Culture-specific Patterns Research Articles

Mouloud Feraoun’s la Terre et le Sang : A Fictionalized Tale

This article is an attempt to present new directions for understanding MouloudFeraoun'sLa terreetle sang (1953). By considering Walter Benjamin's theoreticalreflections, with a particular interest in his concept of « Storytelling », the task is to show thatFeraoun can neither be regarded simply as a transmitter and a translator of the popular verbnor the reproducer of specific cultural patterns, but an artist with a rich and fertile imagination.The present paper examines the novelas an (...)

Модели национальной интеграции в условиях возрастающих иммиграционных потоков

The paper summarizes immigration policy models in Germany, France, the UK, the USA and Canada in response to the growing immigration flows since the second half of the XXth century. By contrast with “traditional” nation states of Western Europe, the USA and Canada have developed on the basis of the settler colonies having melted immigrants of various ethnic and cultural origins. The USA and Canada have been prioritizing immigration as a factor of their national development. Although public culture in these immigration states has been developing on some specific cultural patterns, American and Canadian societies have not generated the concepts and perceptions of an “ethno-cultural” core of the nation as such. One of the reasons for current integration issues in the West is the struggle of immigrants for their collective cultural rights in host societies. Differences in political culture between Western European states and immigration states (the USA and Canada in this case) determine the gap in the institutionalization of collective rights for immigrants and, correspondingly, specific character of integration issues. Transition to the pluralistic model of national integration in the USA and Canada is determined by the following factors. First, due to mass immigration, there emerged liberalization of immigration policies. Secondly, in the post-war period, political cultures in liberal democracies witnessed a pronounced republican tendency, due to the ideological influence generated in times of The African-American Civil Rights Movement.

EPA-0379 – Cognitive dysfunctions in persons from different ethnicity with alcohol dependence

Background Regarding investigations having ethno-cultural character drawing methods are more preferential because a drawing is a universal medium of communication. Peculiarities of cognitive dysfunctions in persons with alcohol dependence are mirrored regarding decline of memory, and namely regarding decrease of productivity of mediated remembering. Material and methods Clinical and experimental examination was made in 134 alcoholic patients, from whom 70 persons of Tuvinian nationality and 64 persons of Russian nationality, permanently living in Republic of Tyva. For study of peculiarities of attitude toward the illness and intellectual safety of patients we used method of pictogram. Results Values of index of reproduction of methods of pictograms, characterizing productivity of mediated remembering in groups of Tuvinians and Russians are low than normative what is associated with cognitive disturbances accompanying alcohol dependence. Level of intellectual safety of persons with alcohol dependence in whose image of pictogram there are alcohol subjects, is characterized reliably by more substantial disturbances of operational side of thinking, decrease of logical appropriateness of associative links (p=0,017) and increase of number of inappropriate associations (p=0,002); decrease of originality of associations (p=0,0004); increase of’confabulative’ associations (p=0,015). Peculiarities of cognitive dysfunctions of alcoholic patients of Tuvinian nationality in whose pictographic images there is alcohol subjects consist of major severity of perseverative tendencies manifested in repetition of one and the same drawing for two or more notions (p=0,042), as compared with ethnic Russians. Conclusions We have revealed specifics of cognitive sphere of Tuvinians characterized by presence of culture-specific associative patterns.

Cultural modulation of face and gaze scanning in young children.

Previous research has demonstrated that the way human adults look at others’ faces is modulated by their cultural background, but very little is known about how such a culture-specific pattern of face gaze develops. The current study investigated the role of cultural background on the development of face scanning in young children between the ages of 1 and 7 years, and its modulation by the eye gaze direction of the face. British and Japanese participants’ eye movements were recorded while they observed faces moving their eyes towards or away from the participants. British children fixated more on the mouth whereas Japanese children fixated more on the eyes, replicating the results with adult participants. No cultural differences were observed in the differential responses to direct and averted gaze. The results suggest that different patterns of face scanning exist between different cultures from the first years of life, but differential scanning of direct and averted gaze associated with different cultural norms develop later in life.

