Cultures, Generations, Communications

1. Cultures, Generations, Communications MICM LecturesUtrecht / The Hague15 / 28 November 2006 Henk Vinken www.henkvinken.nl

2. This Lecture Definitions and relations of dimensions of cultures : Hofstede & Inglehart Break Dynamics: cultural change and generations Culture and communications End Before, during, after this lecture: Interrupt, question, criticize as often as possible !!!

3. Cultures Culture belongs to a collective : a group, an organisation, a nation Culture is transferred from generation to generation : it is not congenital, but learned Culture is a guiding principle :it influences people’s behaviour

4. Cultures Core element : values (change slowest) Also : heroes, symbols, rituals (change faster) Value: fundamental tendency to prefer a certain state of affairs over another; the desired (vs. the desirable); that what is regarded good, beautiful, true

5. Cultural dimensions Latent (non-observable) collections of several interrelated values with which to compare groups, etc. Researchers seek to find the smallest set of dimensions (7, 5 or 2) with which to explain biggest set of behaviours

6. Hofstede hierarchy truth Hofstede’s five dimensions of national cultures 1 Power distance (pdi) : equality or inequality ?2 Uncertainty avoidance (uai) : ambiguity or certainty ?3 Collectivism/Individualism (idv) : together or solo ?4 Femininity/Masculinity (mas) : caring men and women or caring women and assertive men ?5 Short/Long-term orientation (lto) : rewards now or later ? identity gender virtue

8. den swe gb ire nor sla nl swi fin est wg aus ita spa fra hun cze bul tur pol bel rus rom por gre Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500-502.

9. den swe gb ire nor sla nl swi fin est wd aus ita spa fra hun cze bul tur pol bel rus rom por gre Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500-502.

10. den gb swe gb ire nl hun ita bel swe den fra nor swi nor sla ire nl wg swi fin pol fin est cze wd aus est sla aus spa ita spa fra hun cze rus bra tur bul gre tur pol bel rus bul rom rom por por chi gre ido Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500-502. Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500-502.

11. Inglehart Modernization : from traditional to secular-rational authority Postmodernization :from survival to self-expression (postmaterialism) Plotting an increasing numberof nations on these 2 dimensions with the World Values Survey (wvs)

12. od wd est czs swe lat rus nl blr fin nor bul slo den lit swi ice bel gb fra hun aus ita rom por spa tur pol ire nir Source: Own analyzes based on estimates derived from Inglehart, 1997: 93.

13. Summary Dekker e.a. 2006Europese Verkenningen 4 [European Outlook 4]The Hague: Sdu/Ministery of Foreign Affairs

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15. Dynamics Impression: cultures change, e.g., in NL …

16. Dynamics Assumptions: cultural diversity …

17. Generations Vehicles of cultural change = Generations Generations emerge when conscious of novelty of shared history ánd destiny (members remain different when growing old) New generations provide new answersto newly arising problems / challenges Cultures change by generational replacement (old die, new take over)

18. The pace of change Generation formation relates to pace of change 1 Slow : Continuation of tradition (no new answers needed / no new generations ) 2 Moderate : New cultures (new answers / generations ) 3 Fast : Constant innovation (new answers do not spread / no new generations ) In the midst of phase 3, orall youth merge in one superculture ?

19. The rise of a McWorld generation ? Globalization yields one similar global culture Presupposes acceptance of globalization (other responses: rejection, coexistence, synthesis)(e.g., ‘Davos’ culture in business/academic world) The McWorld generation (participation in global modernity)(engagement in pop culture / media)(similar in valeus and choices) Evidence ?(young generations from different cultures should be more similar)

20. whole population young people (born 1970-1987) source: world values survey/european values study 1999-2000

21. whole population young people (born 1970-1987) source: world values survey/european values study 1999-2000

22. Preliminary conclusions • Across the board : Young people close to national responses • Which are very different in both Western and Asian societies • Especially so on values of child rearing • Less so on gendered values of combining work and family life • Young generation NOT clear forerunner of value convergence • Preliminary : survey studies have limitations • Preliminary : repeat analysis with dimensions • Preliminary: use repeated surveys to see if generations change

23. Communications Focus on individualism / collectivism (idv / col) On self-expression / survival ? idv : sample cues ‘inside’ persons (personal beliefs, attitudes, values) : behavior shaped by attitude (individual traits fixed : change situation) col : sample cues about events/groups (norms, roles, situations agreements) : behavior shaped by duties (situation fixed : adaptable self)

24. Communications idv : sample content of communication (verbal) col : sample context (level of voice, eye contact, emotional expression, the non-verbal) The self (I am busy) The other (my co-students think I am busy) Beware of prejudice and stereotyping ! Statements on cultures are not on individuals

25. Discussion All people want the sameout of life; culture doesn’t matterI am different than othersin my culture of origin, c.q.my cultural origin is not telling you who I am Understanding cultural diversity doesn’t help much in communication