Looking at Four Dimensions of Culture: A Formation Perspective

In the book Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (McGraw-Hill, 1991), Geert Hofstede identifies two definitions of culture. One refers to civilization or a “refinement of the mind,” the results of which are education, works of art, literature, etc. The other is used more broadly as “mental software… a collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group of people from another.” As human beings, we have common feelings of anger, fear, and sadness, as well as shared needs of association, play, and rest. What we do with these feelings and needs are determined by the values held by our particular culture. This definition of culture deals with “the things that hurt,” with what holds meaning and value when challenged or disregarded.

Religious formation in a multicultural community calls forth the need to address “the things that hurt,” to deal with what matters for its diverse members. Four dimensions of culture – as defined by Hofstede and discussed here within a formation context – encapsulate this experience:

• Power Difference Index.

  This refers to “the emotional distance between a person of authority and the subordinates.” When the power distance is greater, the level of dependency on authority is higher. Seen from a formation perspective, this would include looking at the differences of members from varying cultures in terms of understanding how they regard power, how they relate and react to authority figures.

• Collectivism versus Individualism.

  This refers to “how much the interest/influence of the group prevails over the interest of the individual.” When the level of collectivism is higher, the individual is more disposed to having the group as a source of identity. In exchange for a sense of belonging, the individual’s loyalty is given to the group. When the level of individualism is higher, the sense of connectedness of the individual with other individuals or with the group is weaker. In the formation context, one would look at the capacities for independence and interdependence essential to community living. Does the individual have a healthy level of need for affiliation necessary for community life? Or, is the level of individualism so high that identification with the congregation’s identity and interdependence in community prove difficult?

• Masculinity/Femininity.

  This refers to two aspects. One is the implication of being male or female in a particular culture manifested in the individual’s self-concept and role definition. The other is the degree to which a culture, as a group, manifests dispositions of masculinity or femininity. The formative implications are significant given that clergy and religious live in same-gender communities. How comfortable is the individual in taking on both masculine and feminine roles? More fundamentally, how has one been “programmed” to consider roles to be gender-specific? How comfortable is one in taking on differing roles?

• Uncertainty Avoidance.

  This refers to the “extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations, expressed by a need for predictability and written/unwritten rules.” When the level of uncertainty avoidance is higher, the predisposition to seek clarity or resolution of whatever is unknown is greater. One implication is that cultures with higher uncertainty avoidance may tend towards increasing rigidity of structures as this lessens the anxiety level brought about by unpredictability. In a formation context, the dispositions of anxiety-tolerance, flexibility, and resilience as manifested in the capacity to deal with the different and the unknown, to adjust to the uncertainty of new assignments and communities as well as to the complexity of personalities and cultures, must be assessed. On the spiritual plane, one looks for the disposition to be able to live with Mystery as well as the patience to allow the gradual unfolding of answers in the ongoing process of discernment.

Paz H. Baquiran, M.A. is Programs Coordinator of Emmaus Center

This article was first published in “Formation in a Complex World” (Vol. 3. No. 2, Nov. 2012 - Feb. 2013). Formation in a Complex Word was a series of brief articles featuring various perspectives on formation and psycho-spiritual integration by Emmaus Center.