Crosscultural Understanding Dr Jon Mills

Cultural Bias Interpreting and judging phenomena by standards inherent to one’s own culture

Cultural Bias For example  People who read English often assume that it is natural to scan a visual field from left to right and from top to bottom.

Cultural Bias For example  In the United States it is typical for the "on" position of a toggle switch to be "up", whereas in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand it is "down.“  In these countries, North is the top of a map,  Up is usually the larger quantity and better, as well.

Cultural Bias For example  Japanese do not place an X in a check-box to indicate acceptance — this indicates refusal.

Discussion 1. Can you think of any more examples of cultural bias? 2. What misunderstandings do you think might occur because of such cultural bias?

Ethnocentrism Making value judgments about another culture from perspectives of one's own cultural system. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture,  Especially with concern to Language, Behavior, Customs, Religion. (Anderson 2006)

Stereotyping When someone claims that members of another culture all share the same, often inferior or offensive characteristics.

Types of stereotypes racial e.g. Red Indians in cowboy films are seen as bloodthirsty savages gender e.g. women are bad drivers age e.g. old people are said to be very forgetful religion e.g. Catholics families have a lot of children profession e.g. all lawyers are greedy

The typical Frenchman

Historical basis

The typical Englishman

Basis in fiction

Gender stereotypes in children's movies

African Men. Hollywood Stereotypes

Stereotyping Muslims

Different cultural assumptions People may misinterpret each other's motives.  For example, One group may assume that they are simply exchanging information about what they believe, but the other believes that they are negotiating a change in behaviour.

References Douglas, Mary (1982) "Cultural Bias," in: Douglas, M.: In the Active Voice, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul; Andersen, Margaret L. & Howard Francis Taylor (2006). Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Thomson Wadsworth. Seidner, Stanley S. (1982) Ethnicity, Language, and Power from a Psycholinguistic Perspective. Bruxelles: Centre de recherche sur le pluralinguisme.