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Cultural Norms: Do they Matter?

by Winston Sieck updated September 11, 2021

cultural norms for women dress

In some countries, women are expected to cover themselves from head to toe. In others, bikini bottoms are plenty sufficient. In some places, baskets are carried in the arms. In others, they are placed on the head.

Cultural norms are the standards we live by. They are the shared expectations and rules that guide behavior of people within social groups. Cultural norms are learned and reinforced from parents, friends, teachers and others while growing up in a society.

Norms often differ across cultures, contributing to cross-cultural misunderstandings.

Many studies have documented these differences. Far more casual observers have commented on them. Recently, Michele Gelfand and a large team of cross-cultural psychologists stepped back from the cataloging process and asked a bigger question.

They wanted to know how much cultural norms really matter. Do norms matter more in some places than others?

Some societies may care quite a bit about their cultural norms, insisting on strong conformity to them across the board. They reflect “cultural tightness.” Others tolerate a lot of deviance from the norms. These are “culturally loose” societies.

Gelfand and colleagues theorized that tightness and looseness are reflected at different levels within a culture that mutually support one another. They published their research in a Science article, “Differences between tight and loose cultures.” In it, Gelfand’s team describes evidence for each of the following four levels:

  1. Ecological & Historical Threats. Hostile neighbors, disease, and dense populations increase the need for coordinated and disciplined action from the population. More factors like these tighten the cultural norms. As the threats diminish, cultures loosen up.
  2. Socio-Political Institutions. Culturally tight nations tend to have more autocratic governments, restricted media, stronger suppression of dissent, and more severe punishments for crime.
  3. Everyday Social Situations. All kinds of interactions with fellow members of the culture are more formal in nations with tight cultural norms. These include situations at home, the workplace, school, places of worship, parks, and others. Loose cultures provide more room for individual discretion in such situations. A wider range of behavior is counted “appropriate.”
  4. Psychological Adaptations. People’s minds become attuned to the different requirements of living in places with tight or loose cultural norms. Individual psychology then further supports the level of cultural tightness or looseness. People living in tight cultures become more focused on avoiding mistakes. They are more cautious in their own behavior, and more closely monitor themselves and others for norm violations.

Culturally tight or loose societies appear completely dysfunctional when viewed from the other perspective. The cultural tightness-looseness framework can help you to take a step back, and see things a bit differently. It can help you take a cross-cultural perspective. When you see or read about events around the world, think about whether the players involved are from tight or loose cultures. Consider how they got that way, and all the factors involved in maintaining the system as it is.

Without understanding, the differences between countries with tight and loose cultural norms provide much fodder for conflict. Going back to that first level, falling into conflict can increase tightness in cultural norms across the board.

Image Credit: Gigi Ibrahim

References

Gelfand, M., Raver, J., Nishii, L., Leslie, L., Lun, J., Lim, B., Duan, L., Almaliach, A., Ang, S., Arnadottir, J., Aycan, Z., Boehnke, K., Boski, P., Cabecinhas, R., Chan, D., Chhokar, J., D’Amato, A., Ferrer, M., Fischlmayr, I., Fischer, R., Fulop, M., Georgas, J., Kashima, E., Kashima, Y., Kim, K., Lempereur, A., Marquez, P., Othman, R., Overlaet, B., Panagiotopoulou, P., Peltzer, K., Perez-Florizno, L., Ponomarenko, L., Realo, A., Schei, V., Schmitt, M., Smith, P., Soomro, N., Szabo, E., Taveesin, N., Toyama, M., Van de Vliert, E., Vohra, N., Ward, C., & Yamaguchi, S. (2011). Differences Between Tight and Loose Cultures: A 33-Nation Study Science, 332 (6033), 1100-1104 DOI: 10.1126/science.1197754

Gelfand, M. (2018). Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. Scribner.

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Filed Under: Culture & Communication, Popular Tagged With: general, values

About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan Anderson says

    August 25, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    I really like your blog! I’m in a intro to psych right now, and I found it very interesting! Cultural norms are different all across the world, and are often discussed about in our society today. Like you stated in some countries some women can’t show their skin at all, but where I am from wearing a bikini in public pool is perfectly normal. Cultural/society norms are basically created around behaviors and fashions that surround you in your life. From what I’ve learned in class and read in your blog, I believe that norms are created by social influence. That people are influenced by the social environment and behaviors of the others around them, which later causes them to conform/adjust their own behaviors to fit in with that specific culture or social group. Or some cultures force you to conform to their norms, it may be enforced by your parents or friends, etc. I found the study of the tight and loose cultural very interesting. Especially the four different levels, ecological and historical levels, socio-political institutions, everyday social situations and the last one really caught my attention. The psychological adaptions, People’s minds become used to the different requirements of living in places with tight or loose cultural norms. They watch themselves and others for norm violating behaviors they experience. So essentially the people don’t even know that they are conforming to the cultural norms around them, its kind of seems like having a bad habit, like biting your nails, or twirling you hair. You do it so much you cant even tell your doing it. So adjusting to the norms is easily missed because your mind is adapting to the norms for you.

    • Winston Sieck says

      August 25, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      Thank you, Megan! Nice link to the ‘bad habit.’ That’s a very interesting association.

  2. Norman says

    August 17, 2019 at 4:47 pm

    It’s right and psychologically. It brings people and the society together

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