scholarly journals Thinking about Cross-Cultural Differences in Qualitative Interviewing: Practices for More Responsive and Trusting Encounters

Author(s):  
Anson Au

Existing methodological efforts subsume the interview into broad epistemological abstractions, neglecting actual mechanics of the interview as practice, and dismiss linguistic and cultural asymmetry in the interview as a matter of (in)adequate resources. Reflecting on 24 semi-structured interviews exploring social media use among Hong Kong youth, this article develops a culturally sensitive approach that democratically exposes the way cultural norms surface in communication, using strategies which (a) transform the dialogical mechanics of an interview—reflecting back and encouraging; (b) transform the positionality of the researcher—building intersubjectivity and emotional rapport; (c) transform the context of the interview—making shifts in space, language, and presentation. In doing so, a culturally sensitive approach generates practical recommendations for (a) humanizing the researcher to dismantle power imbalances and social distances and (b) naturalizing the interview into a more conversational form, both of which combine to expose the cultural logics that govern action and interpretation whilst constructing results into intimate narratives of people’s life-worlds.

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 886-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jighyasu Gaur ◽  
Venkatesh Mani ◽  
Pratyush Banerjee ◽  
Mehdi Amini ◽  
Ritu Gupta

Purpose Extant literature provides insights about consumers’ purchase intentions (PI) and willingness to pay for reconstructed products but does not capture cross-cultural differences. The purpose of this paper is to understand consumers’ PI for reconstructed products in a cross-cultural setting for the development of circular economy. Design/methodology/approach The sample includes consumers from two diverse societies (India and the USA). The authors conduct two sets of analyses in this paper. The first analysis attempts to identify the difference between the Indian and US consumers’ PI for reconstructed products, who are residing permanently in their home countries. In the second analysis, the authors investigate the impact of socio-cultural norms on PI, for reconstructed products, of the Indian (USA) consumers relocated to the USA (India). In-depth interviews are conducted for data collection. Subsequently, data analysis was carried out using thematic analysis approach. Findings The results indicate that US consumers: possess altruistic buying behavior; are eco-centric toward waste disposal; strictly follow the regulations and socio-cultural norms; and have harmony orientation toward nature. In contrast, Indian consumers: possess utilitarian buying behavior; demonstrate anthropocentric attitude toward waste disposal; do not necessarily follow the regulations; and have mastery orientation toward nature. Practical implications At policy level, government in emerging economies should formulate regulations that promote the use of reconstructed products. At firm level, firms should exploit promotional and advertisement efforts to enhance awareness about reconstructed products. Originality/value The study is an early attempt in the literature to capture cross-cultural differences for reconstructed products.


2021 ◽  
pp. 50-60
Author(s):  
Rebecca Roache

This chapter focuses on the future of friendship, arguing that there is no reason to believe that the future of friendship will be fundamentally different from how friendship has been in the past. Despite cross-cultural differences, Dunbar’s Number remains constant and people with different friendship styles enjoy roughly the same health and emotional benefits from their friendships. Barring drastic change, it is likely that the future of friendship is not going to be markedly different from the past and the present of friendship. On closer examination, the sorts of things that are commonly viewed as threats to friendship — like social media and echo chambers — turn out to be less ominous. Time constraints, established social norms, and personal and cultural preferences are likely to apply brakes to the speed at which friendship transforms over time.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Yuchen Lin ◽  
Frank F. Xu ◽  
Kenny Zhu ◽  
Seung-won Hwang

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Del Giudice

Abstract The argument against innatism at the heart of Cognitive Gadgets is provocative but premature, and is vitiated by dichotomous thinking, interpretive double standards, and evidence cherry-picking. I illustrate my criticism by addressing the heritability of imitation and mindreading, the relevance of twin studies, and the meaning of cross-cultural differences in theory of mind development. Reaching an integrative understanding of genetic inheritance, plasticity, and learning is a formidable task that demands a more nuanced evolutionary approach.


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