scholarly journals What is Right? What is Wrong? and Does the Answer Tell Something about Culture? - an Investigation into Culture and Morality Using the Values Concept

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christin-Melanie Vauclair
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Moral Values ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Multilevel Regression

<p>Morality, or what is considered right or wrong, varies seemingly across cultures. However, the literature shows that moral psychologists have mainly investigated moral reasoning assuming a universal morality. Cross-cultural psychologists in contrast have widely neglected moral issues such as prescriptive beliefs of what people ought to do in a culture, and have predominantly measured culture through personal values. This thesis attempts to bridge this gap by focusing on the values concept. Four empirical studies were conducted to critically examine values as a measure of culture and their relationship to morality. Chapter one is an introduction into the topics morality, culture and values. Chapter two outlines the conceptual and methodological issues associated with deriving cultural values through the statistical aggregation of individuals' personal values. A value taxonomy is presented in which personal moral values and societal moral values are proposed as alternatives for measuring the cultural context. Following this critique, personal values are examined in two empirical studies in a cross-cultural context scrutinizing the validity of Schwartz' (1994) Culture-level Value Theory. Study 1 is a cross-cultural meta-analysis using the Rokeach Value Survey (Rokeach, 1973) showing that Schwartz' culture-level value structure was replicable with different samples, and a different method for assessing value priorities. Nonetheless, a set of values not included in Schwartz' analysis formed a new value type: Self-fulfilled Connectedness (SFC) which is related to the pursuit of non-material goals and endorsed in countries in which basic needs are fulfilled. Study 2 tested in a multilevel regression model whether Schwartz' cultural values predicted individuals' moral attitudes with data from more than 40 different countries. The findings indicated that the value dimension Autonomy-Embeddedness explained individuals' lenient attitude towards personal-sexual, but not towards dishonest-illegal issues. Study 3 dealt with the fundamental critique raised in chapter two that Schwartz (1994) does not operationalize micro- and macro-level constructs independently when measuring cultural values. To address this empirically, personal moral values and societal moral values were explicitly measured in student samples from eight cultures. Societal moral values showed greater cross-cultural differences than personal moral values. Furthermore, societal moral values at the culture-level conceptually replicated the multilevel findings from Study 2. This suggests that societal moral values are a valid macro-level variable for the measurement of culture. Finally, Study 4 was conducted to elicit implicit moral values. Respondents from four cultures free-listed their associations of a 'moral person'. correspondence analyses revealed that collectivistic-oriented samples mentioned more traditional moral attributes, whereas individualistic samples reported more liberal attributes. Furthermore, accessibility of implicit moral values - matched with the SVS - correlated with explicit ratings of personal moral values from Study 3, providing convergent validity for this kind of values. This multi-method finding corroborated that personal moral values and societal moral values are different concepts. In sum, these studies support the validity of Schwartz' theory and suggest that notions of right and wrong do indeed tell us something about culture, but it depends on (1) the issues studied (personal-sexual issues), and (2) the kind of values measured (societal moral values).</p>

scholarly journals What is Right? What is Wrong? and Does the Answer Tell Something about Culture? - an Investigation into Culture and Morality Using the Values Concept

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christin-Melanie Vauclair
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Moral Values ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Multilevel Regression

