Cultural Variation in Vigilance and Precaution Themes
Abstract
Determine the degree to which different precautionary themes are dominant in various target populations and how these themes are acquired. Assess cultural signals of potential danger: are there different kinds of potential danger in different cultures? Do cultural ideologies, notably religion, modify people's notion of hidden or invisible danger? Are people from different cultures considered dangerous and if so, in what circumstances? Does this change with experience? Do the precaution themes in collective rituals reflect/reinforce the precautionary preoccupations of the target populations? In year 1 we did the following: Analyzed clinical literature to identify culturally specific precautionary preoccupations. Conducted preliminary ethnographic analysis of target population ritual systems to identify precautionary themes in collective rituals and any variation in and between systems. Constructed protocols for behavioral and experimental studies. This is with the intent to conduct cross-cultural experiments utilizing potential threat scenarios and relevant/less-relevant satiating behaviors with both primary school age children and normal adults. Developed our PhD students research project which will identify correlations between inferences from the Lawson and McCauley theory of ritual competence (the Ritual Form Hypothesis in particular) and the expression of precautionary themes in collective rituals, identify the precautionary ideologies present in disparate ritual systems and compare them, and investigate the continuum between individual precautionary measures and collective/cultural rituals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 14, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA509021
Entities
People
- Ernest T. Lawson
- Joel Mort
Organizations
- Queen's University Belfast