Differences In Cultural Norms Research Articles

Effect of Socio-economic Aspects on Women Work Force Participation Level in West Bengal, India

The participation of women in the workforce is crucial for the growth and development of an economy. Women contribute a significant portion of the total workforce, accounting for forty per cent. In rural India, the participation of women in the workforce is an important factor in bringing about social change. This has had a positive impact on women's empowerment and financial inclusion, as well as the overall living standards of their families. However, due to differences in cultural norms, the acceptability of women's working status varies across different regions in India. To shed light on this issue, the present study has been conducted in West Bengal state of India. Considering the regions defined by the NSSO, the study focused on five districts, one from each region, and interviewed 400 women engaged in economic activities. The results revealed that there are significant differences in livelihood opportunities across the regions. Education level is found to be a key factor in determining occupational status, job satisfaction, and decision-making power. Moreover, service is the most acceptable working status for family members of respondents. However, the study also finds that long working hours and location of work have significant impact on the acceptance level of women's working status. Socio-cultural issues are the major predictors of women's working status. To increase women's participation in the workforce and improve their working status, it is important to provide diversified working opportunities, develop need-based skills, and increase social awareness.

Child Death in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Simulation Case for Pediatric Residents to Prepare for Global Health Electives.

Pediatric residents are increasingly pursuing global health electives. Differences in cultural norms and management around pediatric deaths in resource-limited settings can be emotionally overwhelming for residents. Educational resources are needed to better equip them for handling these stressful situations. We developed a predeparture simulation child death case to prepare pediatric residents for their global health elective. The simulation module included a clinical case followed by a multidisciplinary structured debriefing. The case featured a 5-year-old, malnourished child in hypovolemic shock who clinically deteriorates and dies. After obtaining a history and performing a physical examination, residents were expected to diagnose severe malnutrition, treat hypovolemic shock, and decide how far to extend resuscitation with the limited resources. Upon returning from abroad, residents were invited to complete a survey on the utility of the simulation case module in preparing for their elective. Twenty-nine residents participated in the simulation case module, and 18 completed the survey. Seventeen agreed or strongly agreed that the simulation module was a useful tool for preparation (Mdn = 4.5 on a 5-point Likert scale). Residents reflected that the simulation module helped manage expectations and provided them with an understanding of the cross-cultural differences in managing pediatric deaths in a resource-limited setting. Pediatric residents trained in resource-rich countries do not encounter death often. Postgraduate training programs could consider simulations like this one to prepare such residents for cross-cultural differences in managing pediatric deaths and build resiliency to operate in resource-limited settings.

Cultural differences in the relations between expressive flexibility and life satisfaction over time.

Expressive flexibility refers to the ability to assess situational demands and adjust one's emotion expressions via enhancement or suppression. It has been associated with lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and greater social acceptance. These relationships, however, have not yet been examined across cultures-where prior research has found cultural differences in norms on emotion displays and their associations with mental health. This study examined expressive flexibility across three cultural groups and their associations with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms over time. 276 first-year college students (146 Asian American, 71 European Americans, and 62 Latinx Americans) completed two online surveys during the first (T1) and thirteenth week (T2) of the Fall 2020 academic semester. Results revealed no significant cultural group differences in the ability to enhance or suppress emotions. However, we found a significant ethnicity x enhancement ability interaction in predicting T2 life satisfaction, controlling for T1 life satisfaction, age, gender, and emotion regulation frequency. Specifically, greater ability to enhance one's emotions was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction over time among Asian Americans, but not for European Americans and Latinx Americans. Our findings illustrate the importance of not looking just at cultural group differences in the levels of expressive flexibility, but also at the associations between expressive flexibility and mental health.

Adherence to emotion norms is greater in individualist cultures than in collectivist cultures.

It is generally assumed that there is greater pressure to conform to social norms in collectivist cultures than in individualist cultures. However, most research on cultural differences in social norms has examined norms for behaviors. Here, we examine cultural differences in norms for emotions. Relative to members of collectivist cultures, members of individualist cultures are more attuned to internal states and value them more. Therefore, we predicted that adherence to emotion norms would be greater in individualist than in collectivist cultures. In four studies with 119 samples from 69 distinct countries and over 200,000 participants, we estimated adherence to emotion norms in different cultures, and how deviation from emotion norms is associated with life satisfaction. As predicted, in countries higher in individualism, emotional experiences of individuals were more homogenous and more concordant with the emotions of others in their culture. Furthermore, in more individualist countries, deviation from the mean emotional experience was linked to lower life satisfaction. We discuss two complementary mechanisms that may underlie such differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

