Samenvatting Prestentatie Culture
Minor Global Development Issues
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Culture
Session 10
Dealing with cultural differences
QUESTION:
May we (the Western world) judge or interfere with cultural phenomena unknown in our own
culture?
Examples:
Practice of performing FGC on Somali girls in the Netherlands (Vrouwen besnijdenis): should
it be forbidden? should we accept it because its their culture? or allow doctors to do it so it
will be happen good?
Polygamy: France has big problems with family reunification among polygamous Malians
(man have entire families and multiple wives come over). By the court, only the first
marriage would be recognized. Result: the other women lost their socio-economic security.
Attitude is the aggregate of beliefs, feelings and willingness to take action with respect to someone
or something.
According to Ajzen (1980) attitude consists of three interrelated components, specifically:
a cognitive component concerning beliefs, standards and values
an affective component based on feelings and emotions
a conative component based on the desire or willingness to behave in a certain manner
Clearly a willingness to behave a particular way does not always lead to the corresponding behaviour
– in addition to attitude there are other determinant factors for behaviour, such as motivations,
habits, compulsion, etc. – nor is it so that more knowledge about a culture always leads to a positive
attitude with regard to the culture, although it does often provide an impetus in that direction. After
all, in addition to knowledge, emotions and feelings also play a role in attitude-forming.
There are various ways to look at cultural differences:
• Cultural relativism
• Cultural universalism
• Cultural pluralism
• Cultural absolutism (or ethnocentrism)
Cultural relativism
Cultural relativism is an attitude of respect towards other cultures; one does not want to
change people but rather maintain their culture.
Cultural relativism seems to be an ideal attitude because one accepts the other as he is, but it can
lead to ghetto forming. This attitude leads to the creation of special arrangements for certain groups
of people, so-called categorical institutions. Each group has its own schools, own social services, etc.
The creation of categorical provisions is often defended by pointing out that the pillarization in the
Netherlands has also led to the emancipation of certain groups, such as the Catholics. That has
ultimately not led to ghetto forming either.
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Every culture is considered to be unique. There is no assessment and/or judgement based on one’s
own culture. What is good or bad, normal or abnormal depends on the culture.
‘We must try to understand the behaviour of people within their own cultural context; their culture
also has a history within which their values were developed’ (Van der Werf, 2002).
We understand the Matthew effect to be the phenomenon that under the influence of socio-
cultural and socio-political factors government social policy provides greater benefits to
higher socio-economic groups than lower ones, both as a tendency and proportionately.
Cultural universalism
Cultural universalism assumes there are general values that apply to everyone. Certain rights and
responsibilities apply to everyone.
The culture that best protects the universal values can be considered the best, ‘superior’ culture. This
does not have to be the Western culture... (Cliteur)
Bodily harm Is not allowed. So against FGC.
Cultural pluralism (transcultural attitude)
Cultural pluralism is based on the idea of interactive diversity and the concept ‘human dignity’ forms
the common ground. People are then willing to learn from other cultures. Looking at both sides
In fact, it concerns just one question: ‘How do you intend to get along with others?’ (Van der Werf)
(proberen het te begrijpen en tot een compromis proberen te komen. )
☼ A transcultural attitude is an open attitude in which people are, in principle, prepared to adapt
to the other and do not begin with certain expectations and stereotypes. People strive to
achieve an equal position for everyone and benefit from the differences that exist between
people.
Cultural absolutism (ethnocentrism)
☼ Ethnocentrism is an attitude that leads one to judge another culture by the standards of the
observer’s own culture.
It is an attitude that developed in during the colonial period. People with this attitude often assume
the superiority of their own culture and try to compel the other culture to adapt to their own culture.
2.6 Conclusion
In this chapter we have discussed our attitude concerning cultural differences. Like culture itself,
ideas about cultural differences are highly subject to change. Cultural elements do not necessarily
have to be accepted simply because they are part of a particular culture; this also applies to one’s
own culture. Discussions about another culture often lead to stereotyped conceptions that are a
poor match for particular individuals. A universalistic approach to dealing with cultural differences
may be a better starting point than the approaches employed in the past, because this can lead to a
transcultural attitude. The foreigner does not exist, just as it is impossible to speak of the Dutch. With
a transcultural attitude, and on the basis of knowledge, but without preconceptions and stereotypes,
one tries to meet the other culture part way. One is open to the other and realizes that every
contact, even those with a fellow countryman, is transcultural.
