Columbia psychology prof Sheena S. Iyengar explores how culture is implicit in the choices we make each day in her book, The Art of Choosing (Twelve, 25.95). She explains the motivations behind the choices we make, and how those choices cannot be made devoid of a cultural or social context.
Great read for global organizations and companies that need to draw people of diverse cultures together to resolve problems or create products. Iyengar urges the practice of finding shared values within a diverse climate of people and focus on reaching a common ground to make decisions and choices.
A clear and concise breakdown of the process of choice.
26 February 2010
14 February 2010
A New Culture of Love: Economic Parity
Seventeen years ago, our then six year old son handed my husband and me a list of seven qualities he felt his future wife should have. Intelligence ranked among the top three along with a sense of humor and a refusal to smoke.
"This is good," I told my boy, "The key to a successful marriage? You should marry someone smarter than you are."
Little did I know a new cultural trend had already begun. According to a Jan. 19, 2010 Pew Research Center report on social and demographic trends, women have closed the gap in economic parity between themselves and their husbands in less than four decades. The trend may not be directly related to intelligence, but it is definitely related to education.
In 1970, for instance, just over half (52%) of American couples born and raised in the States shared an equal amount of education by the time they'd reached their prime (30-44yrs), while in 28% of American households, husbands held more diplomas and degrees than their wives.
By the time 2007 rolled around, 53% of marriages had couples of the same age on equal educational footing; but by then, 28% of the marriages had flipped the scale, with the wife holding more degrees than the husband.
The trend continued to flip in terms of employment and careers. In 1970, only 4% of marriages had wives out-earning their spouses. By 2007 this had jumped to 22%. And women brought home 44% more of the bacon in 2007 than they did in 1970, while their husband's earning potential increased by only 6%.
Statistically speaking, marriage is good for the pocketbook, as the majority of high earners in the country are currently married. So love in the time of recession and war remains a vital component of economic survival, if not economic parity. With women now outnumbering men on college campuses across the nation, it shouldn't be too difficult for men of the Millennial generation like my son to find smart, funny women as mates.
Being married is also associated with a lower incidence of smoking, according to another Pew report (Apr 8 2009) especially in the Millennial group, where 60% of people under thirty have never or hardly ever smoked. Non-smokers now count nearly 6 in 10 women to nearly half of all men. However, more men are kicking the habit than women, a cultural trend that associates smoking with work related stress. Women continue to take on higher paying yet more stressful positions.
Finding a mate with a better education, a better job and better health habits may seem like a tall order for a man in his twenties today, but the cultural stigma is lifting against the effort to try. My son and I both know there is no magic formula to a successful marriage, but finding a smart woman is a good start. If he doesn't believe me - he can always ask his father.
"This is good," I told my boy, "The key to a successful marriage? You should marry someone smarter than you are."
Little did I know a new cultural trend had already begun. According to a Jan. 19, 2010 Pew Research Center report on social and demographic trends, women have closed the gap in economic parity between themselves and their husbands in less than four decades. The trend may not be directly related to intelligence, but it is definitely related to education.
In 1970, for instance, just over half (52%) of American couples born and raised in the States shared an equal amount of education by the time they'd reached their prime (30-44yrs), while in 28% of American households, husbands held more diplomas and degrees than their wives.
By the time 2007 rolled around, 53% of marriages had couples of the same age on equal educational footing; but by then, 28% of the marriages had flipped the scale, with the wife holding more degrees than the husband.
The trend continued to flip in terms of employment and careers. In 1970, only 4% of marriages had wives out-earning their spouses. By 2007 this had jumped to 22%. And women brought home 44% more of the bacon in 2007 than they did in 1970, while their husband's earning potential increased by only 6%.
Statistically speaking, marriage is good for the pocketbook, as the majority of high earners in the country are currently married. So love in the time of recession and war remains a vital component of economic survival, if not economic parity. With women now outnumbering men on college campuses across the nation, it shouldn't be too difficult for men of the Millennial generation like my son to find smart, funny women as mates.
Being married is also associated with a lower incidence of smoking, according to another Pew report (Apr 8 2009) especially in the Millennial group, where 60% of people under thirty have never or hardly ever smoked. Non-smokers now count nearly 6 in 10 women to nearly half of all men. However, more men are kicking the habit than women, a cultural trend that associates smoking with work related stress. Women continue to take on higher paying yet more stressful positions.
