Discuss how globalization may influence behavior/Discuss the effect of the interaction of
global and local cultural influences on behavior
Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between individuals from various
countries encouraged by global investment and trade and supported by modern technology.
One type of globalization is cultural globalization, which encourages greater interaction between
various people and cultures, leading to the creation of local and global cultures, which is broadly
referred to as bicultural identity. Local culture is the culture we grow up with, while global culture
is the culture we come to learn and adapt to by interacting with other cultures.
However, the effects of this phenomenon are identity confusion and delocalization. Identity
confusion is the challenge of assimilating into a single identity while attempting to define one's
values and social standing. Delocalization on the other hand refers to when a person fails to
connect with their local culture but has a strong global identity. Globalization has both positive
and negative effects on behavior. One negative aspect is that identity confusion and
delocalization could cause frustration in the people experiencing them, impacting their
well-being and overall mental health.
One study … Ogihara and Uchida. The study aimed to investigate the effect of working in an
individualistic workplace on the subjective well-being of Japanese women. The procedure was
that 334 adult Japanese women employed at a large insurance company were investigated. The
workplace environment was characterized by performance and achievement-oriented goals
posters displayed on office walls. Participants were asked to answer questionnaires, similar to
those used in a prior study. The results suggest that even in the study's achievement-oriented
environment, Japanese achievement-oriented participants scored lower on subjective well-being
and had fewer close friends. The conclusion was that the lower levels of well-being in the
Japanese sample may be due to the transition that Japan is currently experiencing, where
globalization is leading to a movement toward individualism in the workplace while maintaining
the traditional collectivistic values in general society. The strengths of the study were that it
provides insight into the effects of an individualistic workplace on people’s well-being. There is
high ecological validity since the study was conducted in a real workplace and the use of a large
sample increases the generalizability of the sample. The limitations of the study are that they
were unable to directly test the causal relationships between an individualistic orientation and a
decrease in the number of close friends. The use of self-report data might lead to inaccuracies
and bias. The gender imbalance of the sample limits generalizability.
Another study … Kaufman. The study aimed to investigate the motivations behind why US
women who grew up in secular Jewish households converted to Orthodox Judaism. The
procedure used was that the researchers conducted a series of interviews with the women who
underwent the conversion process. These interviews likely involved open-ended questions
aimed at understanding their personal experiences, motivations, and perceptions regarding their
conversion to Orthodox Judaism. The results were many women rejected the secular and
competitive nature of modern society in favor of embracing religious values. Conversion to
Orthodox Judaism provided them with a sense of belonging and a "definite place in the world."
The tradition and guidelines provided by Orthodox Judaism offered comfort and structure in their
lives. The conclusion was that Their decision to embrace Orthodox Judaism reflects a rejection
of globalization and a deliberate adoption of religious principles to construct a meaningful
personal identity free from the influence of global culture. This trend coincides with a wider
increase in the observance of fundamentalist religion in the last years.
For several reasons, studies looking into how globalization lowers prejudice produce
contradictory results. First of all, the concept of "levels of globalization" is not well measured,
which makes cross-study comparisons difficult. Self-reported data also carries the risk of biases
and inaccuracies Moreover, the fact that these studies are relatively new makes replication
difficult and restricts the development of strong conclusions. Lastly, the limited generalizability of
research findings across different populations and contexts limits the wider applicability of
research findings.
global and local cultural influences on behavior
Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between individuals from various
countries encouraged by global investment and trade and supported by modern technology.
One type of globalization is cultural globalization, which encourages greater interaction between
various people and cultures, leading to the creation of local and global cultures, which is broadly
referred to as bicultural identity. Local culture is the culture we grow up with, while global culture
is the culture we come to learn and adapt to by interacting with other cultures.
However, the effects of this phenomenon are identity confusion and delocalization. Identity
confusion is the challenge of assimilating into a single identity while attempting to define one's
values and social standing. Delocalization on the other hand refers to when a person fails to
connect with their local culture but has a strong global identity. Globalization has both positive
and negative effects on behavior. One negative aspect is that identity confusion and
delocalization could cause frustration in the people experiencing them, impacting their
well-being and overall mental health.
One study … Ogihara and Uchida. The study aimed to investigate the effect of working in an
individualistic workplace on the subjective well-being of Japanese women. The procedure was
that 334 adult Japanese women employed at a large insurance company were investigated. The
workplace environment was characterized by performance and achievement-oriented goals
posters displayed on office walls. Participants were asked to answer questionnaires, similar to
those used in a prior study. The results suggest that even in the study's achievement-oriented
environment, Japanese achievement-oriented participants scored lower on subjective well-being
and had fewer close friends. The conclusion was that the lower levels of well-being in the
Japanese sample may be due to the transition that Japan is currently experiencing, where
globalization is leading to a movement toward individualism in the workplace while maintaining
the traditional collectivistic values in general society. The strengths of the study were that it
provides insight into the effects of an individualistic workplace on people’s well-being. There is
high ecological validity since the study was conducted in a real workplace and the use of a large
sample increases the generalizability of the sample. The limitations of the study are that they
were unable to directly test the causal relationships between an individualistic orientation and a
decrease in the number of close friends. The use of self-report data might lead to inaccuracies
and bias. The gender imbalance of the sample limits generalizability.
Another study … Kaufman. The study aimed to investigate the motivations behind why US
women who grew up in secular Jewish households converted to Orthodox Judaism. The
procedure used was that the researchers conducted a series of interviews with the women who
underwent the conversion process. These interviews likely involved open-ended questions
aimed at understanding their personal experiences, motivations, and perceptions regarding their
conversion to Orthodox Judaism. The results were many women rejected the secular and
competitive nature of modern society in favor of embracing religious values. Conversion to
Orthodox Judaism provided them with a sense of belonging and a "definite place in the world."
The tradition and guidelines provided by Orthodox Judaism offered comfort and structure in their
lives. The conclusion was that Their decision to embrace Orthodox Judaism reflects a rejection
of globalization and a deliberate adoption of religious principles to construct a meaningful
personal identity free from the influence of global culture. This trend coincides with a wider
increase in the observance of fundamentalist religion in the last years.
For several reasons, studies looking into how globalization lowers prejudice produce
contradictory results. First of all, the concept of "levels of globalization" is not well measured,
which makes cross-study comparisons difficult. Self-reported data also carries the risk of biases
and inaccuracies Moreover, the fact that these studies are relatively new makes replication
difficult and restricts the development of strong conclusions. Lastly, the limited generalizability of
research findings across different populations and contexts limits the wider applicability of
research findings.
