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You Take the Stairs, I'll take the Roller Coaster

Which one of the statements below would best fit you?

1. My life is largely determined by forces outside of myself, such as God, fate, genetics and/or my family heritage.

2. I should, in every way, live in complete harmony with nature and my community, and adapt myself to my surroundings.

3. My challenge is to conquer and control my life circumstances. I am the master of my own destiny.

The mainstream U.S. American response is number three. Numbers one and two are more likely to be identified with non-western cultures as discussed in the Kluckhon model.¹

As our interaction increases with the people from other cultures, it is imperative that we deepen our understanding of the worldview of other cultures. We can no longer afford to ignore this challenge, a challenge that is at once individual and national in its scope. Further, there are rich possibilities for learning and self-realization inherent in the exercise of comparing and contrasting our own culture with others alien to us.

The goal of this article is to introduce one of the fundamental hidden cultural differences, the relationship between humans and nature, by doing the following:

1. Explaining the contrasting concepts;
2. Providing practical examples; and,
3. Giving possible applications of these concepts.

Before we go any further, though, let's review some important basic concepts, written about in our earlier articles, to avoid possible misapplication of the information discussed here:

• Cultures, in general, are dynamic. A value that is associated with a culture because of its history may not hold true for the future. (Sounds like a mutual fund prospectus, doesn't it?)
• When learning a cultural value, please understand this is true for the majority. We can't claim everyone in that culture holds that value dear, any more than we can say that every American likes McDonald's hamburgers.
• We can't easily isolate a single cultural variable through simple observation of normal daily life. More often we notice many cultural values commingled and working as a unified attitude or behavior. For this discussion we are isolating a single value (i.e. our relationship with nature), when in actuality this has everything to do with the concept of time, individualism, and other cultural values.
• The research leading to conclusions about cultural values is very sophisticated, and has been done within the framework of academic disciplines. Beware of over-simplifications about other cultures based on limited experience with the subject. In other words, look before you leap!

The Concept

• Pierre Cass’ book, Training for the Cross-Cultural Mind, explains the Kluckhohn model by describing two kinds of cultures: the Stair Step culture and the Roller Coaster culture.² In a Stair Step culture (e.g. mainstream U.S. and Western Europe), people believe that they should work to control nature and events. In doing so they can achieve whatever they want out of life if they 'put their minds to it.' This is also known as effort-optimism. The saying, "The harder I work the luckier I get" reflects this sentiment. Many Americans grew up with the proverb, "God helps those who help themselves."

  On the other hand, in a Roller Coaster culture (e.g. much of the non-western world), people believe that they do not control nature. They may believe that nature or a higher power controls them. Or, they may seek to live in harmony with nature. Members of Roller Coaster cultures believe that no matter how hard they work, they may never get what they want. Events out of their control may shape their lives. Yet, this does not overly frustrate them, as this belief is accompanied by an acceptance of things 'as they are,' instead of anxiety over how things should be. Americans often label this attitude fatalism, a label that is pejorative.

  The cradle of western civilization, ancient Greece, had mythological characters called The Fates, who controlled the destinies of mortals. The Fates controlled mortals’ destinies, and allotted each person a span of years for living, symbolized by a thread. When one of the Fates cut this thread, life was over. Sometimes we still hear people say "I'll leave that up to fate" or "I'll cast my fate to the winds." So fatalism should not be a concept totally alien to mainstream Americans. What may be alien is the degree to which other cultures believe in fate, and how that shapes their lives.

  Examples

  You can see the Stair Step followers in action everywhere in the United States working very hard to harness the forces of nature and society. Recognizing that one can’t totally control future events, mainstream Americans have invented all kinds of concepts, tools and phrases to give the impression that we do control future events. Further, when things don't turn out as planned them it causes us a lot of anguish, which we feel is justified. We promise ourselves that next time we will succeed.

  During the Midwest floods last year whole towns worked together to stop rising floodwaters. Everyone was stacking sandbags high to stop the dangerously overflowing river. Politicians once again promised to take care of this problem by adding improvements to the flood control systems in the future, and/or to forcibly remove housing from flood-prone areas.

