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#1
WHAT IS
WHAT IS
CROSS
CROSS
-
-
CULTURAL
CULTURAL
PSYCHOLOGY?
PSYCHOLOGY?
Monika Wrobel, Ph.D.
M17. People Across Cultures: An Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology
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Some information
Some information
…
…
before we start
before we start
Lecture schedule + PowerPoint presentations:
www.psych.uni.lodz.pl
login: student5; password: B.Skinner
Examination
February 3, 2011, 3:00 p.m., room 2
multiple choice test
Contact details
office hours: Monday 1:45 – 3:45 p.m., room 216
e-mail: mwrobel@uni.lodz.pl
phone: 66 555 06 (during office hours)
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Main
Main
goals
goals
of
of
our
our
meetings
meetings
(1)
(1)
Knowledge about the relationship between cultural
variables and human behaviour.
Knowledge and skills that will enable you to better
cooperate and communicate with people from
different cultures.
More insight into your personal experience and
awareness of how your behavior, attitudes, and
values are shaped by culture and vice versa.
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Main
Main
goals
goals
of
of
our
our
meetings
meetings
(2)
(2)
Better understanding and appreciation for the
culture-related diversity.
Awareness of the extent to
which psychology has been
ethnocentric, and that the
reduction of ethnocentrism
is essential for the
development of universal
knowledge.
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Is
Is
the
the
knowledge
knowledge
of
of
other cultures
other cultures
really so necessary?
really so necessary?
Poland’s geographical position
a
growing number of foreigners visiting
our country.
The increasing number of refugees.
A growing number of Poles who
decide to work or study abroad.
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What
What
is
is
culture
culture
?
?
No widely accepted deffintion.
Berry et al. (2003):
CULTURE
= a shared way of life of
a group of people.
What is… „a shared way of life”?
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Culture metaphors
Culture metaphors
Handcuffs
Pizza
House
Organism
Melting pot
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The
The
onion
onion
metaphor
metaphor
of
of
c
c
ulture
ulture
(
(
Hofstede
Hofstede
, 2000)
, 2000)
Symbols
Icons/heroes
Rituals
Values
P
R
A
C
T
IC
E
S
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The
The
iceberg
iceberg
metaphor
metaphor
of
of
culture
culture
(
(
Martinelli
Martinelli
et al., 2000)
et al., 2000)
art
cooking
architecture
clothes
music
conception of beauty
definition of sin
age and sex roles
language
notions of leadership
pace of work
display rules of emotions
conception of time
nature of friendship
definition of insanity
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What
What
can
can
you
you
see
see
?
?
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Interpretation vs. observation
Interpretation vs. observation
INTERPRETATION
Depending on your prior
experiences.
Often biased by
fundamental attribution
error (dispositions &
intentions!).
Leads to evaluation.
She was afraid of me.
A cross-culturally aware person separates
observations from interpretations.
OBSERVATION
Based on suspending
your attributions until
you know enough about
different culture.
She looked down.
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What
What
can
can
you
you
see
see
…
…
now
now
?
?
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Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism
Sumner (1906)
The practice of viewing the world from
one’s own cultural perspective
Iraq =
the Middle East or the Far West?
A strong tendency to use one’s own
group’s standards as general standards
when viewing other groups
us better –
them worse.
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Is psychology e
Is psychology e
thno
thno
centric?
centric?
„When I mention religion, I mean Christian religion;
and not only the Christian religion, but the Protestant
religion, and not only the Protestant religion but the
Church of England.”
“When I mention psychological subject, I mean a
subject from a western industrialized culture; and
not only from a western industrialized culture, but an
American; and not only an American, but a college
student.”
(Jahoda,1970)
WASP
Western Academic Scientific Psychology
(Berry, Poortiga, & Pandley, 1997)
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Limited
Limited
universality
universality
of
of
psychological findings
psychological findings
Müller-Lyer illusion
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Cross
Cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
vs
vs
.
.
mainstream
mainstream
psychology
psychology
(1)
(1)
Cross-cultural psychology attempts to
reduce ethnocentrism by:
recognizing the limitations of our current
knowledge,
seeking to extend our data and theory
through the inclusion of other cultures.
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Cross
Cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
vs
vs
.
.
mainstream
mainstream
psychology
psychology
(2)
(2)
General orientations in psychology:
absolutism,
relativism,
universalism.
Two perspectives in studying human
behavior:
universal or ETIC human behaviors;
culture-specific or EMIC human behaviors
.
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Cross
Cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
-
-
definition
definition
No widely accepted definition.
Berry et al. (1992) - cross-cultural psychology is
the study of:
similarities
and
differences
in individual functioning in
various cultural and ethnic groups;
the relationships between
psychological
variables and
socio-cultural
,
ecological
, and
biological
variables;
and of changes of this variables.
CULTURE
HUMAN
FUNCTIONIG
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History of cross
History of cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
(1)
(1)
1901 – W. River, expedition to India.
The 60’s
3 ground-breaking events:
1965/66 – meeting at the University of Nigeria
(Cross-Cultural Social Psychology Newsletter;
now:
Cross-Cultural Psychology Bulletin);
1968 – directory
International Journal of
Psychology;
1970 –
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
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History of cross
History of cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
(2)
(2)
August 1972 – inaugural meeting of the
International Association for Cross-Cultural
Psychology (IACCP):
the University of Hong-Kong,
110 psychologists from different cultures,
July 2000 - IACCP congress in Pultusk (Poland).
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Goals
Goals
of
of
cross
cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
Testing the universality
of existing psychological
knowledge and theories
“transport and test goal”.
Exploring other cultures
in order to discover cultural
and psychological variations which are not present
in our own limited cultural experience.
Assembling and integrating
into a broadly based
psychology, the results obtained when pursuing the
first two goals.
Generating more universal psychology.
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Applications of cross
Applications of cross
-
-
cultural
cultural
psychology
psychology
Trainings for people
living and working
abroad.
Trainings for
international companies.
Counseling.
Cultural adaptation of
psychological
measures.
Educational programs
for children and
adolescents.