CULTURED MINDS

There is no easy answer. Undoubtedly there are physical differences between peoples worldwide but a definition that goes past genetic and physiological categorisation to encompass psychological factors (variation in thinking patterns and social norms, for example) is hard to come by. 

 

Most useful for this paper is Rohner’s definition of culture as “a shared way individuals interpret the world around them” (Rohner, 1984).  Individuals with an ‘x’ cultural orientation have a tendency to interpret and react to information consistent with the ‘x’ cultural dimension. 

 

According to this definition, a culture is constantly evolving; intertwined with the practices and perceptions of individuals. Experiences and actions are shaped by cultural orientation yet the meaning of the orientation itself is also gradually transformed by the actions of the community who share it.    

 

Note that culture is not defined by political/geographical boundaries (although countries are often used as a proxy for cultures in research). Thus not everyone within in a so-called ‘collectivistic country/region/institution’ will embrace collectivistic cultural values to the same extent. Furthermore, individuals are rarely uni-dimensional in their cultural orientation; most people have multiple cultural ‘lenses’ which are activated depending on the situation.

 

Thus, culture influences consumer decision making through the values and expectations which individuals use to guide their behaviour (Güss, 2004).