersonal bases of psychopathology?
Intrapersonal
What are common discussion questions regarding different culture approaches to therapy?
Is there too much emphasis on ‘uniqueness’ & ‘individuality’ in personality psychology?
Is there a real East/West division or are these just stereotypes?
Are there collectivist aspects in the West & vice versa (eg. the Union movement)?
e.g. Japan and US examples. Do we really expect these countries to have such clearly defined separations. Could their be collectivists aspects to the US as well?
Explain what these mean:
Social Cognitive theory
Social learning & culture
social cog theory: what we do as persons is shaped by our environment. is the view that people learn by watching others.
Social learning & culture:
the view that people learn by observing others. Associated with Albert Bandura’s work in the 1960s, social learning theory explains how people learn new behaviors, values, and attitudes. For example, a teenager might learn slang by observing peers. E.g. children will imitate adults punching a bobo doll (Bandura).
What main theory is Bandura famous for?
Reciprical determinism: a person’s behaviour both influences and is influenced by BOTH personal factors and the social environment.
IN THE PERSON-SITUATION debate, Bandura doesn’t take a side, he thinks both the person and environment are independent but heavily related!
What are the three types of agency?
i) Personal agency
ii) Proxy agency (influencing others) e.g. child influencing mother
iii) Collective agency (group action)
What is agency generally?
Intentionally influencing life circumstances