Major Cultural Differences Research Articles

Comparing attitudes towards compulsory interventions in severe and persistent mental illness among psychiatrists in India and Switzerland.

Psychiatrists face a major ethical challenge when deciding whether to make use of coercive measures in the treatment process of patients suffering from severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). As India and Switzerland show major cultural, political and financial differences, it is hypothesized that attitudes towards coercive measures among Indian and Swiss psychiatrists will vary too. Exploring differences in attitudes between cultures strengthens the critical reflection on one's own stances and in consequence, on our way of action. Especially when it comes to situations involving power imbalances between patients and health practitioners, self-reflection is essential to prevent ethically inappropriate behavior. An online survey on aspects of care for patients with SPMI was sent to 3'056 members of the Indian Psychiatric Society between April and June 2020 and to 1'311 members of the Swiss Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy between February and March 2016. The respondents' answers were compared. This article deals with the questionnaire's items on autonomous decision making and the implementation of coercive measures in clinical practice. More precisely, participating psychiatrists were asked to rate the importance of patient's autonomy in general and their willingness to apply coercive measures regarding two specific case vignettes depicting a patient with schizophrenia and one with depression. The statistical analysis, namely descriptive data analysis and calculation of arithmetic means, Shapiro Wilks tests and Mann-Whitney U tests, was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Answers were received from 206 psychiatrists in India and 457 psychiatrists in Switzerland. Indian participants tended to value autonomous decision making as slightly less important than Swiss participants (62.2% vs. 91%, p =.01). Regarding a case of severe and persistent depression, psychiatrists in the Indian group were on average more in favor of acting against the wishes of the patient (55% vs. 34.1%, p <.0001) as well as of accepting a temporary decrease in quality of life due to coercion (40% vs. 23%, p =.008). Answers concerning a case of schizophrenia revealed that Indian participants were more in favor of acting against the patient's wishes than Swiss participants (39% vs. 37%, p =.007), whereas the comparison whether to accept a temporary decrease in quality of life regarding this case showed no significant difference (p =.328). The significant difference in attitudes towards coercive measures among Indian compared to Swiss psychiatrists found in this study might arise from a predominantly more collectivist society in India compared to Switzerland. Moreover, differences in financial resources, the organization of the health care system, and the historical background might have an influence. Continuous and critical reflection on one's own views and behavior is essential, especially if ethical principles and individual rights could be violated through a power imbalance, as in the case of coercive measures.

International Chinese students' experiences of participating in mandala-based art therapy in Korea: a phenomenological study.

Although China and South Korea share a similar East Asian culture, owing to major social and cultural differences, international students encounter several difficulties, which can lead to various psychological problems. To explore the experiences of eight Chinese doctoral students in South Korea participating in mandala-based art therapy. Data for this phenomenological study were gathered through individual interviews and visual art from April 5 to 20, 2022. The MAXQDA software program was used for data analysis. The data analysis results yielded 355 codes, 53 subcategories, and 17 categories. Five final themes emerged: (a) sealed lips by others' eyes, (b) inner exploration and outward expression, (c) healing power of the mandala, (d) filling the inner space together, and (e) opportunities to understand art therapy. The researchers hope that completing this intervention will enable participants to complete their studies more effectively and achieve their ideals as well as future career goals, helping them ultimately return home safely with both personal and academic growth.

Is there a Clash of Civilizations? Cultures and Institutions across Civilizations

