1. Understanding our cultural ecology: Exploring ethnic diversity’s impact on transient cultural values and behavior
Alex C. Huynh, Henri C. Santos, & Igor Grossmann
University of Waterloo, Canada
Introduction
Studies 1-2
Study 3
Changing Cultural Values
Individualistic cultural values have been increasing over the past century.1
Researchers attribute these shifting values to historic changes in urbanization and social class.2,3
Changing Ethnic Diversity
Ethnic diversity in the U.S. has been increasing this past century, and is at an all time high.4
Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Values
Intergroup research suggests that ethnic diversity promotes individualistic behavior and values.5
No research has explored whether ethnic diversity is linked to changing cultural values.
Study 3: Diversity in one’s Local Community
372 Ps from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Self-reported:
1. Perceived local community’s ethnic diversity
2. Interethnic interactions (α = .89)
- e.g., I am in frequent contact with others from
a different ethnic background from me
3. Singelis’ individualistic values scale (α = .81)
- e.g., I enjoy being unique and different.
Study 1: Historic Trends in Diversity & Individualism
Computed trends in ethnic diversity and individualism through U.S. Census and IPUMS data ( ).6
Correlated ethnic diversity and individualism with previously established predictors of individualism:
Note. Higher scores on individualistic markers reflect greater individualism. *p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Study 2: Global Changes in Diversity & Individualism
Collected World Values Survey Data for 18 countries over the past 30 years.
Assessed cultural values related to individualism7
- Importance of self-expression/uniqueness
- Importance of friends/family
- General trust
Measured an index of each country’s ethnic diversity
Changes in individualistic values as a function of a country’s ethnic diversity:
Individualism Markers
Diversity
SES
Urbanization
Interpersonal structures
.799***
.673***
.394
Book Themes
.538*
.547**
.236
Unique Baby Names
.876***
.447**
-.030
more diverse less diverse
Interethnic Interactions
.19***
.23***
Perceived Ethnic Diversity
Individualistic Values
Total: .02
Direct: -.07
Indirect: (95% CI [Lower: .10; Upper: .40])
(Bootstrapped with 5000 samples)
Discussion
Ethnic diversity is historically interrelated with increasing individualistic values and behavior.
Across the globe, countries higher in ethnic diversity have shown faster rates of increasing individualism.
Greater perceived diversity predicts greater interethnic interactions, thus increasing individualistic values.
Together, this work suggests that ethnic diversity has historically, and is currently affecting cultural change.
Research Questions
Do historic changes in ethnic diversity account for changes in individualistic values?
Do countries higher in ethnic diversity show accelerated individualism change?
What are the processes behind greater ethnic diversity shaping cultural change?
References
1. Greenfield, P. M. (2016). Social change, cultural evolution, and human development. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8,
2. Greenfield, P. M. (2013). The changing psychology of culture from 1800 through 2000. Psychological science, 24,
3. Grossmann, I. & Varnum, M. E. W. (2015). Social structure, infectious diseases, disasters, secularism, and cultural change in America. Psychological Science, 26,
4. Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty‐first century the 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture. Scandinavian political studies, 30,
5. Stolle, D., Soroka, S., & Johnston, R. (2008). When does diversity erode trust? Neighborhood diversity, interpersonal trust and the mediating effect of social interactions. Political Studies, 56,
6. Flood, S., King, M., Ruggles, S. & Warren, J. R. (2015). Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Current Population Survey: Version 4.0. [dataset]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.
7. Inglehart, R., & Oyserman, D. (2004). Individualism, autonomy, self-expression. The human development syndrome. International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, pp
Countries in the 1st Quantile of Diversity
Countries in the 3rd Quantile of Diversity
Correspondence Address:
This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.