Overview
This study is a discussion of the association between cultures and increasing intergroup contacts. The chosen case study is a four-year longitudinal study that represents the stereotype changes found within an intergroup connection. It starts with an overview of one pre-migration and two post-migration areas including a sample of 200 Ingrain Finns who were migrating from Russia to Finland using Schwartz’s values theory of intergroup communication.
The study concluded that at a group level the stereotype profile of the migrants is consensual which is believed to be incorporated from Finn’s and is found highly stable and accurate. Also, Finns are found to be less tolerant and more self-indulgent and are strictly adhering to their culture and values. However, on the individual level the stereotypes are seen only ordinarily stable, and no predictions could be made due to the heterogeneous nature of the change that was observed.
Definition and an Example of Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology
According to Jan-Erik Lönnqvist, Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti, and Markku Verkasalo culture is a cumulative deposit of experiences, attitudes, values, and knowledge. It is a system where knowledge is shared by a large group of people related to each other by same values and traditions. Culture is a way of life of a group of people that is absorbed in their lives and is a constant part of them no matter where ever they go.
On the other hand, cross-cultural psychology is referred as a study that examines both variability and invariability observed under specific conditions if a different group of people. Cross-cultural psychology also studies about the level of tolerance of any group of individuals to approve the cultural behavior of another group when these groups are interrelated. For example, this case study the research is based on an individual and group study of the migrants and it revealed that upon the increased connection with Finns, the Russian immigrants found support for the elements of their culture that were in correspondence with the Finn’s auto-stereotype or which were rated by Finns.
It could be seen that with time the stereotypes, or the fixed and oversimplified idea that are known to be cultural, decreased with the decrement of their tolerance level of Ingrain Finns and native Finns. Both groups became more tolerant towards each other's culture after the increased level of contact due to the migration. However, it is concluded that the intergroup contact was not that positive after migration as it was anticipated pre-migration.
Relationship between Culture and Cross-Culture Psychology
Culture and the cross-culture psychology depict a deep connection in between. Culture is a way of life of a group of individuals that can be affected when comes into contact with another culture. The specific human behavior that is defined as culture is often distorted when it is blended due to certain circumstances such as the migration. The study of this disturbed behavior that is observed to be the constant part of the particular group delineates the correlation between culture and cross-culture psychology as it has been illustrated in the selected case study that shows how the Ingrain Finns and native Finns adhered to their cultural beliefs and how both groups portray the increased coherence to their traditions after inter-mixing.
Methodology Associated with Cross-Cultural Research
The research methodology adopted for this study is used to analyze the behavior of the intergroup contact. The Ingrain Finn migrants and their family members are selected as the separate samples then the natives of Finland.
This methodology is nominated in order to keep the observations independently. In the research the sample of 38 Finnish students to rate the cultural values that are a part of any quintessential Finn. These ratings were collected around the same time when the similar ratings were being collected from the migrants. The research was conducted by observing the migration of the Ingrian Finns to the Finland in between years 2008 and 2011. The participants were measured three times, one time before migration and other two times after the process of migration was completed.
The qualitative approach is the selected as the baseline of the research methodology by giving out a questionnaire to the participants in three stages. The participants were asked for self-rating the values that were collected from strict samples of probability for the assessment of data the statistical procedures were used such as regression analyzes and correlation methods.
Ethnicity, race, and worldviews are separate yet related concepts
Humans comprise of similar behavior and one biological species, behaviorally and also genetically. However, humans portray differences between groups and individuals, both. The specific concepts that are most commonly recorded to differentiate the human behavior are race and the worldviews, and ethnicity. All these components are different but are combined when different groups of people come into contact. These elements of the human species are intertwining and thought necessary to identify the social status of particular groups and individuals (Satcher, 2001).
In a cultural aspect, race focuses on the biological factors of a person like facial shape, hair type, and most importantly skin color. The notion of race is changing to integrate the social factors and the shared history which then further converges with the concept of ethnicity. Worldviews related to the race and ethnicity are that both the factors are related to the social status of an individual that are seen synonymously when are studied under the cultural aspect (Detels, Gulliford, Karim, & Tan, 2015).
Role of Enculturation
The adaptation and assimilation of the culture or a host culture where an individual's life is known to be an enculturation (Hein, 2005). The role of enculturation might be a component that has influenced this research study about the effects of culture on the intergroup association. The immigrants’ behavior towards the stereotype of the native Finns was found to be more tolerant and the behavior that is less self-indulgently as compared to the natives.
The Ingrian Finns were more flexible towards the norms and values of the native Finns’ culture while the native Finns were less tolerant of the cultural values of the migrants. Enculturation played a role where it is observed that the migrants were at some level had positive behavior towards accepting the cultural values and lifestyle of the native Finns as compared to the natives.
References
Detels, R., Gulliford, M., Karim, Q. A., & Tan, C. C. (2015). Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hein, A. J. (2005). The Embedded Role of Education in an Enculturation Process that Leads to Gender Inequities in the American Workforce. St. Louis: Widener University.
Satcher, D. (2001). Our Commitment to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics, 1(1), 1.