Purpose: We analyze how countries are similar and different in terms of cultures and institutions and the extent to which they can be grouped into civilizations. This is based on Huntington’s (1993,1996) framework that states there are major cultural and institutional differences between civilizations.&#x0D; Design/methodology/approach: Cultural and institutional data were collected on all available countries. For culture, Hofstede index was used. For institutions, scores were used for the Index of Democracy, the Index of Economic Freedom, Freedom in the World Index, the Global Gender Gap Index, the Press Freedom Index, and the Corruption Perceptions Index. The countries were grouped along the lines of Huntington’s civilizations and their scores analyzed.&#x0D; Findings: The results reveal that differences across civilizations are significant and extend across cultures and institutions. Across the nine civilizations, there were significant differences in five of the six cultural dimensions as well as in all the institutions.&#x0D; Research limitations/implications: Cultural differences across civilizations could point to pervasive differences on issues such as values, motivation, and management norms. Institutional differences across civilizations could represent differences in values that societies attach to different aspects of their institutional environment. Future studies using longitudinal data could help build on our findings.&#x0D; Originality/value: The use of both cultural and institutional measures to cluster countries into civilizations is a major contribution of this study. The clash of civilizations framework is analyzed relative to other studies on country clusters contributing to the discussion on supranational cultural clusters. The study would be valuable to cross-cultural researchers, international business academics and practitioners.

Teach Self‐Awareness and Self‐of‐the‐Therapist in a Chinese Society: A Class Example at National Taiwan University

This paper discusses major cultural differences and corresponding teaching strategies when training student therapists in Taiwan about the concepts of self‐of‐the‐therapist and self‐awareness in marriage and family therapy. The authors present their years of teaching experience and observations about these cultural differences as well as a class example to address these differences. Specifically, a detailed summary of a master’s level course titled ‘Self‐Development for Helping Professionals’ will be illustrated.

Impact psychologique de la pandémie de la COVID-19 : comparaison entre des Français métropolitains et de l’île de La Réunion

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic raised a lot of anxiety around the world. France is composed of several overseas territories with major cultural differences but also with a different exposure to the COVID-19. Reunion Island is the most populated overseas French department, but few researches have focused on this population. Therefore, the main objective was to explore and compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (perceived stress, risk and fear of being infected, severity, lockdown respect, perceived stress, quality of life, quality of relationship, loneliness, resilience) during the lockdown among residents of metropolitan France and of Reunion Island. Material and methodsA sample of 347 participants, aged from 18 to 78 (M=37.90; DS=13.20) replied to a questionnaire posted online during the last ten days of the lockdown in France. The sample is divided into 227 metropolitans (M=38.24 DS=13.41; 13.2% of men) and 120 residents of Reunion Island (M=37.26; DS=12.81; 31.7% of men). Resilience, loneliness and perceived stress have been assessed using validating scales while specific items have been created to assess COVID-19 impacts. ResultsThe majority of the total sample has been little exposed to the COVID-19, but the estimated severity was high throughout the sample. Several significant differences have been observed between overseas and metropolitans. The latter, who were more exposed, were more respectful of lockdown measures and felt more concerned about being contaminated. They also had different professional activities (work at home, stop working) since the lockdown than did the overseas sample. Non-significant higher scores of resilience and quality of life during the lockdown contrast in the overseas sample, who estimated risk, fear and severity similarly. In correlational analyses, many relationships were significant only in one sample. For example, in metropolitans the higher the loneliness, the higher the severity. In the other sample, the higher the perceived stress, the higher the respect of lockdown measures, while more metropolitans felt lonely the more they respected these measures. Regressional analysis showed different predictive variables of the scores of perceived stress and fear of being contaminated. In metropolitans, stress was explained by COVID-19 related variables (fear, severity, respect), loneliness and negatively by resilience and quality of life while in the other sample it was explained by fear of being infected and negatively by resilience. Fear of being infected was explained by risk and stress in the overseas, but also by quality of life in the metropolitan sample. ConclusionsThis study brings new data on the important psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on two French samples. Observed differences highlight a higher fear of being infected among the metropolitans who were generally more exposed. Overseas from La Réunion did not feel more spared by this risk, despite the limited number of cases since the appearance of the first case in March 11th and the end of the lockdown in May 11th. Despite exposure, our results could be explained by several cultural differences such as way of life or beliefs. Overseas life in Reunion Island might bring more resilience and less loneliness given the particular familial, social and religious functioning. Given the limits of this study and the lack of similar comparisons, more work could highlight the protective factors of these populations.

