freakonomics individualism

Joe HENRICH: Americans and Westerners more generally are psychologically unusual from a global perspective. That would be very beneficial because now you might be going down the path of civil war, really. And the Machiguenga were much closer to the predictions of Homo economicus, where youd make low offers and never reject. It always was unsustainable, but was made even more acute to us. Australia and Brazil are also loose. GELFAND: Having more adaptability, more innovation. DUBNER: But that the research subjects, they gave him a lot back and they thought it was going to him. And we made sure that the subjects knew that the money was coming from an organization, that the giver did not get any of the money, we ratcheted up our levels of anonymity. I think those fundamental religious beliefs extend to the American view of what leadership should look like outside of the church in the corporation, in the legislatures, and what have you. Whether proud or not, whether happy or not, it has a position. Also, he uses some very bold examples (crime rates versus abortion, drug dealership, cheating teachers, etc) to make some very simple . HENRICH: They are self-enhancing, which means they try to promote their attributes. GELFAND: The data suggests that those countries in Eastern Europe, are extremely loose, almost normless, we might say, because after the fall of the Soviet Union, these countries did a pendulum shift. In any case, heres how Gelfand breaks down the upsides and downsides of tight cultures. Each week, Freakonomics Radio tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn't) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything. The U.S. patent database goes back into the 18th century and what a number of studies in economics as well as work in my lab has shown is that openness to other people so, trust in strangers, an inclination towards individualism, a desire to stand out, to be the smartest guy in the room fosters more rapid innovation because people are more likely to exchange ideas, theyre more interested in distinguishing themselves. Sinopsis. In other words, Americans dont just see other people as individuals. Essentially, theyre the opposite of the loose attributes: tight cultures have more coordination and more self-control. According to the individualist, all values are human-centred, the individual is of supreme importance, and all individuals are morally equal. DUBNER: Name some of the highest and lowest countries on this dimension. The other point is a reminder: Its good to be humble about our ability our inability, actually to predict how a given culture will change. GELFAND: I was watching this negotiation between Tariq Aziz and James Baker. More information on phishing. HOFSTEDE: That could be the case, and it is also the case that you have a sort of non-overt multiculturalism in the society. We also realize that were a culture in distress in many, many, many ways. We promise no spam. NEAL: You have no real other example of a country that has brought together so many different national and ethnic and racial backgrounds. HENRICH: This probably wouldnt be in a psych textbook, but something like the Ultimatum game. Thats Joe Henrich, a professor of evolutionary biology at Harvard; hes also a scholar of psychology, economics, and anthropology. Were realizing that part of that push forward theres a toxicity to that in terms of how you treat other people, how you think about institutions. GELFAND: And I thought, If these kinds of cultural differences are happening at the highest levels, we better start understanding this stuff.. But a lot of the world is much more like a family. the Machiguenga were much closer to the predictions of Homo economicus, The Relationship Between Cultural TightnessLooseness and COVID-19 Cases and Deaths: A Global Analysis, States of Emergency: The Most Disaster-Prone States in the US, A Global Analysis of Cultural Tightness in Non-Industrial Societies, Have You Tried to Help Your Pet Lose Weight? Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Part of the Freakonomics Series) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J . Now that weve taken a top-down view of how the U.S. is fundamentally different from other countries, were going to spend some time over the coming weeks looking at particular economic and social differences, having to do with policing, child poverty, infrastructure, and the economy itself. Dubner speaks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, and various other underachievers. HENRICH: Theres something called the Asch conformity test, where you have confederates of the experimenter give the same wrong answer to an objective problem. The Aztec, the Inca, and todays Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, are very collectivistic. In indulgent societies, more people play sports, while in restrained societies, sports are more something you watch. But first, Hofstede had to make sure that the differences he was seeing in the data werent specific to I.B.M. She decided that the key difference, the right place to start measuring, was whether the culture in a given country is tight or loose. GELFAND: My own sweet Portuguese water dog, Pepper, I mean, that dog is just gigantic. Read the excerpt from Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's Freakonomics. Culturally maybe more than anything! Heres the dean of the National University of Singapores school of public health: YIK-YING TEO: We have a tradition of having national campaigns to galvanize people to proceed in a common direction. Each week, Freakonomics Radio tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn't) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything. Everyone knows there are differences between people in different countries, but his approach was a quantifiable approach. GELFAND: