Topics and Resources

topics

preferred topics

understanding cultural metaphors

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Resources

Topics

(This paper may be an oral history of an individual who grew up in Europe or a European colony.)

WebPages from the "Countries" pulldown menu above

The UMD Library

Catalogue

Anthropology Data Bases available at the UMD Library

AnthroSource

eHRAF Ethnography

JSTOR

Videos (VC) at the UMD Library

international students -- UMD

The UMD International Club -- Karin Robbins, Second Floor Kirby Student Center

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students returning from Study Abroad programs

your own personal experiences

people who are from the country

people from the UMD Experts List

professors who teach area courses

City of Duluth Sister City Commission

Ohara, Japan

Petrozavodsk, Russia

Vaxjo, Sweden

Thunder Bay, Canada

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Topics

Resources

geographical orientation

maps available from the "Countries" pulldown menu above

explain the pros and cons of the cultural metaphor chosen

What's happening this week in ____________?

check the online newspapers

e.g., Thailand

How is the country presented in the US news?

check the local, regional and national papers

What are the country's national symbols?

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historical profile of the country

". . . but only as it reflects cultural mind-sets, or the manner in which its members think, feel, and act; not a detailed history"

economic profile of the country

total lifestyle: work / leisure / home and time allocations to each of them

"organization and perspective on work, such as a society's commitment to the work ethic, superior-subordinate relationships, and so on"

demographic profile of the country

political profile of the country

social structure

class structure (if appropriate)

social differentiation (if appropriate)

major ethnic groups (if any)

roles and statuses of different members of a society

power and social control

law and legal systems

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marriage and kinship customs

separation and divorce

early socialization and family structure

educational system

language and communication

religion

national anthem, with lyrics

small group behavior

public behavior

leisure pursuits and interests

art

music

architecture

literature

holidays

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special ceremonies and rituals

religious

secular

special traditions and the degree to which the established order is emphasized

greeting behavior

humor

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sports as a reflection of cultural values

food and eating behavior

rate of technological and cultural change

aural space

health and illness

death and dying

relationship with neighboring countries

globalization?

conflict management

What are the major social problems in the country?

any other categories that are appropriate

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Chapter 1: Understanding Cultural Metaphors

Kluckholn and Strodtbeck information (below)

Edward T. Hall information (below)

Geert Hofstede information (below)

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Kluckholn and Strodtbeck note that each society has a dominant cultural orientation that can be described in terms of six dimensions (cf. text, pp. 8-9)

What do members of a society assume about the nature of people, that is, are people good, bad, or a mixture?
- these kinds of beliefs are sometimes called “existential postulates”
What do members of a society assume about the relationship between a person and nature, that is, should we live in harmony with it or subjugate it?

these kinds of beliefs are sometimes called “normative postulates”

What do members of a society assume about the relationship between people, that is, should a person act in an individual manner or consider the group before taking action (individualism vs. collectivism or groupism, in terms of such issues as making decisions, conformity, and so forth)?
What is the primary mode of activity in a given society?

that is, being, or accepting the status quo, enjoying the current situation, and going with the flow of things
or doing, that is, changing things to make them better, setting specific goals and accomplishing them within specific schedules, and so forth

What is the conception of space in a given society?
- that is, is it considered private, in that meetings are held in private, people do not get too close to one another physically, and so on
- or public, that is, having everyone participate in meetings and decision making, allowing emotions to be expressed publicly, and having people stand in close proximity to one another
What is the society’s dominant temporal orientation?
- past
- present
- and / or future

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Edward T. Hall (cf. text, pp. 9-11)

made many discoveries in how people learn language

analyzed the levels of learning

Context

or the amount of information that must be explicitly stated if a message or communication is to be successful

Space

or the ways of communicating through specific handling of personal space

e.g., North Americans tend to keep more space between them while communicating than do South Americans

Time, which is either

monochronic

scheduling and completing one activity at a time

or polychronic

not distinguishing between activities and starting and / or completing them simultaneously

Information flow

which is the structure and speed of messages between individuals and / or organizations

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Geert Hofstede (cf. text, pp. 10-11)

prominent organizational psychologist

research is based on a large questionnaire survey of IBM employees and managers working in 53 different countries

especially significant because the type of organization is held constant

Power distance

or the degree to which members of a society automatically accept a hierarchical or unequal distribution of power in organizations and the society

Uncertainty avoidance

or the degree to which members of a given society deal with the uncertainty and risk of everyday life and prefer to work with long-term acquaintances and friends rather than with strangers

Individualism

or the degree to which an individual perceives him- or her-self to be separate from a group and free from group pressure to conform

Masculinity

or the degree to which a society looks favorably on aggressive and materialistic behavior

Time horizon (short term to long term)

or the degree to which members of a culture are willing to defer present gratification in order to achieve long-term goals

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ANTH 3635-001 s2013

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