• On the other hand, in India and Bangladesh hundreds get swept away by cyclones year after year. People rebuild their modest dwellings in the same location year after year. There is no concept of flood insurance.
• In traditionally Muslim countries, if you ask someone, "will this be done tomorrow?" the answer may well be Inshahullah (an Arabic word meaning if God willing). This phrase signifies underlying belief that the individual believer is not ultimately in control of what happens next; only God knows the future and God's approval is necessary for any endeavor to succeed. Therefore, the individual would be foolish to make a promise without knowing all the facts of the matter as only God knows everything. A parallel can be found in many cultures, where "God willing," is added at the end of sentences, such as "I'll see you again next year, God willing". Such attitudes are evident in Muslim communities here in Houston. On weekends, there are several Urdu programs on the radio. Urdu is similar to Hindi and is understood by Pakistanis and many Asian Indians. In those programs, the answer to the greeting, "How are you?" is often simply "Thanks God." That means ‘I am fine with the blessings of almighty Allah.’
• Mainstream U.S. Americans have mastered the act of anticipation and future planning, and they often pay a big price to control the outcomes of future events. Marketers exploit this vulnerability. Every day the mail brings me offers to protect my credit cards, my life, my mortgage, or my health via those easy low monthly premiums. In contrast, I have an Asian Indian friend in his late 40's, who is a well-paid computer consultant, and who does not feel any compunction to plan for future contingencies. I once asked him about his retirement plans. He told me, "I have not saved a penny yet. I will deal with the old age when it will come." This was said with full confidence.
• When my wife and I mentioned the importance of saving money for our young children's college education, our Pakistani relatives looked at us in total amazement. They thought we had lost our minds. They asked, "Why would you waste money on savings today when you need money for living now?" I guess the well-worn Aesop's fable of the ant and the grasshopper just doesn't translate into Urdu.
• When I was studying at the University of North Texas, it was comical to see foreign student advisors forcing international students to buy mandatory health insurance policies. The necessity for health insurance was beyond the comprehension of many international students. They stated again and again in frustration, "Why should I pay money today when there is nothing wrong with me?"
• Participating in fire drills at work felt very strange at first. This is because I had never participated in a fire drill before coming to the U.S. Yet my children must do this regularly at school. Public buildings in the U.S. must meet strict fire safety codes. Here fires are seen as preventable, not as acts of God.
• During the first few months of working with a large, Fortune 100 company, my supervisor surprised me by expecting me to somehow know exactly how much time would be required for the tasks assigned me. There were so many unknown variables involved that it seemed impossible for me to determine how long a task would require. But now I know the secret way around this dilemma: contingency. This is the wild card one uses when ones doesn't have a clue. To my surprise, the amount of contingency can also be varied based on the level of uncertainty (e.g. 50%, 100% etc.). If you still come out wrong, it is not a problem. You will be asked to provide Lessons Learned so everyone can be a better predictor of time.
• Our sense of control over the future is almost unconscious, such as in the common practice of naming an incoming high school or university class. As Craig Storti points out in his wonderful exercise book, Cross-Cultural Dialogues, this practice can be confusing to a newcomer here. He states that getting into a U.S. college in 97 and being called class of 2001 can be very confusing to a South American.³ A South American may think, ‘How do you really know that I will finish this degree in four years? What if I get sick? What if I transfer to another college? What if I go home? What if the building falls down?’ A South American may assume that the university officials are arrogant or just naïve. I remember when I started the 3-year mechanical technology diploma program in Pakistan in 1975, we were not class of 78. Instead we were simply the class of 75.

  Applications

  Thus, Stair Step believers may blame Roller Coaster adherents for a lack of initiative. Whereas, the Roller Coaster followers may conclude that Stair Step followers are too arrogant and naïve. One well-known saying in Pakistan (a Roller Coaster country) is that ‘Man proposes, God disposes.’

  Many of the co-cultures (i.e. non-mainstream U.S. cultures) are somewhat Roller Coaster compared to the mainstream. However each individual in a co-culture may be at a different level of acculturation to the mainstream U.S. culture. Many U.S. corporations working in non-European countries often experience Roller Coaster attitudes.

  Recognizing that a person's Roller Coaster mindset is behind a seemingly inexplicable attitude or behavior can help us find more creative ways to improve personal and business relationships. Moreover, recognizing our own degree of belief in life as a Horatio Alger story can help us understand our personal motivations and drives.

  The following comparisons may be useful in our personal and business contacts with roller coaster cultures:

Roller Coaster

• No pressing need for prevention.
• Insurance is a waste of money; trust in God is the best insurance.
• A relaxed attitude towards time and tasks.
• A reluctance to commit to quantitative goals.
• Present-oriented.
• Greater acceptance of negative outcomes.
• Less personal stress.
• Belief in luck.

Stair Step

• Defeat viewed as a source of embarrassment.
• Greater personal stress.
• Effort-optimism.
• Future-oriented.
• Quantitative goals emphasized.
• Stated goals, deadlines, and tight schedules.
• Irresponsible not to carry insurance.
• Need for preventative measures.

  In the last few years, it appears that mainstream U.S. culture is retreating a bit from its Stair Step attitudes. Last year I saw a booklet produced by an outside consultant that was distributed to several departments of a fortune 500 company. The booklet stated very clearly that we need to learn to accept the way things are. I am also hearing more about the 'individual's sphere of influence,’ a work planning tool where the employee discriminates between outcomes that are subject to an individual’s control and those that aren’t.

  In American Cultural Patterns, Stewart and Bennett also mention that mainstream Americans are showing more Roller Coaster tendencies.⁴ They pointed to the proliferation of state lotteries and casinos as an evidence of this. (Getting rich by lottery is sure not the Stair Step way to go).

  Some folks are retreating from the Stair Step outlook in order to reduce stress in their lives. They seem to recognize that it sure is a big job to keep nature on its knees all day along. In the recent publication, A Geography of Time, Robert Levine makes a case for the American perception of time, including its doing emphasis related to the Stair Step world-view, as a hidden cause of the high rate of heart attacks and stress-related illness in this country.⁵

  No matter if we stick to our Stair Step position or become a bit humble about our accustomed role as master of nature, knowing that majority of the world feels very differently can only help us to achieve a balance in our lives. And for us, a once hidden cultural barrier becomes surmountable.

  ¹ Kluckhohn, Florence and Fred Strodetbeck, Variation in Value Orientation (Evasnston, Illinois: Row, Peterson & Co., 1961) as mentioned by Survival Kit for Overseas Living by Robert Kohl.
  ² Casse, P. Training for the Cross-Cultural Mind. Yarmouth, ME: SIETAR/International Press, 1982.
  ³ Storti, Craig. