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Understanding Mexicans and Americans: a Mexicdn-U.S

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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 269 181 RC 015 667 AUTHOR Diaz-Guerrero, Rogelio; And Others TITLE Understanding Mexicans and Americans: A Mexicdn-U.S. Communicatinn Lexicon of Images, Meanings, and Cultural Frames of Reference. INSTITUTION Institute of Comparative Social and Cultural Studies, Inc., Washington, D.C. SI1NS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 85 GRANT G008302219 NOTE 359p.; Appendix 1 conf.ains small print. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Attitudes; *Communication Research; Comparative Ana] sis; Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Background; *Cultural Differences; Cultural Images; Cultural Traits; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Human Relations: *Intercultural Communication; Language Role; Latin Americans; *Mexicans; Sociocultural Patterns; Values IDENTIFIERS *Americans (United States); Associative Group Analysis; *Colombians; United States ABSTRACT This "communication lexicon,' a new source of information in the field of g.anguage and area studies, describes how selected themes such as family, society, work, and entertainment are perceived and understood by members of the Mexican, Colombian, and United States culturla. It identifies broad trends of perceptions and evaluations through analysis of related themes. The awareness it provides of differences in perceptual and motivational dispositions can be applied to educational and training tasks which require cultural sensitivity and interpersonal skills. Information is based on Mexican and United States student samples tested in Mexico City and Washington, D.C. A parallel preseation is based on a comparable Colombian sample. Introductory chapters discuss problems of cultural understanding and how research information can be used in communication strategies. Chapters 3-12 present Mexican and American images and meanings from themes of Family/Self, Friendship/Understanding, Community/Society, Love/Sex, Religion/Mortality, Education/Upbringing, Economy/Money, Work/Achievement, Government/Politics, and National/Ethnic Images. Graphs are used to show differences and similarities. General trends across several themes reflecting perceptual and motivational dispositions are discussed in chapter summaries. The original response lists arranged in semantically related clusters for each theme are provided in Appendix 1. The Associative Group Analysis method used to collect and interpret research data is discussed in Appendix 2.(FL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** UNDERSTANDING MEXICANS AND AMERICANS A MEXICAN -U.S. COMMUNICATION LEXICON OF IMAGES, MEANINGS, AND CULTURAL FRAMES OF REFERENCE ROGELIO DIAZ-GUERRERO, M.D., Ph.D. LORAN° B. SZALAY, Ph.D. Faculty of Psychology Institute of Comparative National University of Mexico Social and Cultural Studies, Inc. Mexico City Washington, D.C. JEAN B STROHL SHELLEY K. VILOV Institute of Comparative Institute of Comparative Social and Cultural Studies, Inc. Social and Cultural Studies, Inc. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. 1985 ICS INSTITUTr. OF COMPARATIVE SOCIAL & CULTURAL STUDIES INC. 4330 EAST.WEST HIGHWAY. SUITE 900. WASHINGTON. D. C. 20814 TEL. (301)858-7926 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to express their personal appreciation and gratitude for the funds received from the Department of Education. Our special thanks go to the representatives of the Division of International Education and to our project monitor, Flora McKenzie, in the International Research and Studies Program who were very helpful in facilitating the successful completion of our task. With regard to the data collection we are most grateful for the help of Jose Luis from the Universidad Nacional de Mexico who performed the administration of tne Associative Group Analysis in Mexico City. We are also sincerely indebted to John Dombrowski from Wake Forest University who reviewed the manu3cript and offered numerous useful suggestions and comments. We would also like to thank Dr. Andres Inn from the Chinese University of Hong Kong for his valuable help in the development and adaptation of computer programs and graphics software. From our staff Margot Lopez, Maria S. Lisabet, and Marilu Arcila receive our special thanks and recognition for assisting us with the data processing and translation tasks. We are also grateful to Eva Szalay wht, was responsible for the production of the graphical mater ial. The work upon which this publication is baser was performed pursuant to Grant No.G008302219 with the Department of Education. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the Department of Education should be inferred. ii ABSTRACT In what important ways do Mexicans agree and differ from U.S. Americans in their way of thinking,in their images, and in their subjective view of the world? How wide, how deeply rooted, and how consistent are their differences? Developed under the sponsorship of the U.S. Depa.-tment cf Educa- tion's Division of International Education, the Communication Lexicon offers extensive data on Mexican and U.S. American images and meanings encompassing dominant trends in perceptions and motivations. This information is based on the indepth study of U.S. and Mexican student samples tested in Mexico City And Washington, D.C. It shows in a comparative presentation important similarities and differences in perceptions and evaluations of a broad variety of key issues ranging From self to government, from sex to capitalism. While the main focus of attention is on the Mexican-U.S. comparison,a parallel presentation of results on a comparable Colombian sample offers an interesting opportunity to examine Mexican-Colombian-U.S. similarities and differences as %all.The way these are distributed adds validity to the Mexican-U.S. results. The introductory chapters discuss the problems of cultural under- standing and the use of this information along a communication strategy built on the recognition that in order to reach people Wf have to address themes which are dominant in people's minds. Furthermore, in addressing the dominant themes we have to take people's subjective understanding and cultural meanings into consideration.Chapters 3 through 12 of the volume present the Mexican and U.S.images and meanings of selected key themes from the following domains: Family and Self, Friendship and Understanding, Community and Society, Love and Sex, Religion and Morality, Education and Upbringing, Economy and Money, Work and Achievement, Government and Politics, and National/Ethnic Images. The main differences and similarities are shown in graphic visual presentation. To keep the main comparison simple the numerical data on all three groups are shown in Appendix I of the lexicon.General trends emerging across several themes and reflecting perceptual and motivational dispositions are discussed in the chapter summaries. They highlight differential Mexican and U.S.American psycho-cultural dispositions which affect interpersonal relations and communications. While the Mexicans are the closest Latin American neighbor to the Americans, Colombians are frequently considered as representatives of the most characteristically Hispanic country of Latin America. Studies by Szalay on Hispanic Americans (Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans) tested in the United States and studies by Diaz-Guerrero on Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Anglo Americans offer interesting comparisons and underscore the information value of these data, both internationally and domestically in various educational applications. PREFACE The Communication Lexicon is a new r.oncept; it is a new source of information in the field of language and area studies. Its focus is on people's way of thinking, their frame of reference, their characteristic outlook on life. Compared to the more traditional area studies, our main focus is not on history or religion or geography, not on tangible material realities of existence in a particular country, but rather on people's shared subjective views of those realities which are dominant in their minds. The focus of the analysis is essentially psychological; it is centered on perceptions and motivations which influence people's choices and behavior. Compared to individual psycholog", the information repre- sented by this volume is psycho-cultural in L. at it is centered on the shared perceptions and motivations which people with the same language, backgrounds, and experiences develop together into a shared cultural view or subjective representation of their universe. The attention psycho - cultural factors are receiving these jays follows from the growing realization that their influences are powerful and yet they occur without people's awareness. Based on extensive empirical data produced through an analytic technicme of indepth assessment, the Communication Lexicon presents the culturally characteristic system of meanings which members of a particular cultural community develop in construing their world. At the level of specifics the lexicon describes how selected themes such as family, society, work, and entertainment are perceived and understood by members of three cultures: Mexicans, Colombians, and U.S. Americans. While the traditional bilingual lexicons give translation equivalent
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