Minor Global Development Issues
written by:
MyrtheSanders
The Marketplace to Buy and Sell your Study Material
Buy and sell all your summaries, notes, theses, essays, papers, cases, manuals, researches, and
many more..
www.stuvia.com
, Stuvia.com - The Marketplace to Buy and Sell your Study Material
Culture
Session 10
Dealing with cultural differences
QUESTION:
May we (the Western world) judge or interfere with cultural phenomena unknown in our own
culture?
Examples:
Practice of performing FGC on Somali girls in the Netherlands (Vrouwen besnijdenis): should
it be forbidden? should we accept it because its their culture? or allow doctors to do it so it
will be happen good?
Polygamy: France has big problems with family reunification among polygamous Malians
(man have entire families and multiple wives come over). By the court, only the first
marriage would be recognized. Result: the other women lost their socio-economic security.
Attitude is the aggregate of beliefs, feelings and willingness to take action with respect to someone
or something.
According to Ajzen (1980) attitude consists of three interrelated components, specifically:
a cognitive component concerning beliefs, standards and values
an affective component based on feelings and emotions
a conative component based on the desire or willingness to behave in a certain manner
Clearly a willingness to behave a particular way does not always lead to the corresponding behaviour
– in addition to attitude there are other determinant factors for behaviour, such as motivations,
habits, compulsion, etc. – nor is it so that more knowledge about a culture always leads to a positive
attitude with regard to the culture, although it does often provide an impetus in that direction. After
all, in addition to knowledge, emotions and feelings also play a role in attitude-forming.
There are various ways to look at cultural differences:
• Cultural relativism
• Cultural universalism
• Cultural pluralism
• Cultural absolutism (or ethnocentrism)
Cultural relativism
Cultural relativism is an attitude of respect towards other cultures; one does not want to
change people but rather maintain their culture.
Cultural relativism seems to be an ideal attitude because one accepts the other as he is, but it can
lead to ghetto forming. This attitude leads to the creation of special arrangements for certain groups
of people, so-called categorical institutions. Each group has its own schools, own social services, etc.
The creation of categorical provisions is often defended by pointing out that the pillarization in the
Netherlands has also led to the emancipation of certain groups, such as the Catholics. That has
ultimately not led to ghetto forming either.
, Stuvia.com - The Marketplace to Buy and Sell your Study Material
Every culture is considered to be unique. There is no assessment and/or judgement based on one’s
own culture. What is good or bad, normal or abnormal depends on the culture.
‘We must try to understand the behaviour of people within their own cultural context; their culture
also has a history within which their values were developed’ (Van der Werf, 2002).
We understand the Matthew effect to be the phenomenon that under the influence of socio-
cultural and socio-political factors government social policy provides greater benefits to
higher socio-economic groups than lower ones, both as a tendency and proportionately.
Cultural universalism
Cultural universalism assumes there are general values that apply to everyone. Certain rights and
responsibilities apply to everyone.
The culture that best protects the universal values can be considered the best, ‘superior’ culture. This
does not have to be the Western culture... (Cliteur)
Bodily harm Is not allowed. So against FGC.
Cultural pluralism (transcultural attitude)
Cultural pluralism is based on the idea of interactive diversity and the concept ‘human dignity’ forms
the common ground. People are then willing to learn from other cultures. Looking at both sides
In fact, it concerns just one question: ‘How do you intend to get along with others?’ (Van der Werf)
(proberen het te begrijpen en tot een compromis proberen te komen. )
☼ A transcultural attitude is an open attitude in which people are, in principle, prepared to adapt
to the other and do not begin with certain expectations and stereotypes. People strive to
achieve an equal position for everyone and benefit from the differences that exist between
people.
Cultural absolutism (ethnocentrism)
☼ Ethnocentrism is an attitude that leads one to judge another culture by the standards of the
observer’s own culture.
It is an attitude that developed in during the colonial period. People with this attitude often assume
the superiority of their own culture and try to compel the other culture to adapt to their own culture.
2.6 Conclusion
In this chapter we have discussed our attitude concerning cultural differences. Like culture itself,
ideas about cultural differences are highly subject to change. Cultural elements do not necessarily
have to be accepted simply because they are part of a particular culture; this also applies to one’s
own culture. Discussions about another culture often lead to stereotyped conceptions that are a
poor match for particular individuals. A universalistic approach to dealing with cultural differences
may be a better starting point than the approaches employed in the past, because this can lead to a
transcultural attitude. The foreigner does not exist, just as it is impossible to speak of the Dutch. With
a transcultural attitude, and on the basis of knowledge, but without preconceptions and stereotypes,
one tries to meet the other culture part way. One is open to the other and realizes that every
contact, even those with a fellow countryman, is transcultural.
