Cultural Differences

Definition

Cultural groups can differ widely in their beliefs about what is true, good, and efficient. The study of cultural differences combines perspectives in psychology and anthropology to understand a society's signature pattern of beliefs, behavior, and social institutions and how these patterns compare and contrast to those of other cultural groups.

Cultural differences appear both between and within societies, for example, between Canadians and Japanese, and within the United States between Anglos and Latinos. Descriptions of cultural differences are made in context to the many similarities shared across human groups. Although a variety of attributes differ between cultures, there are also many similarities that exist across human societies. Moreover, even where there are differences between cultural groups, individual differences mean that not every person within a particular culture will have beliefs or exhibit behaviors that resemble predominant patterns in their society.

Context and Focus

Cultures can contrast in many ways, some more obvious and observable than others. For example, cultures differ in language, dress (kilt, kimono, or three-piece suit), and social greetings (kiss, bow, handshake). From a psychological perspective, cultures also differ in more subtle, yet important ways, such as how they explain why someone behaved the way they did, what they notice and remember from social interactions, or whether they try to “fit in” versus “stand out” in their peer group. For example, in the United States and Australia, individuals tend to define themselves in terms of their unique personality characteristics and individual attributes (e.g., outgoing, optimistic, ambitious), whereas in Korea and Mexico, individuals are more likely to define themselves in terms of their connection to others or membership in social groups (e.g., sister, friend, student). In Chinese cultures, building deep personal relationships is considered more effective than contracts as a way to establish trust in a business relationship. Yet, in the United States, contracts are valued more than personal assurances. Psychological research on cultural differences focuses on such subtle differences and unexpected similarities in beliefs and behavior.

Background and History

Humans have long been interested in cultural differences. The first written accounts of cultural diversity appear as far back as the 4th century B.C.E. in Herodotus' description of the unique beliefs and customs among the different cultural groups that traded along the shores of the Black Sea. However, it was not until around the 19th century C.E. that scholars began to conduct systematic studies of unique cultural beliefs and practices, such as Alexis de Tocqueville's writings about the unique aspects of early American culture and Max Weber's analysis of how religious ideologies developed in Northern Europe created cultural differences in beliefs about the meaning of work. About 100 years later, the field of cultural anthropology emerged with an exclusive focus on understanding the nature of cultural differences around the world. Today, psychological research has brought new understanding about the nature of cultural differences and similarities by combining an anthropological focus on culture with sophisticated experimental methods developed in social and cognitive psychology. This area of research within social psychology is referred to as cultural psychology.

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