Moral evaluations of modest statements in light of maternal disciplinary method and cultures

ABSTRACT The roles of culture and age in Canadian and Persian children’s moral evaluations of lie- and truth-telling in modest situations, as well as the impacts of parenting disciplinary methods, were assessed in this study. Data were collected from 360 children total: 180 children from both Canada and Iran. Participants’ were 5, 7, 9, and 11 years of age (M = 7.99 years, SD = 2.25 years), 55.2% males and 44.8% females. Parents completed a demographic form and a parenting disciplinary methods questionnaire. Children were read four vignettes about characters facing moral dilemmas in modest situations. For each vignette, children were instructed to rate how bad or good the lie or truth told was by using a six-point Likert scale. Hierarchical linear regression model analyses revealed that the major cultural differences lay in children’s moral evaluations of modest false statements in both cultures. Results showed that Persian children rated modesty lies more positively compared to their Canadian counterparts. Also, with age, Persian children became more likely to evaluate modesty lies positively compared to Canadian children. Lastly, hierarchical regression analyses showed that children whose parents used power assertion discipline more often rated modesty lies more negatively. These current findings suggest that societal factors contribute significantly to children’s moral understanding of lie- and truth-telling.

Characteristics and needs of people living homeless in León (Nicaragua): Similarities and differences with other groups in severe social exclusion

The study examines various aspects (e.g. socio-demographic characteristics, access to economic resources, social support, chronicity and access to new technologies) in a sample of homeless people living in León (Nicaragua; n = 68). A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results showed that people experiencing homelessness in León (Nicaragua) have enormous social difficulty, with high levels of chronification. Despite the major cultural and developmental differences between Spain and Nicaragua, there are considerable similarities between people living homeless in the two countries, while there are significant differences compared with waste pickers in León (Nicaragua) regarding the same aspects.

MEDICAID-MANAGED LTC: A NATIONAL OVERVIEW

Most of the states now have Medicaid LTC programs administered by corporate HMOs. Several states, however, still have programs administered by non-profit community based organizations, most of which are members of long standing Aging Networks which grew out of the Older Americans Act in the 1970s. This paper will offer a comparative overview of these models of LTC administration including a typology designed to identify major cultural and political differences between the states with and without corporate managed LTC models and an analysis of the available information regarding their comparative costs and outcomes, mainly access to care and quality of care. The paper will conclude with an assessment of the implications of the information presented for the future of Medicaid LTC policy and politics at the state and federal levels and for the future of LTC advocacy and accountability across the states.

Deception or not? Canadian and Persian children’s moral evaluations of Taroof

This study examined the role of culture and age in Canadian and Persian children’s moral evaluations and classifications of lie-and truth-telling in prosocial situations. Two sets of data were collected in Canada (n = 180), and Iran (n = 180). Participants included 360 children (N = 360; 49% male, and 51% female) who were 5, 7, 9, and 11 years of age (M = 11.73; SD = .76). Canadian and Persian children were read eight stories about characters facing moral dilemmas in prosocial and Taroof (a unique phenomenon in Persian culture) situations. Children were asked to classify truthful and untruthful statements. Also, for each story, children were asked to provide an evaluation by using a 6-point Likert scale of how bad or good the statement was. A multinomial logistic regression showed that most children in both cultures classified lies as lies and truths as truths. However, cross-cultural differences were found in the classifications of Taroof lies. Also, results of linear regression analyses revealed that the major cultural differences lay in children’s evaluations of both prosocial and Taroof lies. Persian children rated politeness and Taroof lies more positively compared to the Canadians. With age, Persian children evaluated untruthful statements (lies) in Taroof situations less negatively than Canadians. These findings suggest that there is a difference between children’s moral judgment of lies and truths with cultural backgrounds.

Picard: a mal aimé among regional languages?

