Culture and Interpersonal Relationships

This week’s topic was a bit scattered across the articles, but it was still really interesting. I want to share the parts I found most fascinating.

One article challenged the traditional idea that North Americans are individualistic. It argued that they’re actually more group-oriented compared to the rest of the world. This changes the way we see the common West = individualism and East = collectivism idea. According to the article, North Americans focus on intergroup competition and identity, while East Asians are more about intragroup harmony. These terms were new to me and helped fill some gaps in my understanding of collectivism. The article also debunked the myth that individualistic societies lack social connections. Instead, it explained that their group ties are just different, not less important. The text also mentioned trust. Americans are more likely to trust a stranger from their ingroup than someone from an outgroup. In contrast, Japanese participants care more about whether they have a direct or indirect relationship with the stranger. While not being sure I think Turkish people would have done what Americans did but the more interesting part is how Turkey seems to be quite in the middle  in most of these East vs West discussions since the beginning of lecture just like its geographical position.

Another concept I found interesting was relational mobility. This refers to how easily people can form and leave groups in a society. In high-mobility societies people can switch groups more freely, which encourages competition between groups. In low mobility societies like East Asia relationships are more stable and long term, focusing on harmony within the group.

The social identity theory was another key point. It says that just being aware of belonging to a different group is enough to create prejudice. This highlights how small things can trigger intergroup bias and shows our psychological need for belonging. It’s a reminder of how easily tensions between groups can rise, even without big conflicts. History also plays a big role in shaping cultural identity. The shared knowledge and interpretations of history influence intergroup relations. History helps legitimize group identities but also keep conflicts alive. This can of course be understood from many things but in my opinion one of the best and funniest ways to see it to visit any forum or internet media related to the Balkans. It is fascinating to see how easily a conflict can be started between neighbor countries of the region.

Lastly, the idea of “enemyship” was fascinating. This refers to a personal relationship of hate and a desire to see someone fail. It’s a foreign concept for Western cultures where having enemies isn’t seen as normal and might even seem paranoid. But in Ghana, it’s considered natural partly because close relationships can create tension, but also due to the low relational mobility.


Comments

2 responses to “Culture and Interpersonal Relationships”

  1. Meldanur Bekar Avatar
    Meldanur Bekar

    Firstly, thanks for your inclusive blog, Yusuf! I agree that this week is a bit scattered, but it was like an endpoint of the course, so I liked this. I am still not sure about the importance of group ties in individualistic cultures; yes, they approach this issue differently, but are they giving the same importance as collectivistic? I am not sure. Also, I overlooked “relational mobility,” so it helped me to think in detail about this issue. Lastly, I agree that enmity looks like paranoia in more individualistic cultures, so this concept may be searched in detail later so that we can analyze the main reasons behind it. Again, thanks for sharing your ideas and giving a summary!

  2. yusuf talha bozkurt Avatar
    yusuf talha bozkurt

    Culture and Interpersonal Relationships (Revised):
    This week’s topic felt a bit scattered across the articles, but it was still engaging and thought-provoking. I’d like to share the parts that stood out to me the most.
    One article challenged the traditional idea that North Americans are purely individualistic. It argued that they’re actually more group-oriented compared to the rest of the world. This shifts the common assumption of West = individualism and East = collectivism. According to the article, North Americans focus more on intergroup competition and identity, whereas East Asians prioritize intragroup harmony. These terms were new to me and clarified some nuances about collectivism. While individualistic societies approach group ties differently, I’m still reflecting on whether they attribute the same level of importance to these ties as collectivistic cultures.
    The text also discussed trust in fascinating ways. Americans are more likely to trust a stranger from their ingroup than someone from an outgroup. In contrast, Japanese participants focus on direct or indirect relationships with the stranger. This made me wonder about Turkish people’s tendencies. My guess is that Turkish individuals might behave similarly to Americans in this case. Yet, Turkey’s cultural position often seems to lie somewhere in the middle of these East vs. West dynamics just like its geographical location.
    Another concept that caught my attention was relational mobility. This refers to how easily people can form and leave groups within a society. In high-mobility societies, like the U.S., people can switch groups freely, encouraging intergroup competition. Meanwhile, in low-mobility societies, such as East Asia, relationships tend to be more stable and long-term, focusing on harmony within the group. This distinction sheds light on how mobility shapes social interactions and values across cultures.
    The social identity theory was another key idea discussed. It highlights how simply being aware of belonging to a different group can spark prejudice. This underscores our psychological need for belonging and how small factors can ignite intergroup bias. History too plays a crucial role in shaping cultural identity and intergroup relations. Shared historical narratives often legitimize group identities but can also perpetuate conflicts. For example, you can witness this dynamic in action on forums or social media related to the Balkans. It’s fascinating (and often amusing) to see how quickly arguments escalate between neighboring countries in the region over historical disputes.
    Finally, the concept of “enemyship” was intriguing. It refers to personal relationships defined by hatred and the desire to see someone fail. This idea is foreign to Western cultures, where having enemies might seem abnormal or even paranoid. However, in Ghana, enemyship is seen as a natural part of life. This difference may stem from Ghana’s low relational mobility, where close relationships can create tension.

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