IB Psychology 2.13.17 Today’s Agenda: Turn in: Emic & Etic Concepts Berry (1967) Zhang (2010) HW: CRA 4.6-4.7 Turn in: Nothing Take out: Notes, notes, notes Today’s Learning Objectives: Using one or more examples, explain “emic” and “etic” concepts.

Another interlude from NPR… http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/13/514353285/depression-strikes-todays-teen-girls-especially-hard

Culturally Specific and Cross-Cultural Studies Emic and Etic Concepts

Emic = (m) = mono = one Etic = (t) = two or more

Definitions Etic Concept Emic Concept An explanation used to understand a culture in scientific terms by comparing the culture to others and addressing the universals of human behavior In other words, what do we all have in common? Accounts, descriptions and explanations used to understand a culture in its cultural context. It is an attempt to learn the concepts of a culture and see the world the way they do. In other words, what can I learn from taking another’s perspective?

Etic Approach Comparing two more cultures in a cross-cultural approach Can be used as an attempt to find cross-cultural similarities in behaviour or universal behaviours Examples: Bond and Smith meta-analysis of conformity WHO study on depression Levine’s study on prosocial behaviour

Emic Approach An attempt to study culturally specific phenomena (behaviour relevant to one culture) Examples: Bartlett’s observations of the Swazi herdsmen Hopi (Native American) Depression Papua New Guinea

Etic: WHO Study of Depression How is it an example of an etic approach? Compares across different cultures Who was involved? Switzerland; Japan; Canada; Iran What were the four culturally similar symptoms? Sadness; joylessness; anxiety; sense of insufficiency What were the culturally specific symptoms? Chinese participants more somatic symptoms; 40% displayed symptoms not in the diagnostic scheme used (thus; culture plays a role in the expression of depression symptoms)

Emic: Native American Depression What were the five illness categories of depression for the Hopi people? Worry sickness; unhappiness; heartbroken; drunken-like craziness; disappointment What was one culturally specific behaviour discovered in this study? The patterns of symptoms for being “heartbroken” were different to Western cultures