Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Chapter 12 Cultural Influences: Generalization and Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Chapter Spotlights Cultural generalizations Cross-cultural perspectives Culture in the U.S.

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Cultural Generalizations Culture is pervasive It’s in most every corner of people’s lives High-context style—is where the communication has most of the information in either the physical way it’s presented or the person receiving it already knows the meaning Low-context style—the knowledge of the ins and outs of the society is not as widespread Culture is functional

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Generalizations (continued) Culture is learned/shared Enculturation: learning about one’s own culture and/or assimilating into it Acculturation: learning about the ways of a culture which is foreign and/or assimilating into it

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Socialization The process through which we strive to acquire the characteristic ways of behaving, the values, norms, and attitudes of the social unit of which we are part Influences on socialization Family Religion Education Mass media

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Culture Is Dynamic It undergoes constant change Major factors contributing to change are: Technology Cultural diffusion: occurs when people in one culture become exposed to people and/or ways of another culture (e.g., the “western” influence, or “eastern” influence) Natural, political, and conflict events Climatic changes, earthquakes, wars, etc.

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Culture Is Environmentally Dependent Refers to the influence of geography and natural resources on culture Weather patterns (temperature, precipitation, length of days, hours of sunlight, etc.) Topography (living in a mountainous area as opposed to ocean-side area or the plains) The abundance of oil, availability of timber, minerals, water, etc.

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Rejection of Culture It is most common in periods of political, social, economic or technological change Four rejection paths: Hedonism Etherealization Search for community Activism

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Cross-Cultural Perspectives Is there a global culture? It is a myth! Economic integration (EU, NAFTA) versus political disintegration (the former Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia) Comparing and contrasting cultures is a multifaceted venture

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 The Consumer’s Culture View Ethnocentrism: the tendency to view one’s own culture as better or even superior to others Consumer ethnocentrism: tendency to desire to buy goods or services only from native land (a measure: The CETSCALE) Cultural animosity: having a strong aversion (or hatred, in some cases) to people of another particular country Cultural relativism: judging or viewing any behavior, value, or norm within its own social or cultural setting

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Cultural Comparison—A Key Values Approach Individualism versus collectivism cultures Individualism: putting one’s own advancement and welfare ahead of everybody else’s Collectivism: putting the good of others, the groups we belong to, and the society at large above our own How would you classify the U.S. culture?

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Masculinity Versus Femininity Masculine societies—male roles are considered superior to those of the female High value placed on monetary gain, material possessions, competition, being successful, being assertive, and aggressive Feminine societies—female roles are considered as superior High value placed on nurturing, family, quality of life, social responsibility, and environmental quality

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 High Versus Low Power Distance Cultures Power distance relates to the level of social inequality and how willing members of a society are to accept authority at all levels Very high power distance cultures: difference in power between the most and least powerful individuals or groups is great; authority is readily accepted Low power distance cultures: informal relationships, more equality, and shared authority

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 High Versus Low Uncertainty Avoidance Cultures Cultural acceptance levels of ambiguity are indications of willingness to avoid uncertainty High uncertainty avoidance (a “certainty” culture)—routinized behavior patterns, many rules and regulations, low tolerance of new ideas and ways to do things Low uncertainty avoidance (an “uncertainly” culture)—”go with the flow”

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Abstract Versus Associative Thinking Cultures Abstract thinking—cultures where members are logical thinkers interested in the principle of cause and effect, Associative thinking—cultures where connections or associations with people, celebrities, and events impact on the importance of things,

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 The Confucian Dynamic Impact on Cultures Confucian Dynamic scale includes the following values at its positive end: persistence, hard work, thrift, shame, and regard for relationships that indicate a future-oriented dynamic mentality (on the opposite end are values indicating a static mentality)

Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Culture in the United States Traditional American values and consumption (see Exhibit 12-3) Emergent American values and consumption (see Exhibits 12-5 & 12-6)