1. Cultural Conditioning
Lynn W. Zimmerman, PhD

2. Universal, Cultural, or Personal
ways in which all people in all groups are the same
Cultural
what a particular group of people have in common with each other and how they are different from every other group
Personal
ways in which each one of us is different from everyone else, including those in our group

3. Two Important Points
1. Because of universal behavior, not everything about people in another culture is going to be different; some of what you already know about human behavior is going to apply to this other culture.
2. Because of personal behavior, not everything you learn about another culture is going to apply in equal measure, or at all, to every individual in that culture.

4. U/C/P Activity 1. Sleeping with a bedroom window open.
8. Eating with knife, fork, & spoon. 9. Being wary of strangers. 10. Calling a waiter with a hissing sound. 11. Feeling sad at the death of a loved one. 12. Wearing white mourning robes for 30 days after the death of your mother. 13. Not liking wearing mourning robes for 30 days after the death of your mother.
1. Sleeping with a bedroom window open.
2. Running from a dangerous animal.
3. Considering snakes to be “evil.”
4. Men opening doors for women.
5. Respecting older people.
6. Liking spicy food.
7. Preferring playing soccer to reading a book.

5. The Process of Cultural Conditioning
How do people acquire their culture?
How do they learn all the behaviors that are regarded as right and wrong in their society?

6. Two Phases of Cultural Conditioning
Childhood conditioning
infants and young children learn basic activities of life
eating, walking, talking, dressing, bathing, etc.
Adult conditioning
people learn new behaviors or new ways to perform already conditioned behaviors
learning to use a Turkish toilet or eat with your hands rather than with silverware

7. The Concept of Self: Individualism
identifies primarily with self
the needs of the individual before needs of the group
looking after and taking care of oneself
self-sufficient
independence
self-reliance
people tend to distance themselves psychologically and emotionally from each other.

8. The Concept of Self: Collectivism
one’s identity is in large part a function of one’s membership and role in a group
survival and success of the group ensures the well-being of the individual
considering the needs and feelings of others, one protects oneself
harmony and the interdependence of group members
group members are relatively close psychologically and emotionally, but distant toward nongroup members

9. Characteristics & Behaviors
1. Intergroup rivalry is strong.
2. Employee-of-the-year awards are offered.
3. People adhere to tradition.
4. People are promoted based on production and results.
5. Contracts in business are used frequently.
6. There is a need for autonomy.
7. People change jobs frequently.
8. People believe that conflict clears the air.
9. There is a need for affiliation.
10. Short-term relationships are common.
11. It’s okay to stand out.
12. Face saving is important.
13. It’s common for mothers to ask their preschoolers what they want to wear today.
14. Decisions are made by consensus.
15. The language has one word for mother’s brother, another for father’s brother.
16. Marriages are arranged.

10. Individualism and competition
What are some forms of competition?
People are promoted based on production and results.
It’s okay to stand out.
Competition manifests itself in different ways.

11. The Space Race October Sky
based on a true story of a boy, Homer Hickam
grew up in the coal mining town of Coalwood, WV
became a NASA engineer
Note what you see that gives you a picture of American culture at that time
Look for signs of America as an individualistic and competitive culture

12. Discussion
What can we say about American culture, based on this film clip?

13. Akeelah and the Bee About the National Spelling Bee
Make note of what gives you a picture of American culture
Look for signs of it portraying America as an individualistic and competitive culture.

14. Discussion
What do you learn about America culture from these clips?

15. Classifying competition
Based on the two film clips and our discussion, is competition U/C/P?
Why?
Give examples.

16. HW4: How competitive is your culture?
Write a word paragraph.
Think about some of the issues raised today and your culture.
What are people in your culture competitive about?
When do they learn to be competitive (or not)?
Based on your example, do you think your culture tends to be more collectivist or more individualist? Why

17. References
Peace Corps. (n.d.). Culture matters: The Peace Corps cross-cultural workbook. Washington, DC: Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange.