Culture & Personality Kimberley A. Clow kclow2@ uwo .ca http://instruct. uwo .ca/psychology/257e-570 Office Hour: Thursdays 2-3pm Office: S302
Dec 31, 2015
Culture & Personality
Kimberley A. Clow
[email protected]://instruct.uwo.ca/psychology/257e-570
Office Hour: Thursdays 2-3pmOffice: S302
Outline
What is CultureApproaches to Culture
Comparative ApproachEmic vs. Etic
Types of CultureEvokedTransmittedUniversal
Summary
How Do We Compare?
In some ways We are like all other people We are like some others We are like nobody else
How does culture shape who we are?
What is Culture?
DefinitionsShared system of meaning that provide the
standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating, communicating, and acting among those who share a language, a historic period, and a geographic location
The way people understand their world and make sense of it through a shared system of meaning
Why Study Culture?
ReasonsDiscover whether concepts of personality
that are prevalent in one culture are also applicable in other cultures
Discover whether cultures differ in the levels of particular personality traits
Discover whether the factor structure of personality traits varies across cultures
Discover whether certain features of personality are universal
Approaches to Culture
How to handle cultural differencesDenialDeconstructionismComparative Approach
Three Major Types of CulturesEvoked CultureTransmitted CultureCultural Universals
Culture in Personality Theories
Psychodynamic ApproachFreud’s TheoryJung’s Archetypes
Learning ApproachAllport
Culture is part of what it means to be a person
Trait ApproachDo factors hold up across cultures?
An Example
Personality in SpainDo people use the same personality traits in
the U.S. and Spain?
Emic ApproachIndigenous assessment of personality
Spanish personality adjectives
Etic ApproachImported assessment of personality
Translated Big Five questionnaire
Evoked Culture
A way of considering culture that concentrates on phenomena that are triggered in different ways by different environmental conditionsA universal underlying mechanismEnvironmental differences in activating that
underlying mechanismExample
Southern Culture of Honor
Transmitted Culture
Representations (ideas, values, beliefs, attitudes) that exist originally in at least one person's mind that are transmitted to other minds through observation or interaction with the original person
Might explain cultural differences inMorals & ValuesSelf-Concepts
Etiquette: East vs. West
Displays of TemperTone of VoiceModesty vs. PrideLaughingComplimentsUsing First Names
TouchingDisclosuresOffensive
GesturesAgreeingFormalityFace
Structural Framework - Japan
Historical Background
Cultural Practices
Specific Episodes
Psychological Tendencies
Religion: - Buddhism (compassion, Nirvana)
- Confucianism (roles, respect for ancestors)
Linguistics: Word for "self" = "my share"
Proverbs: "a nail that stands out is hammered down"
Legal System: - duty - remorse
Host decides for the guest.
Children eat, sleep, learn in groups.
Compliments are refused.
"Aren't you ashamed?"
- Focus on group context - Self is context dependent - Improvement "Fitting in"
Variation Within Cultures
-0.5
-0.3
-0.1
0.1
0.3
0.5
Low High
Identification
AmericaIndonesia
-0.5
-0.3
-0.1
0.1
0.3
0.5
Low High
Identification
AmericaIndonesia
Individualism
Collectivism
Cultural Values
Hofstede studied IBM employees in 50 different countriesFound four cultural value dimensions
Power DistanceCanada vs. India
Uncertainty AvoidanceJapan vs. Hong-Kong
Individualism / CollectivismUS vs. China
Masculinity / FemininityBrazil vs. Mexico
A Different Take
TrompenaarsIndividualism vs. Collectivism
US vs. ChinaUniversalism vs. Particularism
Germany vs. Hong-KongNeutral vs. Affective Relationships
Japan vs. MexicoSpecific vs. Diffuse RelationshipsAchievement vs. Ascription
UK vs. India
Cultural Universals
Attempt to identify features of personality that appear to be universal, or present in most or all cultures
Some ExamplesGender StereotypesEmotionPersonality Factors
Summary
Cultural psychology studies the influence of cultural factors on people’s personality
Every approach to personality needs to account for cross-cultural differences
Global cross-cultural differences do not imply uniformity within each cultureSubcultures do exist! Individual differences are also present