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A View from the Cultured Barbarian

A View from the Cultured Barbarian. Barrett S. Caldwell, PhD School of Industrial Engineering Purdue University Fall 2002 AAAI Symposium Etiquette in Human-Computer Work 15-17 November 2002. What is A Barbarian?.

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A View from the Cultured Barbarian

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  1. A View from the Cultured Barbarian Barrett S. Caldwell, PhD School of Industrial Engineering Purdue University Fall 2002 AAAI Symposium Etiquette in Human-Computer Work 15-17 November 2002

  2. What is A Barbarian? • Jeanne Comeau presentation: “Someone who does not adhere to the norms of the cultural elite to which I aspire” • Inherent in this is that I am (can be?) accepted in the elite, which has power over another, whom I devalue via the label “Barbarian” • New victors declare old residents “savage / backward” • Advancement-- becoming more like what the elite prefer now

  3. Etiquette as Negotiation of Social Complexity • Emerging Rulesets to Manage Belief Systems and Dynamics of Social Environment--All Social Behavior Based on Negotiated Rulesets (Language) • Developing Formal Rules Based on Power Norms --Consensus, Majority, Elite • Stereotyping (6 sec sizing) as Self-Fulfilling, Inertial Simplification • Ease of Defining Etiquette Based on Number of Simultaneously Valued Cultures

  4. Cultures of Culture • Sociology and Cultural Anthropology Perspectives • Hall: Formal, Informal, Technical Cultures • Berger / Luckman: Social Construction within Culture • Goffman: Presentation of Self, “Roles” • Socialization of Cultural Affiliations and Adoption • Central / Primary: most central to self-concept • Peripheral / Secondary: later to develop, more situational • Category Membership: origin, profession, organization, avocation, class, etc. • Observation: US Ascribes Central Value to Professional Culture Affiliation (“What do you do?”)

  5. Why is Etiquette Powerful? • Belief That Adhering to Ruleset Can Have Personal Advantages • Reputation and Social Advancement • Recognition of Power Dynamics: What is The Golden Rule? • “Do unto others as you would prefer” • “The ones with gold make the rules” • Sanctions And Isolation As Controls • Alignment of Subcultural Etiquettes (through Range of Participants) Makes Etiquettes Less Visible

  6. Assumptions by the Fish Studying Water • Other’s Motivations Are Similar to Yours • Conflicting goals on the way to productization • Do users have a similar general background • Empirical research as a paternalistic legacy of DWMs • Others Share Your Sense of Fairness / Equity • Retribution / recompense for past inequity • “Don’t trust the other ones, trust me”: friend or con? • Sociopath: one who exploits etiquette for personal gain, without normal restrictions for social control

  7. Views from the Margin • “Generalized” Culture Assumes Central, Primary, Unitary Affiliations (of Elite?) • Minority Groups as Managing Multiple Cultures • Observing elite within minority structure • Survival in majority culture (which is often not aware of itself as non-universal) • Range of Cultural Affiliations for Interaction • Simplicity: select and manage small set • Finding the place to “fit in” with “your kind” • Complexity: self-consistency across multiple groups • Consistency for self = marginalism in all groups

  8. Cultural Flexibility and Access • All Culture is Contextual • Thus, All Etiquette is Specialized • Just some cultures are assumed general--for a simple, unitary group affiliation and ruleset adoption • Cultural Flexibility Is A Different Skill • Etiquette following as rule memory / execution • Etiquette selection as strategic recognition of context and appropriate shifting of rule application • Some Rules are Meant to Exclude

  9. Geek Chic and Nerd Revenge • Intentional Creation of New Norms with New Power in Response to Devaluing • “Violating” Norms to Indicate “True” Cultural Affiliation • Goffman: Use of Stigma as Valuing Criterion • Complexity of Distinct Groups of Elites on Different Cultural Criteria • Should we Trust Computer People to Create Etiquette Norms?

  10. Challenges for the Cultured Barbarian • Fitting In to Existing Rules vs. Creating Opportunities for Acceptance and New Rules • Willingness to Accept Aspects of Formal Cultures as Part of Personal Style • Managing Multiple Elites, and Not Being Too Devalued in Any • Not Getting Too Tired of People Who Cannot Navigate Cultural Complexity • Acceptance and Cultivation of One’s Stigma

  11. References • Berger, P. L., and Luckman, T. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality. • Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. • Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma. • Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction Ritual. • Hall, E.T. (1958). The Hidden Dimension. • Kaplan, D., and Manners, Robert A. (1972). Culture Theory.

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