<p>Morality, or what is considered right or wrong, varies seemingly across cultures. However, the literature shows that moral psychologists have mainly investigated moral reasoning assuming a universal morality. Cross-cultural psychologists in contrast have widely neglected moral issues such as prescriptive beliefs of what people ought to do in a culture, and have predominantly measured culture through personal values. This thesis attempts to bridge this gap by focusing on the values concept. Four empirical studies were conducted to critically examine values as a measure of culture and their relationship to morality. Chapter one is an introduction into the topics morality, culture and values. Chapter two outlines the conceptual and methodological issues associated with deriving cultural values through the statistical aggregation of individuals' personal values. A value taxonomy is presented in which personal moral values and societal moral values are proposed as alternatives for measuring the cultural context. Following this critique, personal values are examined in two empirical studies in a cross-cultural context scrutinizing the validity of Schwartz' (1994) Culture-level Value Theory. Study 1 is a cross-cultural meta-analysis using the Rokeach Value Survey (Rokeach, 1973) showing that Schwartz' culture-level value structure was replicable with different samples, and a different method for assessing value priorities. Nonetheless, a set of values not included in Schwartz' analysis formed a new value type: Self-fulfilled Connectedness (SFC) which is related to the pursuit of non-material goals and endorsed in countries in which basic needs are fulfilled. Study 2 tested in a multilevel regression model whether Schwartz' cultural values predicted individuals' moral attitudes with data from more than 40 different countries. The findings indicated that the value dimension Autonomy-Embeddedness explained individuals' lenient attitude towards personal-sexual, but not towards dishonest-illegal issues. Study 3 dealt with the fundamental critique raised in chapter two that Schwartz (1994) does not operationalize micro- and macro-level constructs independently when measuring cultural values. To address this empirically, personal moral values and societal moral values were explicitly measured in student samples from eight cultures. Societal moral values showed greater cross-cultural differences than personal moral values. Furthermore, societal moral values at the culture-level conceptually replicated the multilevel findings from Study 2. This suggests that societal moral values are a valid macro-level variable for the measurement of culture. Finally, Study 4 was conducted to elicit implicit moral values. Respondents from four cultures free-listed their associations of a 'moral person'. correspondence analyses revealed that collectivistic-oriented samples mentioned more traditional moral attributes, whereas individualistic samples reported more liberal attributes. Furthermore, accessibility of implicit moral values - matched with the SVS - correlated with explicit ratings of personal moral values from Study 3, providing convergent validity for this kind of values. This multi-method finding corroborated that personal moral values and societal moral values are different concepts. In sum, these studies support the validity of Schwartz' theory and suggest that notions of right and wrong do indeed tell us something about culture, but it depends on (1) the issues studied (personal-sexual issues), and (2) the kind of values measured (societal moral values).</p>

Value Orientations and Mental Health: A Theoretical Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Heim ◽  
Andreas Maercker ◽  
Diana Boer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
The Relationship

Cross-national epidemiological studies show that prevalence rates of common mental disorders (i.e. depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD) vary considerably between countries, suggesting cultural differences. In order to gather evidence on how culture relates to the aetiology and phenomenology of mental disorders, finding meaningful empirical instruments for capturing the latent (i.e. non-visible) construct of ‘culture’ is vital. In this review, we suggest using value orientations for this purpose. We focus on Schwartz's value theory, which includes two levels of values: cultural and personal. We identified nine studies on personal values and four studies on cultural values and their relationship with common mental disorders. This relationship was assessed among very heterogeneous cultural groups; however, no consistent correlational pattern occurred. The most compelling evidence suggests that the relationship between personal values and mental disorders is moderated by the cultural context. Hence, assessing mere correlations between personal value orientations and self-reported symptoms of psychopathology, without taking into account the cultural context, does not yield meaningful results. This theoretical review reveals important research gaps: Most studies aimed to explain how values relate to the aetiology of mental disorders, whereas the question of phenomenology was largely neglected. Moreover, all included studies used Western instruments for assessing mental disorders, which may not capture culturally-specific phenomena of mental distress. Finding systematic relationships between values and mental disorders may contribute to making more informed hypotheses about how psychopathology is expressed under different cultural circumstances, and how to culturally adapt psychological interventions.

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Values: A Meta-Analysis of Major Quantitative Studies in the Last Decade (2010–2020)

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 396
Author(s):  
Jamie Lynn Goodwin ◽  
Andrew Lloyd Williams ◽  
Patricia Snell Herzog
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
World Regions ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Cross Cultural Research ◽  
The U.S

Since 2010, scholars have made major contributions to cross-cultural research, especially regarding similarities and differences across world regions and countries in people’s values, beliefs, and morality. This paper accumulates and analyzes extant multi-national and quantitative studies of these facets of global culture. The paper begins with a summary of the modern history of cross-cultural research, then systematically reviews major empirical studies published since 2010, and next analyzes extant approaches to interpret how the constructs of belief, morality, and values have been theorized and operationalized. The analysis reveals that the field of cross-cultural studies remains dominated by Western approaches, especially studies developed and deployed from the United States and Western Europe. While numerous surveys have been translated and employed for data collection in countries beyond the U.S. and Western Europe, several countries remain under-studied, and the field lacks approaches that were developed within the countries of interest. The paper concludes by outlining future directions for the study of cross-cultural research. To progress from the colonialist past embedded within cross-cultural research, in which scholars from the U.S. and Western Europe export research tools to other world regions, the field needs to expand to include studies locally developed and deployed within more countries and world regions.

