Myself Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/07/070712.keysar.shtml People from Western cultures such as the United States are particularly challenged in their ability to understand someone else’s point of view because they are part of a culture that encourages individualism, new research at the University of Chicago shows. In contrast, Chinese, who live in a society that encourages a collectivist attitude among its members, are much more adept at determining another person’s perspective, according to a new study. Interestingly, while the article explicitly identifies multiculturalism with collectivism, it seems to imply that individualism and independence are handicaps to Americans! Now collectivists can claim that multiculturalism is "scientifically" superior to a culture of individualism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 “Members of collectivist cultures tend to be interdependent and to have self-concepts defined in terms of relationships and social obligations,” they said. “In contrast, members of individualist cultures tend to strive for independence and have self-concepts defined in terms of their own aspirations and achievements.” And the problem with this is what? Blood is shooting out of my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guru Kid Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 If you only understand your own goals and aspirations, how will you ever understand anyone else? No man/woman is an island and we all have realize that every person has different perspectives depending on where he/she came from. Americans have no idea about the struggles of families. WAKE UP PEOPLE! we have to work together in this and we cannot do so if you're going to use "reasoning" to strke down every one else's views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myself Posted July 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 WAKE UP PEOPLE! we have to work together in this and we cannot do so if you're going to use "reasoning" to strke down every one else's views. Please explain this in a non-rant form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidOdden Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 If you only understand your own goals and aspirations, how will you ever understand anyone else?Why would I want to?No man/woman is an island and we all have realize that every person has different perspectives depending on where he/she came from.No man is a lake, isthmus, peninsula, escarpment or beach, either. I don't see you giving any argument that we "have to" realize anything. And it's pretty clear from actual observation that not every person's perspective is determined by where they come from. For example, not every Islamist terrorist comes from Lenanon, Pakistan of Saudi Arabia -- some come from Chicago or Leeds.Americans have no idea about the struggles of families.Sure we do. My 'rents grew up during the depression and I grew up during the Seattle mini-depression of the '60s, I know families now who are struggling and individuals.WAKE UP PEOPLE!Lordy, lordy, it's 9:00 a.m. over here, I'm awake. Please don't shout.we have to work together in this and we cannot do so if you're going to use "reasoning" to strke down every one else's views.I know a way to strike down your views, and please review the forum rules and contemplate the purpose of this forum. We should not use violence to oppose the multiculturalists, we should use reason -- that is man's proper means of survival, and you cannot oppose animal savagery with greater animal savagery. Also, I'm not interested in striking down, or opposing, everybody else's views. I'm only interested in opposing the views of those who think that man is a hive animal, and those who think that there are no bad ideas except the good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guru Kid Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 (edited) WOW. I knew i should have put "/sarcasm" at the end but i figured having written a hundered other posts that are not (completely) idiotic, i wouldn't need to. This is amusing. p.s. the "WAKE UP PEOPLE" comes from any internet comment system like Digg or YouTube. Edited July 14, 2007 by The Guru Kid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenure Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 (edited) Generally, sarcasm has a more... I dunno...sarcastic tone to it. Edited July 14, 2007 by Tenure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Scott Scherk Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/07/070712.keysar.shtml Interestingly, while the article explicitly identifies multiculturalism with collectivism [ . . . ] Which article are you reading? The University of Chicago press release doesn't mention 'multiculturalism,' nor does the New Scientist article (as reprinted at UofC). The full article** does not mention multiculturalism, so how does any of this 'explicitly' say what you claim? William Scott Scherk +++++++++++++ ** the original study is published under the title "The Effect of Culture on Perspective Taking," in Psychological Science (vol 18, p 600-606) --and is freely available as a PDF here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myself Posted July 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 Which article are you reading? The University of Chicago press release doesn't mention 'multiculturalism,' nor does the New Scientist article (as reprinted at UofC). The full article** does not mention multiculturalism, so how does any of this 'explicitly' say what you claim? While the article doesn't use the term "multiculturalism," it does imply that Americans fail to easily accept ("understand") cultures different from or opposed to their own (they used the word "perspective"). Perhaps I read between the lines a bit further than intended, but I thought there was fairly explicit connection between the two ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Scott Scherk Posted July 15, 2007 Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 While the article doesn't use the term "multiculturalism," it does imply that Americans fail to easily accept ("understand") cultures different from or opposed to their own (they used the word "perspective"). Perhaps I read between the lines a bit further than intended, but I thought there was fairly explicit connection between the two ideas. Fair enough. I don't know if you got around to reading the original '"The Effect of Culture on Perspective Taking.' If you have, let us know what you think -- if you get the time, and have the inclination. ('Multiculturalism' is a kind of weasel word these days -- i.e., it carries a lot of bad mojo. So, when one makes a connection between the study and its purported support of multiculturalism, one can get the idea that the study is full of bad mojo itself! I always figure that the state of science reporting is such that one needs to go to the source first . . . ) WSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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