Lec2: How culture evolve

What are the levels of mental programming?

• How you think

• how you behave in a situation

Different levels of thinking/Why people behave differently:

• people can be grouped by their values/culture (UO grads vs. UofT grads)

• personality/characteristic (you vs. your sibling)

• human nature/ biology (you vs. chicken)

Culture is most relevant level → learning values from past generations & people around you

What is 2. culture?

Learned from ancestors, family, friends → shared phenomenon within social groups

• to be a culture, must be shared by others → a set of attributes & norms

• more than national → people from same religion have own culture

What creates culture?

Differences between 3 create culture:

• Artifacts → what can physically see/is obvious → shaped by values & unconscious underlying assumptions

• Expoused values → explicitly stated beliefs

• Underlying assumptions → implicit/hidden beliefs

Why do cultures differ?

1. ETIC → how one dresses in hot vs. cold climate, near sea vs. mountains → language (use of non-verbal)

2. EMIC → interpretation of behaviours → people behave different in different contexts

• same behaviour means something else in different contexts & cultures (ex. shaking hands)

Tech transfers culture:

• social media transfers slang, jargon, clothing, etc.

Political:

• peaceful nation vs. defensive nation (military defense from neighbours, more cautious, less open)

Why are there still cultural differences despite globalization: religion/institutions?

Why do differences persist?

• Religion → retain rules & traditions, less impacted by globalization

→ generational transfer maintained by social institutions → family, education, etc.

Why do cultural differences persist: language?

Persian language → very poetic & emotional tone

• shows how they culturally view the world

• how different languages describe the same thing shows cultural differences (ex. Indigenous languages have 4 words for types of snow)

How do cultures change??

Cant be changed easily → adjust to diff cultures & profiles

• can have a combo of cultures

• Separation, assimilation, exclusion, multi-culturism, co-existence

How do cultures change: Separation?

want to maintain home culture → ex. forced refugee (exclude self)

How do cultures change: Assimilation?

Want to adopt host culture 100% → lost home culture

What is Acculturation?

Change from one of the 5 types:

• Separation, assimilation, exclusion, multi-culturism, co-existence

What is bi-culturation?

Adapt to 1 of the types more than the other: separation, assimilation, exclusion, multi-culturism, co-existence

• ex. home more than host culture

• exclusion more than assimilation

How do cultures change: exclusion?

Not adopting host or home culture → no culture (deemed as “bad)

How do cultures change: multi-culturism?

Embracing both home & host culture → deemed as “good” or the healthiest

How do cultures change: co-existence?

Toleration → not choosing host or home culture → not good/bad

Which is more important: organization or country culture?

Country → because grow up with it, unconscious thinking, natural to you, autopilot

• When org culture differs from country culture → impacts your behaviour

• Conflicted disagreements → solution: fit org culture to country culture