Self and culture : a dialogical perspective.
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Date
2001
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Abstract
There is a growing library of literature on the relationship between self and culture. Most
studies (Cousins, 1989; Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Sampson, 1989) in this area are quantitative
and approach culture as a concept that is "intemally homogenous and externally distinctive"
(Hennans & Kempen, 1998, p.1113). Such studies have found cross-cultural differences in how
people define their sense of self. This has led to a classificatory approach to self and
culture such that the western and non-western self have been defined as distinct from one
another. This thesis explores the appropriateness of such cultural dichotomies from a novel,
dialogical perspective of self (Hennans, Rijks & Kempen, 1993) which allows for the special
investigation of self and culture A qualitative methodology was adopted for this investigation,
within the narrative paradigm. Narrative interviews were conducted with a sample of twelve
women between the ages of 35 and 50 years and these women were varied by ethnicity as one
measure of culture. A voicecentred relational method (Mauthner & Doucet, 1998) was used to
analyse the interviews. Both investigative and methodological aims were forn1Ulated during the
analysis. Investigative aims explore the appropriateness of the dichotomisation of the self as
western and non-western. The results of the analysis question such cultural dichotomies
criticised by Spiro (1993) and yet so prevalent in self and cultural studies (Cousins, 1989;
Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Sampson, 1989). Frequently in the narratives there is an interweaving
of individualistic and collectivist characteristics. Such a co-existence of traits is
accommodated by the dialogical view of self, which provides a large enough framework to account
for both interdependent and independent characteristics in the same self. The methodological
aims directed the researcher to investigate the appropriateness of the measurements of self and
culture adopted by traditional approaches (Cousins, 1989; Markus & Kitayama, 1991 ; Sampson,
1989). The results of the thesis suggest that as intercultural connections are becoming
increasingly common, culture needs to be recognised as a complex concept that is no longer
homogenous. Cross-cultural approaches to this area are questioned by this investigation because
of their tendency to simplify and categorise the self and culture. It is proposed that future
research should approach this area of self and culture as an intersection or interface of
complex factors that are not easily homogenised or dichotomised. The findings point to the
value of qualitative research, and in particular the framework of the dialogical self, for
exploring this interface.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)- University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.
Keywords
Self., Self--Cross-cultural studies., Culture., Theses--Psychology.