Independence and conformity in subsistence-level societies

Berry, J.W. (1967). Independence and conformity in subsistence-level societies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 7(4), 415-418. (See also the doctoral thesis: Bowen, D. [1984]. Cognitive styles of African theological students, 24-25. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State University or Nairobi, Kenya: N.E.G.S.T.)

OVERVIEW

Cross-cultural communication and education efforts have often failed without properly understanding the effect of a culture’s economy and culture on the cognitive processes of the young. Berry used the study of Barry, Child, and Bacon (1959) which suggests that "adults should tend to be individualistic, assertive and venturesome" in hunting and fishing societies with low food accumulation, whereas "adults should tend to be conscientious, compliant and conservative" where food accumulation is higher, such as in pastoral and agricultural cultures.

Also, Berry contributed to the 1970s interest in cross-cultural studies of cognitive styles and theories of field-dependence and field-independence.

DESIGN

Berry used the samples of the Temne of Sierra Leone and the Eskimo people of Baffin Island. He compared his results to those of the studies described above.

FINDINGS

• Hunting and fishing Eskimos show "great leniency in disciplining children, resulting in independent and venturesome individuals."
• Rice farming Temne "apply strict disciplinary measures" (summary from D. Bowen).

CONCLUSIONS

According to Berry

It is apparent then, that the Temne and Eskimo societies have been able to produce the degree of conformity required by their respective subsistence-level economies...It thus may be concluded that low food-accumulating societies do tend to produce individuals who are independent and self-reliant members, while high food-producing societies tend to produce more dependent and group-reliant members. This tendency, furthermore, is carried into the transitional period (where economic life is no longer at a subsistence level), thereby demonstrating the persistence of psychological and cultural patterns in the absence of their ecological origins. (Berry, p. 419)

IMPLICATIONS

• The cultural context of youth must be considered when working with them.
• The implications of socializing a majority of field-dependent or field-independent individuals deserves note by educators and youth workers in any situation.
• Not only are there differences among traditional peoples, but among urban, suburban, and different rural situations in developed societies.