Finding a mate with a better education, a better job and better health habits may seem like a tall order for a man in his twenties today, but the cultural stigma is lifting against the effort to try. My son and I both know there is no magic formula to a successful marriage, but finding a smart woman is a good start. If he doesn't believe me - he can always ask his father.
13 February 2010
Culture in a Suitcase
A successful restaurant owner in Istanbul talks about the life-changing journey from one culture to the next in a recent article from the Daily News and Economic Review. (12 Feb 2010 Hürriyet Daily News)
The article describes the experience of Alp Eyüboglu, who arrived in the U.S. to attend university in Boston, Mass., and faced a struggle to defend himself in a foreign culture. Cultural transitions were not foreign to Eyüboglu, however, having spent his earliest years in Germany before moving back with his parents to a town in Turkey. There his German dialect drew attention from his Turkish classmates and he suffered through the adjustment of carrying an accent as excess baggage.
Once in Boston, he said, "I learned to differentiate the different types of dialects between black, white and Hispanic people. I then learned the differences in their cultures...I received a lot of support."
But once again, his accent seemed to oblige people to treat him differently.
"It was when I started to learn about the differences among the branches of American culture that I realized I could be friends with everyone."
Sadly, his accent and appearance continued to attract the wrong kind of attention. Stopped by police for a speeding violation, he claimed he was harassed by a trooper with insults aimed at his ethnicity and religion. He responded by striking the officer.
"I could not help myself," he said. "It was direct cultural discrimination."
He was promptly deported back to Turkey with remnants of American culture packed in his suitcase. Today he attributes his success to what he feels are the best aspects of American culture that he's implemented in his work in Istanbul. Hard work, a thirst for learning, fair play, honesty and a sense of social obligation are cultural elements that make "the American dream" come true. And from Eyüboglu's perspective, these are elements Turkish culture still lacks. The key, according to Eyüboglu, is a willingness to learn about the culture from the inside out.
Whether migration is of free will or imposed by force, transplanted individuals carry a cultural understanding from one cultural context to the next. Strangers, exiles, diasporas, emigrants and immigrants are resources for anyone who wants to understand how cultures collide and enmesh themselves. There's something to be said for carrying culture in a suitcase - and opening it wide no matter where the journey may lead.
The article describes the experience of Alp Eyüboglu, who arrived in the U.S. to attend university in Boston, Mass., and faced a struggle to defend himself in a foreign culture. Cultural transitions were not foreign to Eyüboglu, however, having spent his earliest years in Germany before moving back with his parents to a town in Turkey. There his German dialect drew attention from his Turkish classmates and he suffered through the adjustment of carrying an accent as excess baggage.
Once in Boston, he said, "I learned to differentiate the different types of dialects between black, white and Hispanic people. I then learned the differences in their cultures...I received a lot of support."
But once again, his accent seemed to oblige people to treat him differently.
"It was when I started to learn about the differences among the branches of American culture that I realized I could be friends with everyone."
Sadly, his accent and appearance continued to attract the wrong kind of attention. Stopped by police for a speeding violation, he claimed he was harassed by a trooper with insults aimed at his ethnicity and religion. He responded by striking the officer.
"I could not help myself," he said. "It was direct cultural discrimination."
He was promptly deported back to Turkey with remnants of American culture packed in his suitcase. Today he attributes his success to what he feels are the best aspects of American culture that he's implemented in his work in Istanbul. Hard work, a thirst for learning, fair play, honesty and a sense of social obligation are cultural elements that make "the American dream" come true. And from Eyüboglu's perspective, these are elements Turkish culture still lacks. The key, according to Eyüboglu, is a willingness to learn about the culture from the inside out.
Whether migration is of free will or imposed by force, transplanted individuals carry a cultural understanding from one cultural context to the next. Strangers, exiles, diasporas, emigrants and immigrants are resources for anyone who wants to understand how cultures collide and enmesh themselves. There's something to be said for carrying culture in a suitcase - and opening it wide no matter where the journey may lead.