FEATURES OF CONDUCTING PRESENTATIONS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION CONDITIONS

The article is devoted to the analysis of the peculiarities of the development of communicative competence and intercultural abilities and skills of students of higher educational institutions of Ukraine in the conditions of international academic mobility and cross-cultural communication. Emphasis is placed on the need to introduce intercultural communication courses in the curriculum at the tertiary level in Ukraine, in particular, on the peculiarities of conducting presentations using modern multimedia tools. The urgency of this issue is due to the need for Ukrainian students to be aware of the values, traditions and norms of verbal and nonverbal cross-cultural communication in order to be successful in their academic and professional environment. The aim of the article was to highlight the specifics of intercultural aspects in the classroom using modern multimedia technologies. In our research we used interdisciplinary approaches, as well as theoretical and empirical methods: observation and generalization, and methods of deduction and systematization. Modern students represent a generation characterized by openness to the outside world and academic mobility. This means that awareness of differences in cultural norms, values, attitudes to the environment is absolutely necessary for effective interpersonal and cultural communication. Graduates of Ukrainian technical universities who have such skills will be especially valuable, as they will be able to use effective communication tools to present products created by Ukrainian companies and make them useful in foreign countries and vice versa. It is necessary to teach future professionals to use information technology in planning, organizing, editing materials for presentations of new products and especially when conducting them for different cultures.

PECULIARITIES OF SPEECH CULTURE IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

This article focuses on the importance of language culture in the context of business communication. In today's world, business communication has become an integral part of the successful operation of any organization. It includes information exchange, negotiations, presentations, and communication with clients and colleagues, making language culture a crucial aspect of its effectiveness. The authors examine the key aspects of language culture in the business environment and its impact on communication outcomes in organizations, emphasizing the importance of proper language usage, expressiveness, speech structure, and other essential elements of language culture for achieving business communication goals. Special attention is given to the intercultural aspects of business communication since many companies in the modern world have international connections and interact with clients and partners from different countries and cultures. The article analyzes the challenges associated with differences in cultural norms and communication requirements and provides recommendations for effective communication in intercultural contexts. The impact of modern information technologies on language culture in business communication is also discussed. Communication through email, video conferences, social networks, and other tools has undergone significant changes in recent years, and this has a significant influence on how language is used in the business environment. The article calls for the development of language culture skills as an essential aspect of professional development. It provides readers with practical advice and tools for improving their communication skills in business and underscores the importance of continuous self-improvement in this aspect. In conclusion, the authors offer a deep analysis and important insights into the role of language culture in the modern business environment and provide valuable recommendations for enhancing the quality of business communication.

Measurement differences in the assessment of functional limitations for cognitive impairment classification across geographic locations.

The measurement of dementia in cross-national contexts relies on the assessment of functional limitations. We aimed to evaluate the performance of survey items on functional limitations across culturally diverse geographic settings. We used data from the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol Surveys (HCAP) in five countries (total N=11,250) to quantify associations between items on functional limitations and cognitive impairment. Many items performed better in the United States and England compared to South Africa, India, and Mexico. Items on the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSID) had the least variability across countries (SD=0.73vs. 0.92 [Blessed] and 0.98 [Jorm IQCODE]), but also the weakest associations with cognitive impairment (median odds ratio [OR]=2.23vs. 3.01 [Blessed] and 2.75 [Jorm IQCODE]). Differences in cultural norms for reporting functional limitations likely influences performance of items on functional limitations and may affect the interpretation of results from substantive studies. There was substantial cross-country variation in item performance. Items from the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSID) had less cross-country variability but lower performance. There was more variability in performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) compared to activities of daily living (ADL) items. Variability in cultural expectations of older adults should be taken into account. Results highlight the need for novel approaches to assessing functional limitations.

Cyber Hygiene Practices Across Cultures: A Cross Cultural Study of the US and Saudi Arabia based Information Systems Users

Effective cyber hygiene practices have been proposed as valuable in coping with cyber risks, but these practices, to date, have assumed a Western or U.S. nomology. For persons of non-western descent, differences in cultural norms, exigencies, and constraints will most likely require them to approach cyber hygiene differently and, perhaps, redefine what it means to practice it effectively. Using a sample of home Information System users in US and Saudi Arabia, this study tests the hypothesis that national culture moderates the effect of individuals’ perceived expectancy and value on their motivation towards adhering to cyber hygiene practices.

