For the next three days, you will be given the opportunity to do an extensive amount of research about concepts specific to the cross-cultural psychology field and apply those concepts to the differences between a Western country and a non-Western culture. Along the way, you will also take into account how cultural differences in each can affect a person’s sense of self as outlined in the theories of Humanists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

To complete the assignment correctly, you will have to follow several steps that I have outlined for you. This assignment is posted to the web so that you can directly access the links. You should access each of these in order to have a strong understanding of what you need to know.

The first thing you need to have is a strong feel for the nature and concept of culture, including how it is structured and how it can vary from culture to culture. Here’s the website you get you going on that one:
http://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/culture.htm (make sure you check out the links at the bottom as well)

The next website has a strong summary of the following topics in the study of cultures:

Individualism vs. Collectivism
Masculine Cultures vs. Feminine Cultures
Tight Cultures vs. Loose Cultures
High Power Cultures vs. Low Power Distance Cultures

www.guidancechannel.com/default.aspx?M_a&index=695&cat=50
As you begin to determine which two countries you will choose for your paper, you should try to keep these dichotomies in mind and try to find countries that line up on one side vs. the other (i.e. an Individualistic, Masculine, Tight culture in one country, for instance).

Most of the information from the website above cites Hofstede and Triandis publications. They are the two people I spoke about in class yesterday. The following are links to some of their work:

http://books.google.com/books?id=luUj8miPuIIC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=tight+vs.+loose+culture&source=bl&ots=jccgWJJxfG&sig=FYeYejQ_VQFl9s2-tJV8-wglJBw&hl=en&ei=AOmQSbW9G6Gjtgen-aX9CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result

This link above takes you to a Google book preview of Triandis’ Individualism vs. Collectivism text. I STRONGLY suggest you read and take notes on Chapter one and Chapter three as they pertain to the four categories of culture listed above.

So, let’s not forget that Humanism piece. Some people have argued in class that the self actualized person can’t work to benefit a whole culture/society if they are focusing on individualistic actualization. Not true, according to Rogers:
http://peacememe.typepad.com/longer_peaces/2006/12/gold_from_carl_.html

Now that we have a better understanding of how Carl feels, feel free to use some of the websites linked at this portal site to expand on his ideas of the individual’s place in an overall community through some other humanists, including but not limited to Maslow:
http://www.dmoz.org/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/Humanistic/

So, where do we go at this point? I would say we need to select the two countries/cultures you will be focusing on as you write this paper. Here is Hofstede’s web page that has links to countries and culture-specific traditions and customs (you know, the IBM guy):
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/

And, the Library of Congress has its own equally impressive list of countries:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

Here’s the focus of the paper –

1. The context of culture as it relates to specific areas/regions and the dimensions of cultural differences between different areas/regions (individual vs. collective; power distance; tight vs. loose; masculine vs. feminine) and the use of SPECIFIC examples to show variance in different areas/regions.

2. Specifically focus on the concept of the self and differences that are perceived in that development of the self in a collective society vs. an individualistic society.

3. Application of HUMANISTIC theories to the development of the self and inherent problems that can occur when this Western-based theory is applied to non-Western cultures. Really focus on cultural and gender differences specifically as they can “thwart” the Western concept of self-actualization. Certainly use Maslow and Rogers, but feel free to branch out and use someone else as well.

I DO NOT WANT you to answer point one, then point two, and then point three – a solid, well written essay will incorporate all three simultaneously within the body of the essay. I have done the research for you – all you have to do is take the research and turn it into a rockin’-awesome essay. Make sure you cite the works as you go along in the paper and don’t simply list them at the end of the paper. I will not accept a paper that is void of citations in the body of the paper.

I will have high expectations for this paper as I have read every single reference listed here. I know what it says, and I know how the information should be shaped to answer the three-part prompt correctly.

Since you have three full 90-minute class periods to work on this, I think it would be reasonable to have these due on Monday, Feb. 23^rd. That gives you THIRTEEN full days to complete this. Your IA’s are due Monday, don’t forget.

I expect these to be at least four double-spaced pages with 12-point font. Please double space and have them printed out PRIOR TO CLASS beginning on the due date.

JLOWE