Gender Differences Regarding Informal Caregivers of Older People

The aim of this study was to examine differences related to gender among informal caregivers serving older disabled individuals. A secondary analysis of the most recent national cross-sectional survey, which was conducted in Spain on informal caregivers who served older individuals (65 years of age or older), was conducted in 2011 (N= 1,272, probability sample). The relationships between gender and intensity of care (amount and type of care provided), duration of caregiving, subjective burden, and satisfaction with caregiving were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate procedures. No statistically significant gender differences were found with regard to the intensity of care, duration of caregiving, or satisfaction; however, subjective burden was found to differ between men and women, and this difference was statistically significant (odds ratio = 1.98; p= .012). Because this study was conducted in Spain, a country with strong patriarchal norms with regard to caregiving and familism, whereas gender differences in intensity of care have been reported in countries with low familism, we conclude that cultural diversity can influence the relationship between gender and intensity of care. On the other hand, our study increases the evidence in support of there being gender-based differences in subjective burden among family caregivers serving older people in Western industrial countries. Finally, the results of our study support the hypothesis that sources of satisfaction are more strongly related to the caregiver's personal context and characteristics than to his or her gender. These findings support the following recommendations regarding nursing interventions: (a) nurses should take into account specific cultural patterns in caregiving to improve their understanding concerning the relationships between gender and intensity of care, and (b) gender should be taken into account in interventions that are tailored toward addressing subjective burden.

Domestic Violence in Mexico: Perspectives of Mexican Counselors

Drawing on professional experiences of Mexican counselors, we examined the lives of women who experienced domestic violence from the perspective of those counselors working most closely with them. Although there are many studies that have investigated the origin and perpetuation of domestic violence in Mexico, few have included the participation of counselors. In the present study, we identify common antecedents of abuse from the perspective of counselors and note whether these antecedents match those identified in the literature from the victim’s perspective. Economic resources, psychological treatment, social support, and an awareness of their situation are important factors identified by the counselors in moving women involved in domestic violence toward a positive resolution. According to counselors, economic and emotional dependence, a distorted view of family violence, partner’s addiction to alcohol, social and family pressure, and specific cultural patterns may predict negative outcomes. Differences in antecedents identified by counselors were found in comparison to antecedents identified in literature from the victim’s perspective. The present study revealed that alcohol may decrease inhibition in people who are already prone to use violence. In addition, the participants in this study pointed out other successful resolutions, which are not documented in previous studies. These resolutions are brought about through separation from the abusive partner and help from the legal system.

Somatic presentations of distress in China

Somatic presentations of distress are common cross-culturally and are thought to predominate in Asian cultures such as that of China. From an etic perspective, researchers utilizing empirically validated standardized assessment measures find that somatic symptoms are no more common in individuals of Chinese descent than they are in individuals of European descent. In contrast, patient presentations are heavily influenced by culture and are associated with patterns of illness behavior. The objective of the current review is to determine the culture-specific factors contributing to somatic presentations and descriptions of distress in China. The current review was based on a literature search of PubMed and PsychInfo using the terms 'China,' 'Asia,' 'somatoform,' 'somatization,' and 'psychogenic.' Factors contributing to somatic presentations of distress in China include stigma and help-seeking behavior, and assessment approaches that ignore culture-specific patterns of symptom reporting, fail to incorporate somatic metaphor and Chinese conceptualizations of distress that emphasize bodily sensation, and ignore the role that culture-specific normative data and culture specific response patterns may produce on assessment results. From an emic perspective, there are numerous factors contributing to the appearance of a predominantly somatic presentation of distress in China. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

PROSOCIAL MORAL REASONING AND PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR AMONG TURKISH AND SPANISH ADOLESCENTS

Prosocial moral reasoning and behavior of young people in early and middle adolescence were examined in relation to the association among the variable of cultural group, age, and gender. Adolescents from Valencia, Spain (673 boys, 579 girls) and Ankara, Turkey (185 boys, 145 girls) participated in this study. Results showed significant cultural group differences on both prosocial moral reasoning subscales and peer rating of prosocial behavior with Spanish adolescents scoring higher than Turkish adolescents, and in the pattern of relationships between these variables. There were also age group and gender differences on some types of prosocial moral reasoning and behaviors, but the effect sizes were small and the differences were very small. Findings suggest culture-specific patterns of prosocial behavior among the adolescents in the two samples.

The study of externalizing and internalizing behaviours in Greek, Russian, Indian, and Chinese children using the Fairy Tale Test

The present study investigated externalizing and internalizing behaviours in Greek ( n = 599), Russian ( n = 596), Indian ( n = 571), and Chinese ( n = 376) 7- to-12-year-old children. The Fairy Tale Test was used to measure impulsive and motivated aggression, fear of aggression, anxiety, and depression. The results indicated culture-specific patterns of the aforementioned behaviours. Greek children demonstrated the highest levels of impulsive and motivated aggression, while Russian children had the highest fear of aggression. Chinese children appeared to be most anxious among other cultural groups. Both Russian and Indian children were more depressed than their Greek and Chinese counterparts. Gender and age difference were obtained only for impulsive aggression. Regardless of culture, boys scored higher compared to girls; and 7- to 8-year-old children demonstrated higher level of impulsive aggression than older children. The obtained results are interpreted in light of contextual differences in child socialization in four cultures; suggestions for school psychology practices are offered.

Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders and influence of country of measurement and ethnicity

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is generally somewhat lower in countries outside of North America and Europe. While there are culture-specific patterns of social cognitive processing, the influence of such patterns upon ASD prevalence has yet to be fully explored. A comprehensive literature search for original articles reporting ASD prevalence was undertaken. Data across studies were compared with a particular focus on variables of geographic residence and ethnicity. ASD prevalence varies across countries in a manner that appears to suggest that the greatest influence is due to methodological variables. The nature of a potential influence of culture-specific patterns of cognitive processing upon prevalence remains unknown. The available little data concerning the association between ethnicity and prevalence are limited to studies within the United States (US) showing differences in children of Hispanic descent relative to Whites, a finding for which a definitive explanation is lacking. Available evidence suggests that methodological factors are largely responsible for differences in ASD prevalence across studies. The much discussed increase in prevalence in ASD has been observed worldwide, suggesting that the refinement of diagnostic methodology and/or broadening diagnostic concept is not limited to Western countries. Within individual countries, only in the US has the influence of ethnicity upon ASD prevalence been examined in depth. In the US, children of Hispanic descent have the lowest prevalence of ASD, while Whites tend to have the highest prevalence of ASD. Hypothesized etiological factors for such prevalence differences include methodological factors, socioeconomic variables, and bias.

Cultural Scripts in Narratives about Future Life: Comparisons among Japanese, Chinese and American Students

In this study, we explored cultural scripts in narratives about future life by comparing three different cultural groups. Participants were 236 Japanese, 83 Chinese, and 179 American undergraduates. They were asked to imagine and describe freely one day 10 years ahead. Through content analysis, we found that narratives about one's future life are likely to reflect scripts unique to each culture. Japanese narratives tended to be vague and to focus more on inner states. Chinese narratives were likely to contain concrete goals and behaviors, as well as aspirations. American narratives emphasized a nice job and a happy life with family. A “going with the flow” pattern, “mountain climbing” pattern and “happy ending” pattern were found to be dominant in Japan, China and the U.S., respectively. It is suggested that these culture-specific patterns are similar to the features of cultural texts prevailing in each society. Future research is needed to explore how these scripts emerge and how they influence people's behavior in reality.

Culture, Context, or Behavioral Control?

Joint book reading provides an ecological context for examining processes involved in the emergence of cultural differences in noun and verb use. Tardif, Gelman, & Xu (1999) found that English- and Mandarin-speaking mothers differed in their relative use of nouns and verbs during joint book reading with their 20-month-olds: Mandarin-speaking mothers produced more main verbs and fewer common nouns than did English-speaking mothers. We sought to clarify the source and specificity of these differences by reexamining these transcripts. Results indicated that cross-linguistic differences in noun and verb use do not arise from cross-cultural variation in behavioral control alone; differences persisted in picture-related conversations. Moreover, in both cultures, mothers' focus on objects and actions shifted in response to the nature of the pictures being discussed. Results are considered in terms of the relationship between culture-specific patterns of book reading, scene perception, and language acquisition.

Hymes on speech socialization

AbstractThis article reviews Dell Hymes's formative impact on the study of speech socialization. From the early 1960s on, Hymes addressed issues of language socialization, partly in response to the limitations in Chomsky's powerful theoretical interventions on child language, and partly as an extension of a maturing ethnographic paradigm. Focusing on speech in culture-related behavioral settings, Hymes developed a paradigm that revolved around function and context. While this topic was initially part of the general ethnographic program in Hymes's work, it gave rise to a period of productive research on culture-specific patterns of child language use, the structure of speech repertoires, and functions of speech in socialization, which empirically realized the perspective in Hymes's theoretical discussions.

Psychosocial profiles as mediators of variation in internalizing problems among young immigrants with origins in countries of war and internal conflicts

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of psychosocial risk and resource factors as mediators of differences in internalizing problems between young immigrants with origins in four different countries. The study population included 341 immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. A gap in internalizing problems was confirmed between two apparently healthy national groups (Somalis and Tamils) and two apparently vulnerable groups (Iranians and Vietnamese). Findings showed that psychosocial profiles of risk and resources differed in content between the four groups. The profiles explained significant proportion of variation in internalizing symptoms in all national groups. Multiple mediation analyses verified that differences in school-related problems, self-efficacy and intergenerational conflicts fully or partly accounted for the differences in internalizing symptoms between the healthy and vulnerable national groups. The findings are discussed in light of culture-specific patterns of behaviour and family interaction.

