8. hl essay

intro

globalization,

As globalization accelerates, individuals often find themselves balancing influences from both their local and global environments

local and global culture, cultural research

identity confusion, delocaliaztion, japan specific

globalization

process of interaction and integration among people from diff nations driven by intl trade investment and modern info technology

local culture and global culture

cultural psych define the culture we grow up with and share with those in our immediate environment as local culture.

in contrast global culture refers to the culture we encounter and may adapt to through travel, working in intl companies, or media and social networking

identity confusion

According to Erikson's (1963) theory of psychosocial development, adolescence is a critical stage for identity formation. If individuals fail to successfully navigate this stage, they may experience identity confusion

delocalization

some argue that globalization increases proportion of young people who develop a global consciousness but lack a strong connection to their local environment —> phenomenon known as delocalization. For some, delocalization can lead to feelings of alienation due to the absence of a clear cultural identity.

cultural research

Cultural research can be approached in two primary ways: the etic and emic approaches. The etic approach examines different cultures and cultural groups from an external perspective, while the emic approach focuses on in-depth studies of specific cultures from within.

japan specific

Japan, a traditionally collectivist society, exemplifies the conflict between its collectivistic 

values and the individualistic values of the Western world, such as competitiveness and self-sufficiency. In Japan, individualism is often perceived more negatively than in the U.S., as it is associated with selfishness and loneliness. As individualism is relatively new in Japan, people may distance themselves from existing relationships without actively forming new ones, potentially decreasing happiness. In Japan, interpersonal relationships are a crucial source of happiness and subjective well-being.

This essay will discuss the influence of globalization on individual identity and behavior, with reference to emic studies by Ogihara & Uchida (2014) and Norasakkunkit & Uchida (2014) / or to what extent globalization may influence behavior

• It is important to investigate this topic to better understand the cultural, social, and psychological implications of globalization. The insights gained from such research can inform policies and practices in education, mental health, and social services. For instance, to develop culturally sensitive programs that help individuals navigate the complexities of living in a globalized world. 

Ogihara and Uchida aim

correlational study to investigate the effect that working in an individualistic workplace would have on the subjective well-being of Japanese women on 34 adult Japanese women who worked for an insurance company where performance and achievement-oriented goals were posted on office walls. The participants answered surveys related to individualistic and collectivistic orientation, subjective well-being, and the nature of their relationships.

link back ogihara and uchida

The results suggest that even in the study's achievement-oriented environment, Japanese participants who were achievement-oriented scored lower on subjective well-being and had fewer close friends. The lower levels of well-being in the Japanese sample may be due to the transition that Japan is currently experiencing, where globalization is promoting individualism in the workplace while the local culture is maintaining traditional collectivistic values.

TO link back, the study illustrates how globalization's promotion of individualistic values, such as achievement and personal success in the insurance company environment, can conflict with Japan's traditional collectivistic values. This clash between global and local cultural influences can negatively impact individual behavior, leading to lower subjective well-being and fewer close friendships,  

ogihara and uchida link back

1replicability due to use of structured questionnaire to survey participants on individualistic and collectivistic orientations, subjective wellbeing, nature of relations. standardized, can repeat and verify in diff settings

2high eco validity -? actual employees with working experience in indiv setting. genuine experience

3,limited causal establish. potential bidirectional ambiguity. those with fewer friends = drawn to work in environment

risk of participant bias çsocial desirability. specifically in a collectivist culture where conformity to social expectations is highly valued… Participants may have downplayed their individualistic tendencies or overstated their well-being to align with cultural norms.

norasakkunkit and uchida aim

correlational study investigate relationship between individual;s attitude towards collectivism and conformity (both valued in japan) to the risk of hikikomori.  To test their hypothesis, as getting access to people who suffer from hikikomori is very difficult, the researchers used a sample of 195 Japanese university students.

hikikomori

Hikikomori is a culture-bound syndrome found primarily in Japan where young Japanese may lock themselves in their rooms and refuse to come out for years at a time.  The disorder, also known as “social isolation syndrome,” has three key characteristics: 1. No motivation to participate in school or work; 2. No signs of other psychological disorders; 3. Persistent social withdrawal for at least six months.

The disorder primarily affects young men

norasakkunkit and uchida procedure

standardized test to see whether at high or low risk for hikikomori. then gave participants a test to measure attitudes on social harmony and conformity. test looked at 3 levels: perception of current , ideal self and general japan society. also asked to take a test to measure sense of local identity (high on social harmony and collectivism) and global identity (high on individualism and achievement).

norasakkunkit and uchida results

both groups agreed that social harmony and conformity were highly valued by japanese society. however, when assessing current and ideal self, students at high risk for hikikomori ranked social harmony values much lower than low risk students.

high risk students would ideally like to be lower in harmony seeking and conformity than what they perceive to be the case in jap society.

also, high risk students scored lower than low risk on local and global identities

To link back, this study illustrates how globalization, which introduces a global culture focused on individualism and achievement, can create tension with Japan’s local culture that values social harmony and conformity.appears that local culture may alienate many japanese youth who may decide not to conform to the cultural norms but do not identify with or know how to access the globalized culture; so they withdraw from society

eval of norasakkunkit and uchida

relatively large sample size - (195), generalizable. The study's focus on Japanese students is appropriate given that hikikomori is a phenomenon primarily observed in Japan. culturally specific construct such as hikikomori ensures that the findings are relevant and tailored to the population being studied, which increases the study's ecological validity.

high replicability - standardized test. allow data collection from large sample gathered in short period of time.

sampling bias - uni students are typically more educated and may come from more stable financial backgrounds compared to the general population. findings may not extend to individuals from different socioeconomic or educational. ex) lower socioeconomic backgrounds may experience H due to different factors.

analogous approach by focusing on students at high risk for hikikomori rather than actuall hikikomori. While this approach allows for an exploration of potential precursors to hikikomori, it limits the generalizability of the findings to actual cases, psychological and social dynamics of individuals who have already withdrawn from society may differ from those merely at risk. further research actually involving hikiko?

holisitc eval of globalization’s influence on one behavior

ability to predict how continued globalization may affect individual behaviors - ex:potential increase in social withdrawal among youth who cannot reconcile traditional and globalized cultural expectations. 

limited ability to test effect of globalization on indivudal behavior - correlations used… difficult to operationalize variables due to complexity ex: culture change, econ influence, social value

construct validity - difficult to measure levels of globalization ;’ complex process. confounding such as globalization diff, urbanization, etc. Also, migration policies, technology, and access to media may also be variables that may affect globalization.

also ongoing process ; req longitudinal

potential for biased understanding of globalization and effects on behavior ; bc both specific japanese - difficult to generalizable and tarnsfer

conclusion for twe

 Ultimately, while studies suggest that globalization may shape individual behaviors to a great extent, the direction and magnitude of this influence require careful consideration to provide a comprehensive understanding because different societies may experience and respond to globalization in diverse ways, depending on their unique cultural values, histories, and levels of exposure to global influences.

holistic eval of studies supporting globalization influence on one behavior

high replicability - standardized / ex: structured questionnaire

large sample size - generalizability ex: 195 hikikomori

limied generalizability → homogeneous samples such as uni students / diff effect of globalization? also analogous approach of high risk hikiko rahter than actual

general challenge: limited ability to actually test —> correlational methods but potential bidirectional ambiguity. diff to operationalize (ex: culture change, econ influence, social value - complexity of glob)

also difficult to measure level of globalization

conclusion. need more nuance and longitudinal research for how glob shapes ind. behaviors