ABSTRACTAlthough often seen as a medieval rival to French, Picard has received far less official recognition and support than more celebrated regional languages such as Breton or Occitan. A shared history and high degree of linguistic similarity with the national language appear to have engendered a perception that it is simply ‘bad French’, but for supporters such Eloy (1997) Picard remains potentiellement une vraie langue, worthy and in need of status enhancement initiatives enjoyed by other regional languages. Promotion of language status for Picard, however, is found to be fraught with practical difficulties, not least of which are a lack of territorial unity and major cultural differences between the north and south of the picardophone area. Equally importantly, the discourse of languagehood fosters notions of linguistic purity which ignore the extensive mixing of local, supralocal and national elements that has always been evident in Picard writing and speech. This in turn engenders linguistic insecurity, notably among urban working-class speakers, whose speech can all too easily be caricatured as both ‘bad French’ and ‘bad patois’, with obvious consequences for intergenerational transmission. The well-intentioned promotion of Picard as a regional language may therefore, perversely, be detrimental to the very varieties it serves.

Multicultural Project Management Connectedness to National Culture: Case Study, the Nigerian System

Adapting to a formalized management style in this era of globalization represents an important managerial duty in various multicultural organizations of which project managers should be aware of. Inter-cultural competency such as understanding the major cultural differences between people from different locations and its integration to project management practices are critical to the success of modern project managers. National culture plays significant role in the growth of an organization and it is very relevant in choosing specific management style in an organization that is culturally diverse in terms of employability. This study investigates the impacts and the relationship between national culture and different management styles of a multicultural project manager. The benefits of culturally diverse teams and project management processes are inherent in vast mixture of different points of view, values, skills and talents. The study makes use of qualitative methodology to investigate non-numeric facts and also the quantitative approach to quantify data using feedbacks from various respondents to choose a hypothesis. A questionnaire was developed to capture various views from industry professionals. In summary, National culture has a direct relationship with multicultural project manager in Nigeria and the most practiced and viable management style in Nigeria is the administrative management style.

Patriots, Prostitutes, and Spies: Women and the Mexican–American War by John M. Belohlavek

Reviewed by: Patriots, Prostitutes, and Spies: Women and the Mexican–American War by John M. Belohlavek Michael Scott Van Wagenen (bio) Patriots, Prostitutes, and Spies: Women and the Mexican–American War. By John M. Belohlavek. (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2017. Pp. 306. Cloth, $45.00.) The U.S.–Mexican war has experienced a resurgence of academic interest over the last two decades. Once considered a "forgotten" war, the 1846–1848 invasion of Mexico has provided contemporary scholars an oft-overlooked lens to analyze many of the political, economic, and social challenges of the era. In spite of progress, a significant hole remained in the historiography: a comprehensive analysis of the role of women in the conflict. John M. Belohlavek's transnational study, Patriots, Prostitutes, and Spies: Women and the Mexican–American War, has gone a long way in filling that gap. The war with Mexico required great sacrifice of [End Page 814] women on both sides of the conflict, although in very different contexts. Belohlavek places American women's experience within the setting of changing gender roles and expectations created by the Industrial Revolution. He similarly contextualizes Mexican women within the political and social instability of their newly formed nation. While each group labored under differing cultural limitations, both fought vigorously to establish their place within the traditionally masculine sphere of warfare. Belohlavek has a knack for narrative and brings to life the stories of individual women to better understand the challenges they faced as two neighboring republics fought over territory. Expanding beyond the titular roles, Patriots, Prostitutes, and Spies documents women serving in a wide variety of positions, including guerilla fighters, combat nurses, seamstresses, porters, camp followers, journalists, financiers, and antiwar activists. Belohlavek examines these multiple roles from varied perspectives including the attitudes of Americans toward Mexican women and those of Mexicans toward American women. This transnational approach is particularly helpful in understanding the major cultural differences between the nations that exacerbated tensions along a tenuous frontier. Belohlavek's account of the women accompanying the Mormon Battalion is particularly interesting. Like the Mormon soldiers, these women suffered under the disdain and distrust of the army, yet marched thousands of miles in support of their husbands and sons. Mexican women in the conquered territories of the north proved far more generous in their treatment of their beleaguered Anglo sisters, suggesting an unspoken bond that surpassed politics and prejudice. Thousands of Mexican women also chose to follow their men to the theaters of war and shared in all the dangers and privations of the army, but without pay or glory. These soldaderas cooked, cleaned, and hauled equipment on campaigns, then rushed headlong into battle to nurse the wounded and comfort the dying. Indeed, contemporary accounts of American soldiers note the dozens of women who lay dead on the battlefields in the aftermath of the violence. Among these was the celebrated "Angel of Monterrey" who braved ball and shell to care for both Mexican and American wounded who littered the approach to this important northern city. To the horror of American troops, the unnamed Mexican woman was cut down by grapeshot, giving rise to numerous tribute poems and songs in the United States and paving the way for a larger acceptance of Mexicans in American culture. [End Page 815] While at times celebrated, Mexican women could just as easily fall prey to American violence. Volunteer troops were notoriously brutal toward local populations and at times raped and murdered civilian women, prompting families with resources to flee occupied villages for the mountains and countryside. While several past authors have cited American fascination with the "señoritas" they encountered in their travels in Mexico, Belohlavek delves deeper to examine the ultimate fate of budding romantic relations between enemies. While some Yankee soldiers overcame the racial prejudices of their culture, military regulations and family pressures from both sides doomed their erstwhile relationships with Mexican women to tragic failure. Poignant scenes of tearful separation likely occurred whenever American troops withdrew from occupied villages. Particularly moving are the stories of Mexican women whom their compatriots viewed as collaborating with the enemy. As is typical of forced occupations throughout history, after the military evacuated, civilians took their...