The problem with the generation gap in education: A two-way approach

I would like to start this editorial commentary with a quote I read: “The youth of today is spoiled to the root. They are mean, ungodly, and lazy. They will never be like the youth of before and they will never ever be able to hold on to our values”.
 This quote does not come from an article I read in a conservative province newspaper published 2 days ago nor it is part of a political discourse of a right-wing Chilean presidential candidate. This sentence rather is displayed on a Babylonian stone, which has been written more than 3000 years ago. Through the course of time, there has been a phenomenon known as the generation gap. This phenomenon is a popular term used to describe differences in cultural norms between members of a younger generation and their elders.

Инклюзивность в переводе: размышления о предписывающем феномене

The article deals with the current phenomenon of inclusive language use, which is lately intensively discussed not only among linguists and translatologists but also in numerous newspaper articles, television programmes and blogs. The article identifies new language trends, especially the non-binary approach to reflecting gender; but also the changes in the conceptualisation of nationality, age designation and the physical condition of the individual. Paricular examples from the Hungarian, German and English languages show the impact of inclusive mechanisms in the relationship between different cultures. The article is aimed to describe the consequences of the new regulations for language use. It also highlights the difficulties of politically correct intercultural communication associated with the progressive evolution of language, differences in cultural norms and value orientations, as well as the grammatical design and semantics of language units and their associative links. From a translatological point of view, it is important that the construction of inclusivity is strongly language-dependent, since, for example, not all languages have a grammatical genus. Linguistic inclusivity manifests itself primarily in gender-equitable language use, languages without grammatical genus, such as Finnish or Hungarian, are not affected by this discussion. The article also discusses the problems that grammatical genderlessness can cause in translations/interpretations. Ethnonyms are another problem area. This is also language pair-dependent. This becomes clear with the term Sinti and Roma, which is generally used in the German-speaking world as a politically correct variant of the former, pejoratively connoted variant Gypsy. Translatologically, this can lead to linguistic and intercultural problem cases. Researching the topic of inclusivity for the field of translatology can provide translators/interpreters with important information to develop translation strategies for inclusive intercultural communication and thus contribute to correct, effective and high-quality translation/interpretation.

Whose responsibility? Part 2 of 2: views of\xa0patients, families, and clinicians about responsibilities for addressing the needs of persons with mental health problems in Chennai, India and Montreal, Canada

BackgroundIndividuals with mental health problems have many insufficiently met support needs. Across sociocultural contexts, various parties (e.g., governments, families, persons with mental health problems) assume responsibility for meeting these needs. However, key stakeholders' opinions of the relative responsibilities of these parties for meeting support needs remain largely unexplored. This is a critical knowledge gap, as these perceptions may influence policy and caregiving decisions.MethodsPatients with first-episode psychosis (n = 250), their family members (n = 228), and clinicians (n = 50) at two early intervention services in Chennai, India and Montreal, Canada were asked how much responsibility they thought the government versus persons with mental health problems; the government versus families; and families versus persons with mental health problems should bear for meeting seven support needs of persons with mental health problems (e.g., housing; help covering costs of substance use treatment; etc.). Two-way analyses of variance were conducted to examine differences in ratings of responsibility between sites (Chennai, Montreal); raters (patients, families, clinicians); and support needs.ResultsAcross sites and raters, governments were held most responsible for meeting each support need and all needs together. Montreal raters assigned more responsibility to the government than did Chennai raters. Compared to those in Montreal, Chennai raters assigned more responsibility to families versus persons with mental health problems, except for the costs of substance use treatment. Family raters across sites assigned more responsibility to governments than did patient raters, and more responsibility to families versus persons with mental health problems than did patient and clinician raters. At both sites, governments were assigned less responsibility for addressing housing- and school/work reintegration-related needs compared to other needs. In Chennai, the government was seen as most responsible for stigma reduction and least for covering substance use services.ConclusionsAll stakeholders thought that governments should have substantial responsibility for meeting the needs of individuals with mental health problems, reinforcing calls for greater government investment in mental healthcare across contexts. The greater perceived responsibility of the government in Montreal and of families in Chennai may both reflect and influence differences in cultural norms and healthcare systems in India and Canada.