Investigating Electronic Word-of-Mouth Motivations in the Middle East

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 40-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Magalhaes ◽  
Basim Musallam
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Motivational Factors ◽  
Opinion Leaders ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
Negative Feelings

This paper reports on a study carried out in Kuwait aimed at exploring the motivational factors which drive consumers to mention company names in Twitter. Building on existing models for eWOM motives and using Twitter as the tool for data collection, an electronic questionnaire was launched with the help of a number of opinion leaders. A total of 1,192 valid responses were collected from 5,011 hits. Data were statistically analyzed to extract the strongest factors. Concern for Other Consumers, Extraversion/Positive Self Enhancement, Venting Negative Feelings and Helping the Company are the primary factors. However, the findings are inconclusive when considering the proposition that studies aimed at identifying motivational factors behind eWOM engagement, differences can be expected in results from populations with predominantly collectivist values as opposed to populations with predominantly individualist values. Assuming that in the Kuwaiti cultural context individualist values predominate, it would have been expected to have results which are different from those obtained in studies carried out among populations whose cultural values are predominantly collectivist. However, this was not the case. In some factors the results are very similar, while in others, results are markedly different. This suggests that more research is needed in the cross cultural implications of motivational factors behind eWOM engagement.

scholarly journals Measuring cultural values at the individual-level: considering morality in cross-cultural value research

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 60-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christin-Melanie Vauclair
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Moral Values ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Usual Procedure ◽  
A Value ◽  
Importance Ratings ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
The Individual

Shared values are typically seen as one of the core aspects of culture. The usual procedure for deriving shared cultural values is through analyzing individuals' value priorities at the cultural-level. This paper outlines the conceptual and methodological problems associated with this procedure. Findings from selected empirical studies are presented to corroborate this critique. Alternative ways of measuring cultural values at the individual-level are presented and classified into a value taxonomy. Within this taxonomy past studies have so far focused on measuring values through importance ratings reflecting what individuals or social groups "desire". However, the argument is made that if cultural values are supposed to be shared they should reflect what is "desirable", i.e. what one "ought" to value or to strive for as a goal in life in a certain society. This constitutes a new approach for the measurement of cultural values. It is proposed that cultural values are measurable at the individual-level using the concept of morality. Suggestions are made how moral values could be operationalized referring to either the individual's moral values or those of a social group. The benefits of the value taxonomy for future research are eventually described.

Privacy protection and self-disclosure across societies: A study of global Twitter users

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1476-1497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai Liang ◽  
Fei Shen ◽  
King-wa Fu
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Privacy Protection ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Privacy Settings ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Privacy Setting

Privacy is a culturally specific phenomenon. As social media platforms are going global, questions concerning privacy practices in a cross-cultural context become increasingly important. The purpose of this study is to examine cultural variations of privacy settings and self-disclosure of geolocation on Twitter. We randomly selected 3.3 million Twitter accounts from more than 100 societies. Results revealed considerable cultural and societal differences. Privacy setting in collectivistic societies was more effective in encouraging self-disclosure; whereas it appeared to be less important for users in individualistic societies. Internet penetration was also a significant factor in predicting both the adoption of privacy setting and geolocation self-disclosure. However, we did not find any direct relationships between cultural values and self-disclosure.

