Determinants of Ethnocentrism [electronic resource] : A Study of the Relationship between Students' Exposure to Other Cultures and Their Attitudes toward Cultural Values / James B. Stull and Beth Von Till.
A study investigated culturally shaped patterns of behavior and how receptive or resistant people in an educational setting are to different viewpoints held by members of other cultures. As background, an extensive literature review probed the definitions of "culture" and "ethnocentri...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
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[S.l.] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1994.
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| Summary: | A study investigated culturally shaped patterns of behavior and how receptive or resistant people in an educational setting are to different viewpoints held by members of other cultures. As background, an extensive literature review probed the definitions of "culture" and "ethnocentrism," the causes of ethnocentrism, and how ethnocentrism is manifested. Subjects, 535 college students enrolled in business and communication studies classes at San Jose State University, California, completed a questionnaire designed to compare G. Hofstede's dimensions of national culture (power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity) with the independent variables of birthplace, number of family generations born in the United States, languages spoken, culture identified with, exposure through living in another culture, travel, and formal study of cultures. Results indicated that: (1) females scored higher than males on collectivism and on high power distance, but lower on low power distance; (2) subjects living in the United States longest disagreed with collectivism and low risk taking; (3) students born in the United States discriminated on all items, with statistically significant differences indicated; (4) 332 subjects reported speaking a language other than English at home; (5) 359 subjects identified with another culture besides that of the United States; and (6) 318 had taken courses emphasizing cross-cultural relations. Findings suggest that the subjects possessed the skills necessary for survival in post-university life--skills such as collaboration and behavioral sensitivity. (Contains 93 references; the survey instrument, 11 tables of data, and an appendix of qualitative data are attached.) (RS) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Document Number: ED369117. ERIC Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western States Communication Association (San Jose, CA, February 23-27, 1994). |
| Physical Description: | 80 p. |