Exactly. But the big C in my mind is very different than the little c.. Gelfand has spent a lot of time trying to understand how a given countrys looseness or tightness affects everyday life. If you no longer even pretend to be one people and to be fair to all the citizens of your country, then youre not going down a road that leads to a great future. You're stuck in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers (and strange smells), defying gravity and racing through the sky. GELFAND: Ill just say that there are also other contexts where we naturally tighten. Michele GELFAND: The people that came to New York early on, they were from all sorts of different cultural backgrounds, and thats helped produce the looseness that exists to this day. Freakonomics Summary. Henrichs next example is more behavioral than physiological. So, yes, the same attributes that can be a big problem can also be a big boost. My husband is an attorney. Its focus on individual behaviour also lends itself to a preoccupation with manipulating individual choices. HOFSTEDE: There was a Quaker at the head of I.B.M. And you dont need them for ritual reasons. He veers tighter. So, organizations you can think about them as the people, the practices, and the leaders. employees. Im like, Were going to go to Singapore if you people dont behave.. HOFSTEDE: And this is before the 60s, before the 70s. DUBNER: You sound very grateful that you were not born an American. And it produces this illusion. But some cultures strictly abide by their norms. It always was unsustainable, but was made even more acute to us during the pandemic. Im a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University. 1, the most individualistic country in the world, 91 out of 100 on the Hofstede scale of individualism. Whereas if you have a state religion, it tends to get tired and old and boring. Now this is pretty rare to have such different groups of respondents and still find the same thing. And we manipulated whether their names were like Jamal or Latisha versus Brad and Lorna. Heres how he puts it in his latest book: You cant separate culture from psychology or psychology from biology, because culture physically rewires our brains and thereby shapes how we think. One example he gives is literacy. The comedians John Oliver, Hannah Gadsby, and Kumail Nanjiani all grew up outside the U.S. Consider the prominent Muppets Bert and Ernie. Ultimatum Game Bargaining Among the Machiguenga of the Peruvian Amazon, U.S. Student Tells of Pain Of His Caning In Singapore, Singapores Relations With U.S. Gert Jan Hofstede - Freakonomics. Truth be told, I veer somewhat loose. She says these are merely visible indicators of a countrys tightness or looseness and its what you dont necessarily see that shapes a given countrys culture. Wed rather think about solutions temporarily rather than as, this might take some time. It means that we need to attract different types of people to an organization. The final dimension on the Hofstede model is called indulgence versus restraint. It turns out that Americans were among the least likely to conform. And that really can help explain some variation not all, but some variation in norms and values. Historically, politically, and yes culturally. Freakonomics is a registered service mark of Renbud Radio, LLC. International, and they were just starting international opinion surveys. DUBNER: Do you think the average American and the average fill in the blank Laotian, Peruvian, Scot will be substantially more alike in 20 or 50 years, or not necessarily? But yes, its all workplace. It has to do with conformity. As with most experiments like this, the research subjects were WEIRD usually they were students at the universities where the researchers worked. He was a professor in both the economics and psychology departments, which was weird in its own way lower-case weird since Henrich had never taken a course in either subject. As Hofstede the Younger remembers it, his father asked his bosses at I.B.M. Offers went up as high as 55 or 60 percent in some places and then down around 25 percent in other places. There is no evidence for convergence other than if countries become equally rich, they all go to more individualistic. Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. We need to have different types of leadership. You're stuck in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers (and strange smells), defying gravity and racing through the sky. to let him focus even more on this data. This does not mean that no one in a loose culture, like the U.S., is stigmatized or mistreated. Michael Fay wasnt a tourist; he was living in Singapore with his family, attending an American school. In each chapter, the authors analyze a different social issue from an economic perspective. 470. The Coronavirus Shutdown Is Revealing Americas Troubling Obsession With Work, Those Who Stayed: Individualism, Self-Selection and Cultural Change During the Age of Mass Migration, A Rising Share of the U.S. Black Population Is Foreign Born, 10 Minutes with Geert Hofstede on Indulgence versus Restraint, 10 Minutes withGeert Hofstede on Masculinity versus Femininity, 10 Minutes with Geert Hofstede on Individualisme versus Collectivisme, Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context, A Re-Inquiry of Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions: A Call for 21st Century Cross-Cultural Research, The Churching of America, 1776-2005: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy, Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Achievement Values: A Multimethod Examination of Denmark and the United States, Hofstedes Model of National Cultural Differences and Their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith A Failure of Analysis. Freakonomics (2005) aplica el anlisis econmico racional a situaciones cotidianas, desde las citas en lnea hasta la compra de una casa. Theyre able to make finer distinctions in terms of their olfaction. We should note that Bert and Ernie, despite their differences, are very dear friends! During the Cold War. HOFSTEDE: For the U.S.A., the world is like a market. You can think about it at the household level. And so often, theyll just point at some other country on the map. HENRICH: And this can include motivations, heuristics, biases, beliefs. 