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Explore the impact of cultural bias in interpretations and judgments across different cultures, including stereotypes and misunderstandings that may arise. Examples, effects, and references discussed.
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Dr Jon Mills Crosscultural Understanding
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 • Can you think of any more examples of cultural bias? • What misunderstandings do you think might occur because of such cultural bias?
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
Gender stereotypes in children's movies http://youtu.be/O4BxGtWvsvo
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; 183-254. 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 recherchesur le pluralinguisme.