How does culture influence the implementation of strategy training in stroke rehabilitation? A rapid ethnographic study of therapist perspectives in Taiwan and the United States

Purpose Strategy training is a promising stroke rehabilitation intervention commonly delivered in Western countries. We examined the perspectives of rehabilitation therapists who have delivered strategy training in Taiwan and the United States to understand the influence of culture on strategy training implementation. Materials and methods In this rapid ethnographic study, the maximum variation sampling approach was used to recruit seven therapists in Taiwan and seven therapists in the United States with experience delivering strategy training. Data was collected from multiple sources, including interviews, study documents, therapist notes, and reflective memos. Interviews with the recruited therapists in Taiwan and the United States were conducted in Mandarin and English, respectively. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results The following two themes were generated: (1) differences between conventional rehabilitation and strategy training, namely that conventional rehabilitation is therapist-directed and emphasizes impairment reduction, whereas strategy training empowers clients and focuses on real-life generalization, and (2) challenges in implementing strategy training in practice, including difficulty in achieving client buy-in and disengagement. Conclusions Therapists from both countries shared similar perspectives on the perceived advantages of strategy training, such as enhancing client empowerment and engagement, and the generalization of strategies. Family involvement was more prominently discussed by therapists in Taiwan than by those in the United States. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Strategy training differs from conventional rehabilitation in its emphasis on clients’ life participation and empowerment, generalization of strategies, and enhancement of their engagement, confidence, and problem-solving skills. Therapists may face challenges related to client buy-in and disengagement as well as difficulties in establishing a therapeutic rapport at the beginning of strategy training because clients have different expectations from those of conventional rehabilitation. Cultural differences in norms and expectations and the clinical experiences of therapists may influence the delivery of strategy training to clients. Family support may influence the success of strategy training. Thoughtful conversations to reach a mutual understanding regarding the expectations of strategy training among clients, family, and rehabilitation practitioners are necessary prior to implementing strategy training.

Access is not enough: Cultural mismatch persists to limit first-generation students' opportunities for achievement throughout college.

United States higher education prioritizes independence as the cultural ideal. As a result, first-generation students (neither parent has a four-year degree) often confront an initial cultural mismatch early on in college settings: they endorse relatively interdependent cultural norms that diverge from the independent cultural ideal. This initial cultural mismatch can lead first-generation students to perform less well academically compared with continuing-generation students (one or more parents have a four-year degree) early in college. Yet, what happens as first-generation students experience the university culture throughout their time in college? Using cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches, we find that initial cultural mismatch is associated with psychological and academic costs that persist until graduation. First, at college entry, we find social class differences in cultural norms: first-generation students endorse more interdependent cultural norms than their continuing-generation peers. Second, endorsing interdependence at college entry predicts reduced subjective sense of fit in college four years later. Third, lower subjective sense of fit predicts lower grade point average and subjective social status upon graduation. Together, these results suggest that initial cultural mismatch contributes to worse experiences and academic outcomes among first-generation students, and that these disparities persist even until graduation. Further, we find that social class differences in cultural norms remain stable throughout college: first-generation students continue to endorse more interdependence than do continuing-generation students. We suggest providing access is not sufficient to reduce social class inequity; colleges need to create more inclusive environments to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds can reap similar rewards. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Whose responsibility? Elder support norms regarding the provision and financing of assistance with daily activities across economically developed countries

We use 2012 data on economically developed countries from the International Social Survey Program to examine variation in “cultural norms” (at the world region and country levels) and “attitudes” (at the individual level) regarding the appropriate roles of family members and formal providers in both the provision and financing of assistance with daily activities at home. Our analysis has two parts: (1) a descriptive analysis of differences in cultural norms by world region and country (N = 25 countries) and (2) a multilevel multinomial logistic regression analysis of the importance of country-level factors in explaining individuals’ elder support attitudes (N = 21 countries). In the descriptive analysis, we find substantial variation in cultural norms both between world regions and between countries within all world regions except for the Nordic countries. The multilevel regression analysis points to the importance of two sets of country-level factors—“macrostructural factors” and “cultural–contextual factors”—in explaining individuals’ elder support attitudes. With regard to macrostructural factors, we find, consistent with our hypotheses, greater support for “publicly financed formal assistance” (i.e., the financing of formal assistance is supported by public funds) in countries with higher spending on services. The effects of the cultural–contextual factors are mostly consistent with our hypotheses and suggest the importance of taking into account the wider religious and political context in explaining individuals’ elder support attitudes. We conclude with a discussion of the social scientific and social policy implications of our findings.

Multiscale mixing patterns in networks

Assortative mixing in networks is the tendency for nodes with the same attributes, or metadata, to link to each other. It is a property often found in social networks, manifesting as a higher tendency of links occurring between people of the same age, race, or political belief. Quantifying the level of assortativity or disassortativity (the preference of linking to nodes with different attributes) can shed light on the organization of complex networks. It is common practice to measure the level of assortativity according to the assortativity coefficient, or modularity in the case of categorical metadata. This global value is the average level of assortativity across the network and may not be a representative statistic when mixing patterns are heterogeneous. For example, a social network spanning the globe may exhibit local differences in mixing patterns as a consequence of differences in cultural norms. Here, we introduce an approach to localize this global measure so that we can describe the assortativity, across multiple scales, at the node level. Consequently, we are able to capture and qualitatively evaluate the distribution of mixing patterns in the network. We find that, for many real-world networks, the distribution of assortativity is skewed, overdispersed, and multimodal. Our method provides a clearer lens through which we can more closely examine mixing patterns in networks.

