Key Idea: Culture is a lens on every context — it shapes what's normal, and studying it well means avoiding ethnocentrism.
Topic 4.1 at a glance
- Cultural dimensions — Individualism–collectivism and other broad values (averages, not rules).
- Transmission — Enculturation (own culture) and acculturation (new culture).
- Studying culture — Emic (inside meaning) vs etic (outside comparison); beware imposed etic.
Dimensions · Transmission · Method
IB-style questionDiscuss[15 marks]
Using data on a cultural difference in behaviour, to what extent can we conclude the difference is caused by culture?
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
What is a cultural dimension? A broad value used to compare cultures (e.g. individualism–collectivism).
Risk of etic research? Imposing one culture's measure — a route to ethnocentrism.
Why combine emic and etic? Etic allows comparison; emic keeps local meaning.
In the [15] synthesis, weigh data sources and raise credibility, bias and transferability — culture affects how findings generalise.