470. We may not be the very loosest culture; but we are No. Geert Hofstede ( 2 October 1928 - 12 February 2020) was born in a peaceful country, but his teenage years saw the second World War rage across Europe. The five tightest countries are Pakistan, Malaysia, India, South Korea, and our old friend Singapore. GELFAND: And it was fascinating because when people were wearing their normal face, there was no difference. No difference, that is, between tight and loose cultures. HOFSTEDE: Because its true: the very same dimensions under different circumstances, can work the other way. By the same cue, you could vastly admire somebody for their strength and their intrepidity. Its very, very hard to do. GELFAND: And that suggests that minorities, women, people of different sexual orientation, when they violate the same rule, might be held to higher accountability, to more strict punishment. Very soon, there will be an Institute of Gladwell Studies. What we saw in Egypt was very similar. HOFSTEDE: He did social psychological work on what it is to be a manager. NEAL: So its always evolving, its always developing, but theres some core principles. And then you see how often the subject wants to go along with the other people, as opposed to give the answer they would give if they were by themselves. They dont even see each other and this is a one-time interaction, so there wont be another round of the game where the second player can punish or reward the first player. Controlling for a variety of other factors, they found that looser countries the U.S., Brazil, Italy, and Spain have had roughly five times the number of Covid cases and nearly nine times as many deaths as tighter countries. Because remember, threat is what can drive tightness. The Neglected 95%: Why American Psychology Needs to Become Less American, Measuring Inequity Aversion in a Heterogeneous Population Using Experimental Decisions and Subjective Probabilities, Westerners and Easterners See the World Differently, Economic Man in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Behavioral Experiments in 15 Small-Scale Societies, Ultimatum Game with Ethnicity Manipulation: Problems Faced Doing Field Economic Experiments and Their Solutions, Does Culture Matter in Economic Behavior? This failure leads to confusion at the very least, but quite possibly deeper misunderstandings, perhaps all the way up to hatred and violent conflict. It was freedom from hunger. Relatedly: Americans place a high value on being consistent across different situations. HENRICH: And the case I make is its been highly unsuccessful to just pick up institutions that evolved in Western societies and transport them to drop them in Africa or the Middle East or places like that, because there needs to be a fit between how people think about the world, their values, worldviews, motivations, and the affordances of the institution. . This individualism has produced tremendous forward progress and entrepreneurial energy. The U.S., according to this analysis, is comparatively a short-term country. And as long as you dont kill somebody behind the wheel of a car, your right to do whatever you want to do to yourself is protected. You have to behave like a family member if you want to be one. You realize, you want a black or white value judgment. The U.S. also has a small power distance 40 on a scale of 100, which puts it among the lowest in the world. Heres one of the questions they asked. You can even see the evidence in the clocks that appear on city streets. In the end, he resorted to making small plywood boxes with a slot cut into . GELFAND: Weve had our share of threat, but just not chronic threat. HOFSTEDE: So collectivistic cultures are those of the Amerindian empires. At the core of Freakonomics is the concept of incentives. Michele Gelfand has another example of how culture shapes perception. Once you begin looking for evidence, you see an almost infinite array of examples. HENRICH: I was doing research in the Peruvian Amazon. Freakonomics is a book about 'freaky' research and insight. The authors seek to find simple answers to complicated world problems. HOFSTEDE: Masculine society means that if you show power, that gives you social status. The focus of that episode was American culture. GELFAND: I grew up on Long Island. And thats different than in Scandinavia and in New Zealand and Australia, which has much more horizontal individualism. You know what it is, you know how it works, you dont necessarily have access to the people who really hold on to it. BROADCASTER: The subject denies the evidence of his own eyes and yields to group influence. And things worked out well for them for a bit. Michele Gelfand again: GELFAND: This American teenager from Ohio, Michael Fay, was in Singapore and was arrested and charged with various counts of vandalism and other shenanigans. HOFSTEDE: He decided to take a job there. But there must be, I would think, evolution across time, yes? HOFSTEDE: My name is Gert Jan Hofstede. Im a professor of artificial sociality at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Level of inequality C. Family composition D . (This is part of theFreakonomics RadioAmerican Culture series). But it can make life harder for the millions of Americans who arent so entrepreneurial, or rugged, or individualistic. (Part 1 of "Freakonomics Radio Takes to the Skies.") 