12 February 2010
Think Before You Pitch: Material objects provide cultural clues of historic value
Some people are known to hoard objects obsessively. Attachment to an object is most often more emotional than monetary. That's why mountains of family possessions left behind by dead relatives may present a challenge to family members left to deal with "the mess".
Sometimes the easiest solution is to sell off the valuables and send the rest to the dump. But a wealth of info is often mistaken for trash.
Pack rat behavior by our ancestors can reveal a treasure trove of data for generations to come. Clues to the culture of a period are contained in the smallest and most insignificant of objects. And when tracing a family tree or conducting research, these small clues help to piece together a larger frame of reference for the period.
Material objects found in the collections of historic homes shed light on the cultural context of different periods in history. Observe how these institutions chose to organize personal objects and use a similar methodolgy when preserving your own family treasures.
For a compelling tale of how insignificant objects take on incredible significance check out this NPR broadcast: House on Loon Lake (This American Life, first broadcast 2001)
Sometimes the easiest solution is to sell off the valuables and send the rest to the dump. But a wealth of info is often mistaken for trash.
Pack rat behavior by our ancestors can reveal a treasure trove of data for generations to come. Clues to the culture of a period are contained in the smallest and most insignificant of objects. And when tracing a family tree or conducting research, these small clues help to piece together a larger frame of reference for the period.
Material objects found in the collections of historic homes shed light on the cultural context of different periods in history. Observe how these institutions chose to organize personal objects and use a similar methodolgy when preserving your own family treasures.
For a compelling tale of how insignificant objects take on incredible significance check out this NPR broadcast: House on Loon Lake (This American Life, first broadcast 2001)
Family Tree rooted in cultural diversity
A new NBC series in collaboration with Ancestry.com will examine the labyrinth of cultural diversity contained in every person's ancestral roots.
I've learned the rewards of such a process first hand. My husband and I are currently involved in a project to examine the history of our family in Cuba. The family tree is beginning to look like a giant illustration of DNA. We've found that the bloodline is interlaced with strands from every continent and enriched with traditions from many cultures and ethnic groups.
Preserving a family frame of reference should be a top priority for every family. And the sad fact is that a generation of experts on family lore is quickly dying out. Don't wait! Get an audio recorder, a web cam or a simple paper and pen and sit down with elder members of your family. Pick their brains with simple questions such as:
1. What is the first thing you remember about your childhood?
2. What songs do you associate with your grandparents?
3. What do you think are the prominent family traits? From whom do you think they originate?
The main thing is to START the conversation and see where it leads you.
I've learned the rewards of such a process first hand. My husband and I are currently involved in a project to examine the history of our family in Cuba. The family tree is beginning to look like a giant illustration of DNA. We've found that the bloodline is interlaced with strands from every continent and enriched with traditions from many cultures and ethnic groups.
Preserving a family frame of reference should be a top priority for every family. And the sad fact is that a generation of experts on family lore is quickly dying out. Don't wait! Get an audio recorder, a web cam or a simple paper and pen and sit down with elder members of your family. Pick their brains with simple questions such as:
1. What is the first thing you remember about your childhood?
2. What songs do you associate with your grandparents?
3. What do you think are the prominent family traits? From whom do you think they originate?
The main thing is to START the conversation and see where it leads you.
Protecting Haiti's national cultural treasures in the face of disaster
Natural disasters like the recent earthquake in Haiti quickly unravel a country's infrastructure. Unfortunately, there are those willing to exploit the situation when a system is down. Haiti is now faced with the task of protecting cultural treasures from being "liberated" from the rubble by dishonest art and artifact dealers.
In an effort to protect legitimate sales of artifacts throughout the world, a monitoring system quickly went into place to put a spotlight on anyone wishing to deal in stolen Haitian cultural items - from rare books and documents to sculptures and paintings.
Protecting the island nation's rich Caribbean cultural heritage is yet another addition to the global response to the crisis in Haiti.
In an effort to protect legitimate sales of artifacts throughout the world, a monitoring system quickly went into place to put a spotlight on anyone wishing to deal in stolen Haitian cultural items - from rare books and documents to sculptures and paintings.
Protecting the island nation's rich Caribbean cultural heritage is yet another addition to the global response to the crisis in Haiti.
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