A Measurement Model for Dignity, Face, and Honor Cultural Norms

ABSTRACTIn this work we develop and validate a model measuring norms that distinguish three types of culture: dignity, face, and honor (Leung & Cohen, 2011). Our motivation is to produce empirical evidence for this new cultural framework and use the framework to explain cultural differences in interdependent social interactions such as negotiation. In two studies, we establish the content validity, construct validity, predictive validity, and measurement invariance of this measurement model. In Study 1, we present the model's three-factor structure and situate the constructs of dignity, face, and honor in a nomological network of cultural constructs. In Study 2, which uses a sample of participants from 26 cultures, we show that the measurement model discriminates among people from the three cultural regions corresponding to the dignity, face, and honor framework. In particular, we report differences between face and honor cultures, which are not distinguished in other cultural frameworks (e.g., Hofstede, 1980). We also show that the measurement model accounts for cultural differences in norms for use of negotiation strategy.

Global Data on Autism Spectrum Disorders Prevalence: A Review of Facts, Fallacies and Limitations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a range of neurodevelopmental disorders whose aetiologies are largely unknown. In the past few decades, studies have demonstrated that ASDs occur globally, and that the numbers of recorded cases are rising; however, determining the true prevalence figures is still a major challenge, especially in developing nations. Also, subtle differences in cultural norms might impede timely/accurate diagnosis and categorisation of patients. In this review, we examine the globally-available data on the prevalence of ASD and discuss some of the challenges of data acquisition, with reference to how these may impact the reliability of figures obtained. Some of the facts, fallacies and limitations relating to the presently-available figures are also highlighted.

Gender: An Historical Perspective

Social attitudes toward women vary significantly across societies. This chapter reviews recent empirical research on various historical determinants of contemporary differences in gender roles and gender gaps across societies, and how these differences are transmitted from parents to children and therefore persist until today. We review work on the historical origin of differences in female labor-force participation, fertility, education, marriage arrangements, competitive attitudes, domestic violence, and other forms of difference in gender norms. Most of the research illustrates that differences in cultural norms regarding gender roles emerge in response to specific historical situations, but tend to persist even after the historical conditions have changed. We also discuss the conditions under which gender norms either tend to be stable or change more quickly.

A Situation Judgment Test for Military Multicultural Decision-Making: Initial Psychometric Studies

Like other organizations with a global reach, the US military faces challenges associated with multicultural teaming. Cultural differences in norms for work and social relationships may impair decision-making. This article reports the initial stages of the development of a Situation Judgment Test (SJT) for multicultural decision-making ability. SJTs may have greater validity than self-reports of competence. An initial SJT was developed on the basis of critical incidents in multinational operations recounted by military Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Study 1 examined psychometric properties of the SJT in an internet sample of 250 predominantly civilian respondents. Study 2 collected data from 61 US and coalition partner Warfighters participating in a joint exercise. Findings confirmed the reliability of the assessment across different populations, and established a gradation of item difficulty. Civilian and military samples show somewhat similar response patterns suggesting that multicultural decision-making may reflect shared Western values. Implications for assessment and training are discussed.

State-Level Voting Patterns and Adolescent Vaccination Coverage in the United States, 2014.

To examine state-level associations between voting patterns and adolescent coverage for at least 1 dose of human papillomavirus (HPV), tetanus-containing (Tdap), and meningococcal (MCV4) vaccination. We classified states as "blue" (Democratic affiliation) or "red" (Republican affiliation) based on the Presidential election results in 2012. We used multivariable models to adjust for potential confounding by sociodemographic and health care access characteristics and vaccination policies. For HPV, separate models were fitted for boys and girls. Adolescent vaccination coverage was significantly higher in blue states than red states for each vaccine (P < .05). The adjusted percent differences between blue and red states were 10.2% for HPV among girls, 24.9% for HPV among boys, 6.2% for tetanus-containing vaccine, and 14.1% for MCV4. State-level voting patterns are independently and significantly associated with coverage for routinely recommended adolescent vaccines. These differences may reflect population-level differences in cultural norms and social values. Strategies to increase coverage at the individual, community, or structural level should consider local political settings that may facilitate or hinder effectiveness.