CU002: Social Roles and Social Behavior — Analyze how culture influences socialization, social roles, social cognition, and social
behavior to gain a greater appreciation of cultural appropriate behaviors in varied settings
Written Response Submission Form
Your Name:
Your E-Mail Address:
Instructions
Write your responses where it reads “Enter your response here.” Write enough to satisfy the requirements indicated. Each item contains the
Rubric, which will be used to evaluate your responses.
Use the following scenario for all items:
Scenario: Culture, Psychology, and Community
Imagine an international organization has approached you to help resolve an intergroup conflict. You are an authority in cross-cultural
psychology and have been asked to serve as a consultant based on a recent violent conflict involving a refugee community in your town and a
local community organization. In the days, weeks, and months leading up to the violent conflict, there were incidents of discrimination and
debates regarding the different views and practices people held about work, family, schools, and religious practice. Among the controversies
has been the role of women’s participation in political, educational, and community groups.
Item 1
Developing an Understanding (4 paragraphs):
• Based on the scenario, explain how you can help integrate the two diverse communities and increase understanding
and appreciation of each group by the other group. (Note: Make sure to include in your explanation the different views and practices
of cultural groups as well as the role of women.)
• Based on your knowledge of culture and psychology, provide three possible suggestions/solutions that will help the
community as a whole. In your suggestions, make sure to include an explanation regarding group think, individualism, and
collectivism.
, Your Response
To help bring together a refugee community, I would start by setting up structured opportunities, such as free outreach, to foster open
communication for those in need of help. This would give the community a safe space to share their views, values, traditions, and
experiences. By doing this, some may share the same values or be close to them, and can give pointers and help if they can. Many of
the traumas, like the different views on work, family, education, and religion, espeically with women's point of view comes from
cultural norms that were passed down from previous family members. By having these structured groups and open communication,
each group would be able to see what others hold in certain beliefs rather than just judging them right away. For instance, some
cultures may focus on gender roles in different countries that are connected to family and/or religion, while some may focus on gender
quality and personal choice. Building this foundation can help foster empathy among the other members by understanding that it is the
first step toward reducing conflict.
In addition to being culturally educated, it can help both groups see how cultural values can influence behavior. Recent research in
cross-cultural psychology highlights individualism and collectivism as shaping expectations and social norms (Laketa et al., 2021). In
individualistic cultures, people often value independence, personal choice, and self-expression. On the other hand, collectivistic culture
focuses on harmony, family, and responsibility. When these two values mix, misunderstandings can arise about differing views on
women’s roles in education or leadership. Having educational workshops that discuss them directly can help people see them not as a
problem but as a cultural norm, encouraging respect.
Another important point to note is that improving groups' ability to make positive decisions and to reduce the risk of groupthink
remains a major topic in research. Recent studies show that when groups are under a lot of stress or facing conflicting issues, they are
more likely to ignore others' opinions and act in their own best interests. To avoid this, it is important to encourage open
communication and discussions, as well as critical thinking across different groups. This means ensuring that voices are heard and not
overlooked, especially those of women, since they are often ignored in their cultures. Another research found that when leadership is
more gender inclusive, groups perform better and make more decisions that are fair and collaborative (UN Women, 2023).
Looking at these findings, these three research- supported strategies are recommended for the community by establishing cooperative
activities to build trust and empathy, implementing educational programs on cultural values, and lastly creating inclusive leadership
structures that prevent groupthink by encouraging diverse perspectives and participation among women (UN Women, 2023). All
together these strategies offer a comprehensive and evidence-based framework that fosters a proper understanding and reduces conflict
so that it can promote an inclusive community.
Elizabeth Levy Paluck, Roni Porat, Chelsey S. Clark, Donald P. Green. 2021. Prejudice Reduction: Progress and Challenges. Annual
Review Psychology. 72:533-560. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-071620-030619
Laketa, A., Studenica, A., Chrysochoou, E., Blakey, E., & Vivas, A. B. (2021). Biculturalism, linguistic distance, and bilingual
behavior to gain a greater appreciation of cultural appropriate behaviors in varied settings
Written Response Submission Form
Your Name:
Your E-Mail Address:
Instructions
Write your responses where it reads “Enter your response here.” Write enough to satisfy the requirements indicated. Each item contains the
Rubric, which will be used to evaluate your responses.
Use the following scenario for all items:
Scenario: Culture, Psychology, and Community
Imagine an international organization has approached you to help resolve an intergroup conflict. You are an authority in cross-cultural
psychology and have been asked to serve as a consultant based on a recent violent conflict involving a refugee community in your town and a
local community organization. In the days, weeks, and months leading up to the violent conflict, there were incidents of discrimination and
debates regarding the different views and practices people held about work, family, schools, and religious practice. Among the controversies
has been the role of women’s participation in political, educational, and community groups.
Item 1
Developing an Understanding (4 paragraphs):
• Based on the scenario, explain how you can help integrate the two diverse communities and increase understanding
and appreciation of each group by the other group. (Note: Make sure to include in your explanation the different views and practices
of cultural groups as well as the role of women.)
• Based on your knowledge of culture and psychology, provide three possible suggestions/solutions that will help the
community as a whole. In your suggestions, make sure to include an explanation regarding group think, individualism, and
collectivism.
, Your Response
To help bring together a refugee community, I would start by setting up structured opportunities, such as free outreach, to foster open
communication for those in need of help. This would give the community a safe space to share their views, values, traditions, and
experiences. By doing this, some may share the same values or be close to them, and can give pointers and help if they can. Many of
the traumas, like the different views on work, family, education, and religion, espeically with women's point of view comes from
cultural norms that were passed down from previous family members. By having these structured groups and open communication,
each group would be able to see what others hold in certain beliefs rather than just judging them right away. For instance, some
cultures may focus on gender roles in different countries that are connected to family and/or religion, while some may focus on gender
quality and personal choice. Building this foundation can help foster empathy among the other members by understanding that it is the
first step toward reducing conflict.
In addition to being culturally educated, it can help both groups see how cultural values can influence behavior. Recent research in
cross-cultural psychology highlights individualism and collectivism as shaping expectations and social norms (Laketa et al., 2021). In
individualistic cultures, people often value independence, personal choice, and self-expression. On the other hand, collectivistic culture
focuses on harmony, family, and responsibility. When these two values mix, misunderstandings can arise about differing views on
women’s roles in education or leadership. Having educational workshops that discuss them directly can help people see them not as a
problem but as a cultural norm, encouraging respect.
Another important point to note is that improving groups' ability to make positive decisions and to reduce the risk of groupthink
remains a major topic in research. Recent studies show that when groups are under a lot of stress or facing conflicting issues, they are
more likely to ignore others' opinions and act in their own best interests. To avoid this, it is important to encourage open
communication and discussions, as well as critical thinking across different groups. This means ensuring that voices are heard and not
overlooked, especially those of women, since they are often ignored in their cultures. Another research found that when leadership is
more gender inclusive, groups perform better and make more decisions that are fair and collaborative (UN Women, 2023).
Looking at these findings, these three research- supported strategies are recommended for the community by establishing cooperative
activities to build trust and empathy, implementing educational programs on cultural values, and lastly creating inclusive leadership
structures that prevent groupthink by encouraging diverse perspectives and participation among women (UN Women, 2023). All
together these strategies offer a comprehensive and evidence-based framework that fosters a proper understanding and reduces conflict
so that it can promote an inclusive community.
Elizabeth Levy Paluck, Roni Porat, Chelsey S. Clark, Donald P. Green. 2021. Prejudice Reduction: Progress and Challenges. Annual
Review Psychology. 72:533-560. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-071620-030619
Laketa, A., Studenica, A., Chrysochoou, E., Blakey, E., & Vivas, A. B. (2021). Biculturalism, linguistic distance, and bilingual