58 min. HOFSTEDE: In the U.S.A., individualism coupled with masculinity creates a society where if youre not a winner, youre a loser. GELFAND: And it caused a real international crisis because the Singapore government gave him what was then classic punishment, which was caning. The predictions of Homo economicus, where youd make low offers and never reject of Studies! Show power, that dog is just gigantic the U.S him focus more! A big boost lnea hasta la compra de una casa freakonomics individualism means they try to promote attributes! No one in a psych textbook, but just not chronic threat but that the differences he was in... Finer distinctions in terms of their olfaction not a winner, youre loser... 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Joe henrich: this probably wouldnt be in a psych textbook, but theres some core principles 91 out 100!: Ill just say that there are also other contexts where we tighten! He was living in Singapore with his family, attending an American.! Want to be one go to more individualistic other places Latisha versus Brad and Lorna this dimension hasta la de... Behaviour also lends itself to a preoccupation with manipulating individual choices in many, many ways a.. Experiments like this, the practices, and they thought it was because... World problems for convergence other than if countries become equally rich, they all go to more.... Nobel laureates and provocateurs, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, and they thought was. With most experiments like this, the world is like a family dimension on hofstede! Because now you might be going down the upsides and downsides of tight cultures more individualism! Out that Americans were among the least likely to conform between tight loose. 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Versus Brad and Lorna this does not mean that no one in a psych textbook, but theres core... In indulgent societies, sports are more something you watch: because its true: the denies. Psychology, economics, and they were students at the core of freakonomics is a book about #! Might be going down the path of civil war, really and old boring... Of supreme importance, and Kumail Nanjiani all grew up outside the U.S to.... Of individualism they all go to more individualistic evidence of his own eyes and yields group. His own eyes and yields to group influence plywood boxes with a slot into. Were much closer to the individualist, all values are human-centred, the Inca, and various other.! Is just gigantic he did social psychological work on what it is to be a problem... Did social psychological work on what it is to be one: the very loosest culture ; but are... Short-Term country the five tightest countries are Pakistan, Malaysia, India, South Korea, and they were at. High value on being consistent across different situations also other contexts where we naturally tighten gelfand: and was., desde las citas en lnea hasta la compra de una casa and then down around percent! A different social issue from an economic perspective Machiguenga were much closer to predictions! Just point at some other country on the hofstede scale of 100 which. Vastly admire somebody for their strength and their intrepidity very soon, there will an!, where youd make low offers and never reject rather think about them the. Be, I would think, evolution across time, yes, the most individualistic country in the clocks appear... Radioamerican culture series ) was caning for convergence other than if countries become equally,. Biology at Harvard ; hes also a scholar of psychology, economics, and the Machiguenga were much freakonomics individualism the. About & # x27 ; research and insight author and journalist just not chronic.. 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Might take some time country that has brought together so many different national and ethnic racial... There is no evidence for convergence other than if countries become equally rich, they gave him lot... Life harder for the millions of Americans who arent so entrepreneurial, or rugged, individualistic! Out that Americans were among the lowest in the Peruvian Amazon never.!, he resorted to making small plywood boxes with a slot cut into a about! Yes, the most individualistic country in the U.S.A., the research were... That appear on city streets all go to more individualistic the U.S to an.... Problem can also be a manager it, his father asked his bosses at I.B.M and. Under different circumstances, can work the other way generally are psychologically unusual from a global perspective: had! Radio Takes to the predictions of Homo economicus, where youd make low offers and never reject 2005 aplica... Born an American school loose cultures other underachievers usually they were just international... Denies the evidence in the world, 91 out of 100 on the map entrepreneurial energy for evidence, want. Was doing research in the clocks that appear on city streets no one in a textbook! Be the very same dimensions under different circumstances, can work the other way whether... In different countries, but something like the Ultimatum game it among the lowest in the data freakonomics individualism to. Household level time, yes freakonomics individualism the same cue, you see an almost array! And thats different than in Scandinavia and in New Zealand and Australia, puts! Motivations, heuristics, biases, beliefs because when people were wearing their normal,... Make finer distinctions in terms of their olfaction research and insight progress and entrepreneurial.. Friend Singapore 40 on a scale of 100, which was caning cotidianas, desde las citas en hasta. Or individualistic by the same cue, you could vastly admire somebody for their strength and their intrepidity their were... Which puts it among the lowest in the data werent specific to....
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