Interdisciplinary Research Within a Modified Competing Values Model of Organizational Performance

An interdisciplinary model of firm performance based on a modified and extended Competing Values Model of Organizational Culture combines elements drawn from three different research traditions-organizational culture and climate from organizational behavior, innovativeness from economics, and market orientation from marketing. The model has been used to analyze firm performance in business-to-business markets in a number of countries in the industrial and the industrializing worlds. In general, successful firms are found to be innovative, market oriented, and to have organizational cultures and decision-making climates which are externally oriented. In most countries, there are also identifiable national culture-specific patterns. In this paper, we focus on the inter-relationships among the streams of research upon which the model is built. Using Brazil, previously unstudied in this context, we attempt to identify a structure among the model elements to test hypotheses about (1) the inter-relationships of the explanatory variables, and (2) the relationships of the explanatory variables to each other and to firm performance. We find that the contributing disciplines produce interpretable results, and that performance is improved by achieving good results simultaneously along several inter-related dimensions.

Fathers' and Mothers' Reports of Involvement in Caring for Infants in Kadazan Families in Sabah, Malaysia

To further examine culture-specific patterns of paternal involvement in childcare, assessments were made of fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of their involvement in caring for and stimulating infants in 41 urban Kadazan families in Sabah, Malaysia. Mothers exceeded fathers in the amount of time they spent in cleaning, feeding, and playing with infants and in their levels of engagement in direct care of infants. With the exception of feeding and singing, fathers and mothers reported engaging in similar amounts of care and stimulation of infant boys and girls. The results are discussed in the context of cultural beliefs about gender role differentiation in early childcare in Kadazan families in a rapidly changing Malaysian society.

Microregulatory patterns of family interactions: Cultural pathways to toddlers' self-regulation.

Pathways to children's self-regulation were examined in 2 cultures representing individualistic and collectivistic orientations. Family interactions were observed in 100 Israeli and 62 Palestinian couples and their firstborn child at 5 months and in a problem-solving task at 33 months. Patterns of gaze, affect, proximity, touch, and parental teaching strategies were coded. Child self-regulation was observed at child care locations. Among Israeli families, interactions involved face-to-face exchange, social gaze, object focus, and active touch in infancy and indirect parental assistance to toddlers. Among Palestinian families, interactions consisted of continuous contact, neutral affect, reduced negative emotionality, and concrete assistance. Levels of self-regulation were comparable and were predicted by culture-specific patterns. Social gaze, touch, and indirect teaching were found to predict self-regulation among Israeli toddlers; contact and concrete assistance were predictors among Palestinians. Discussion considers the ways early relational patterns mirror cultural philosophies on the self and differentially support self-regulation at the transition from family to the larger social context.

Tuning in to musical rhythms: Infants learn more readily than adults

Domain-general tuning processes may guide the acquisition of perceptual knowledge in infancy. Here, we demonstrate that 12-month-old infants show an adult-like, culture-specific pattern of responding to musical rhythms, in contrast to the culture-general responding that is evident at 6 months of age. Nevertheless, brief exposure to foreign music enables 12-month-olds, but not adults, to perceive rhythmic distinctions in foreign musical contexts. These findings may indicate a sensitive period early in life for acquiring rhythm in particular or socially and biologically important structures more generally.

Confidence Judgments on Color Category Best Exemplars

Although basic color terms and basic color appearances have been shown to produce higher confidence ratings in a variety of naming and judgment tasks, our findings suggest that when different ethnolinguistic cultures are compared, higher confidence is not strictly linked to the basic foci of Berlin and Kay nor the centroid samples identified by Boynton and colleagues. This raises important questions about high confidence as evidence of the salience of basic color foci, a point central to the widely accepted basic color-term theoretical framework. This study analyzes confidence judgment data for Vietnamese and English color naming, suggesting that high confidence may be more directly linked to aspects of a task rather than universal focal color stimuli. Culture-specific patterns of naming, an individual’s access to shared cultural knowledge, and goodness of fit between exemplars and names provide a more complete explanation of the higher confidence observed for certain color appearances.

Culture-specific patterns in the prediction of life satisfaction: roles of emotion, relationship quality, and self-esteem.

This study was conducted to explore the culture-specific roles of emotion, relationship quality, and self-esteem in determining life satisfaction. It was hypothesized that maintaining good interpersonal relationships would make individuals in collectivistic cultures not only feel good about their lives but also feel better about themselves. Furthermore, two emotion variables--emotional expression and emotion differentiation--were proposed as possible determinants of relationship quality. It was hypothesized that emotional expressiveness would be more important for maintaining good interpersonal relationships in individualistic societies but emotion differentiation would be more important in collectivistic cultures. These hypotheses were tested with Euro-American, Asian American, Korean, and Chinese groups using multigroup analyses in a structural equation model. Results supported all proposed hypotheses and indicated that emotion differentiation contributes to maintaining good interpersonal relationships in collectivistic cultures, which contributes to self-esteem and satisfaction with life.