Hybridity in the Public Sector—Comparing Development Features in Municipalities in Japan and Norway

ABSTRACTThe theme in this article is managerial or administrative changes in municipalities seen from the perceptions of citizens. It is asked what characterize these changes, whether they are showing an interrelated and hybrid pattern, and whether the perceptions are varying depending on individual demographic characteristics or contextual factors related to their communities and the country they are living in. The data used are from surveys in Japan and Norway in 2015–2016. The main results indicate that the change or reform measures are indeed interrelated and hybrid. They do not vary much related to individual characteristics, except for political attitudes but more so related to the size of their municipalities, year of local residency, and local political activities. Japan and Norway have also marked different profiles regarding the main perceptions of the citizens, reflecting major structural and cultural differences.

The Structure of Labor Markets in the US and China: Social Capital andGuanxi

ABSTRACTDespite the major cultural and political differences between the United States and China, in both countries access to jobs is supposed to be guided by fair and equitable procedures. In the US, there is a presumption of an open labor market in which potential employees compete on the basis of their qualifications, where the fairness of decisions is guided by anti-discrimination laws and normative organizational policies. In China, although there is a history of close relationships that guide the exchange of favors, following the 1949 revolution, Communist Party leaders were given the authority to allocate positions in ways that were supposed to eliminate special privileges of class and background. Yet recent research has suggested that social connections are an important part of getting a job in both the US and China for two-thirds to three-quarters of job seekers. In the US context, such connections are described as social capital. In the Chinese context, connections are defined asguanxi. In this article, we review research on labor market processes in both the US and China to address three important questions: (a) How can we understand the similar functioning of labor markets in such distinct cultural and political systems as the US and China? (b) What are the mechanisms or processes by which people find jobs in the US and China, and how are people able to access these mechanisms or processes in the context of constraining social structures and legal environments? and (c) What are the theoretical implications of the ‘generalized particularism’ that seems to shape labor markets in both the US and China.

The Structure of Labor Markets in the U.S. and China: Social Networks and Opportunity Hoarding

Despite the major cultural and political differences between the U.S. and China, in both countries access to jobs is supposed to be guided by fair and equitable procedures. In the U.S., there is a ...

The role of ethnic directors in corporate social responsibility: Does culture matter? The cultural trait theory perspectives

This paper investigates the effect of cultural differences between ethnic directors on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Public Liability Companies (PLCs) in Nigeria. Using the cultural trait theory, the study focuses on how the ethnic directors are influenced when making decisions concerning CSR. Adopting multiple regression analysis of data, the study investigates the three major ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) and finds cultural differences between the ethnic directors affect the adoption of CSR. Empirical results indicate that ethnic directors (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) were positively and significantly related to CSR. The paper contributes to the corporate governance and CSR debate concerning how ethnic directors’ decisions impact on CSR activities, particularly on the directors who are individualistic and collectivists towards CSR.

