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Mapping and understanding cultural differences in the world |
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MENA Dubai 2003 Abstract
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Shalom Schwartz
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To understand what is unique about a culture, we need to compare it with others. In order to compare cultures, we need a set of criteria or dimensions that is meaningful for describing all of the cultures. This keynote will present a set of seven cultural value orientations that can be used for this purpose. It will set out the theoretical bases of these value orientations and the methods that have been developed to measure them. It will then present data that map 70 or more cultures around the world on these orientations. This analysis reveals seven or eight distinct cultural regions in the world as well as cultural differences among every pair of nations. We will examine what makes the culture of each of these regions distinctive and also compare the cultures of a select set of nations in depth. We will present some of the economic, social and demographic sources of theses cultural differences that may help to predict cultural change. We will also discuss some implications of these cultural differences for international contacts, for behavior in organizations, and for law and order. |
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