Status or fun? A cross-cultural examination of young consumers’ responses to images of champagne and sparkling wine

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 1960-1975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Velikova ◽  
Steve Charters ◽  
Joanna Fountain ◽  
Caroline Ritchie ◽  
Nicola Fish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Sparkling Wine ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test Luna and Gupta’s (2001) investigative framework on the interaction of cultural values and consumer behaviour by conducting a cross-cultural comparison of young wine consumers’ interpretation of images of champagne and sparkling wine. The research examined consumer responses to the images through the prism of the relationship between symbolism, ritual and myth, as well as other related values. Design/methodology/approach – In a series of focus groups with consumers from four anglophone countries (the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the UK), six images of champagne and sparkling wine were used as stimuli to encourage affective and cognitive perspectives on the topic. Findings – Overall, the UK market showed distinct differences from the other markets, due very much to its cultural context. The UK consumers valued traditional advertising; focused mainly on the product itself; and did not associate champagne with fun. Respondents from the New World focused on the general impression of the image and on enjoyment and fun associated with consumption of champagne and sparkling wine. Practical implications – The most crucial implication of this research is the cultural variation in consumer perceptions of champagne and sparkling wine and the impact that it has upon marketing strategies on how to market this product category to younger consumers in different markets. Originality/value – This research contributes to the study of cultural values and consumption behaviour, as well as image effectiveness in forming perceptions of the product category.

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of the Independent and Interdependent Self-Construal Questionnaire: Evidence From the Czech Republic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lacko ◽  
Jiří Čeněk ◽  
Tomáš Urbánek
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Interdependent Self

This article introduces a validation study of the Czech version of an independent and interdependent self-construal questionnaire (SCS, Vignoles et al., 2016) conducted on 330 Czech subjects. In this study, the reliability, convergent validity and factor validity were verified. However, the confirmatory factor analysis revealed unsatisfactory factor structure (RMSEA = 0.053 [0.048, 0.057], SRMR = 0.080, CFI = 0.775, TLI = 0.755). These results are discussed with respect to other adaptations of individualism/collectivism scales in countries beyond typical West-East dichotomy. Hence, the article not only critically discusses the shortcoming of the Czech and original versions of the questionnaires, but also the general issues of the individualism-collectivism construct in the cross-cultural context as a whole.

scholarly journals Pemahaman Kompetensi Lintas Budaya bagi UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) untuk Memecah Kebuntuan dalam Penyelesaian Konflik Palestina-Israel [UNTSO Competence in Cross-Cultural Understanding to Break the Deadlock in the Settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict]

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Raden Mas Jerry Indrawan
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Competency ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Training ◽  
Different Cultures

<p>UNTSO was the first peacekeeping mission created by the United Nations. They have been in the Middle East since June 1948 with the task of overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Arab countries, including seeking resolution of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. One of the reasons many UN peace missions fail, including UNTSO, was because the peacekeepers do not have the ability to understand the local culture in which they are placed. One of the main difficulties faced by peacekeepers in a conflict involving two groups with two different cultures is uncertainty about cultural values. UNTSO personnel very rarely received training as such and like the usual army, their tendency is to use violence to solve conflicts. There should be a special cultural training focused on developing an understanding of the cultural context, such as background orientation, origin, conflict parties, history, religion, customs, and local community language. This paper tries to provide an analysis through an understanding of cross-cultural competency, which is expected to provide recommendations for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.</p>

scholarly journals Comparing Cross-Cultural Dimensions of the Experiences of International Tourists in Vietnam

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuy-Huong Truong ◽  
Brian King
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Visitor Satisfaction ◽  
Tourist Satisfaction ◽  
Tourism Professionals ◽  
Tourism Service

Vietnam’s location in South East Asia places it well to benefit from tourism growth trends regionally and globally. It appeals to international tourists because of its long history, its culture and its unique customs and habits. Vietnam is experiencing rapid international tourism growth of visitors from different cultural backgrounds which places pressure on tourism service providers. If development is to be well managed, tourism professionals will need to broaden their understanding of both Western and Asian visitors, and managers need to encourage an atmosphere of familiarity and comfort amongst tourist groups, thus enhancing visitor satisfaction. However, appealing to diverse tourists markets is difficult because the needs of visitors are culturally determined and complex. Despite the importance of tourism for Vietnam, no research has attempted to measure tourist satisfaction in a cross-cultural context. In the present paper, a conceptual framework is proposed to explain the determinants of satisfaction amongst international tourists from different cultures when holidaying in Vietnam. In developing the proposed model, a review is undertaken of the concepts of culture, rules of behaviour, tourist perception and satisfaction. A range of factors are take into account including internal factors (such as cultural values, rules of behaviour, socio-demographics, behavioural and other travel characteristics) and external factors including tourist perceptions of their hosts and of products and services.

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