Empowerment according to Persons with Severe Mental Illness: Development of the Netherlands Empowerment List and Its Psychometric Properties

Objectives. It is unclear whether and to what extent purportedly empowering practices in mental health care, like rehabilitation programs, recovery-supporting mental health care environments and peer-run services, contribute to the process of empowerment. Several American empowerment questionnaires have been developed in recent years, facilitating the measurement of empowerment outcomes. Given likely major transatlantic cultural differences in a value-sensitive concept such as empowerment, this article describes the development of the Netherlands Empowerment List (NEL) and its psychometric properties. Methods. Patients in Dutch mental health services provided meaning to the empowerment concept from which the NEL was derived. Based on 531 completed questionnaires, analyses in agreement with COSMIN criteria examined aspects of internal consistency, content validity, structural validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, reproducibility and responsiveness of the NEL. Results. The NEL is a 40-item self-report questionnaire with six subscales: Social support, Professional help, Connectedness, Confidence and purpose, Self-management and Caring community. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.94), aspects of validity, reproducibility (intraclass correlation = 0.79) and responsiveness were good. Correlation with existing scales was the highest for the Mental Health Confidence Scale (r = 0.78) and the lowest for the Boston Empowerment Scale (r = 0.61). Conclusion. The NEL appears to be a suitable instrument to capture the dimension of empowerment in European mental health settings.

Cultural Considerations in Will-Making in Australia

There are major legal and cultural differences across countries in principles guiding intergenerational transmission of wealth, and individual differences in views on inheritance.1 Australian succession law is based upon English common law, starting with the presumption of testamentary freedom, which allows a testator to dispose of their estate as they see fit. However, this freedom can be limited by family provision laws that allow 'eligible applicants' to contest distributions on the basis of insufficient provision in accordance with legislation of the particular State or Territory. Hence, the legal framework represents a balance between testamentary freedom and familial obligation. Internationally there are significant cultural and legal differences in the degree of will-makers' testamentary freedom.

Joint destination marketing in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam

Abstract This paper examines joint destination marketing in Vietnam, a transitional economy experiencing a rapid growth in tourism. Based on in-depth interviews with representatives of provincial destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and the analysis of their web-sites, the paper considers destination marketing by the eight provinces of the South Central Coast, the most dynamic tourism region in Vietnam. A comparative approach is adopted to examine the mix of individual and joint destination marketing activities undertaken by the DMOs, to analyze the relationships and structures through which joint destination marketing occurs and to identify the factors that influence individual and joint destination marketing. Despite major political, economic and cultural differences in the setting and the relatively recent development of tourism there, similarities are found between destination marketing in the region and that which occurs in developed economies. It is likely that these similarities will increase as Vietnam continues down the path towards a more open market-oriented economy. A mix of individual and joint destination marketing occurs, motivated or conditioned by economic factors and behavior that is both competitive and cooperative. Other influential factors include the diversity and complementarity of products which satisfy visitors׳ total experience, enhanced market reach and economic conditions. This analysis and the distinction between individual and joint destination marketing brings out inter-connections and tensions, and highlights the trade-offs which DMOs are faced with making in their destination marketing strategies.

Introduction to Partially Guest-Edited Issue

How undergraduates become committed to or influenced by applied anthropological approaches, stances, or ethics is often omitted within the corpus of anthropological publications. Yet the transformative experiences they can have when "in the field" are often life changing, and have the potential to impact nonanthropologists more significantly than can more professional or academic writing through the affect and experiential immediacy expressed in their oral or written presentations. Exposing undergraduates to major cultural differences as disciplinary neophytes often yields raw, impassioned insights that the seasoned applied anthropologist often expects and therefore subsumes under professional goals or purposes. Six of the eleven articles in this issue of Practicing Anthropology focus on these transformative experiences undergraduate students undergo when engaged in fieldwork.