Sociocultural definitions

sociocultural unit psych IB

Hall’s cultural iceberg theory/model

a metaphorical model used to describe culture as having both visible and invisible layers. The visible aspects of culture, such as food, clothing, and music, are just the tip of the iceberg, while the invisible aspects, such as values, beliefs, and attitudes, make up the larger, submerged portion of the iceberg

social identity theory

individuals define themselves in part by the social groups they belong to theory suggests that people have an innate drive to evaluate their own social worth by comparing themselves with others

social cognitive theory

emphasizes the importance of social learning in shaping human behaviour, cognition, and motivation

primary socialisation

the process of learning and internalizing the values, norms, beliefs, and customs of one's culture during childhood

secondary socialisation

occurs during an individual's later stages of life, happens in adolescence and adulthood

stereotypes

generalizations made about groups of people based on their membership in a particular social category, such as race, gender, or age

stereotype formations

stereotype threat

a psychological phenomenon where individuals experience anxiety and fear of confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, leading to underperformance in related tasks

culture

a complex system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artefacts that characterize a group or society

Hofstede’s cultural dimensions

a set of six cultural dimensions that were developed by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede to explain how cultural values influence behaviour in different cultures

long-term vs short-term orientation

the extent to which a culture values long-term commitments and traditions versus short-term goals and immediate gratification.

cultural norms

the unwritten rules, expectations, and standards of behaviour that are shared and accepted within a particular cultural group

enculturation

the process by which individuals learn and internalize the values, norms, and beliefs of their culture. This process begins in childhood and continues throughout one's life, through various forms of socialization such as family, peers, education, media, and religious institutions

acculturation

the process by which individuals or groups from different cultures come into contact with each other and adopt aspects of each other's culture, this can occur through various means such as migration, globalization, and communication

acculturative stress

stress refers to the psychological, emotional, and physiological impact of adjusting to a new cultural environment or adapting to a different culture

two-dimensional model of acculturation

there are two independent dimensions to acculturation: cultural maintenance and contact with other cultures

cultural assimilation

the process by which individuals or groups from a minority culture adopt the cultural practices and norms of a dominant culture, often at the cost of their own cultural identity

cultural appreciation

the recognition and celebration of the unique values, traditions, and practices of a particular cultural group, without the intent to appropriate or exploit them.

cultural appropriation

the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture without proper understanding, respect, or acknowledgement of their significance or history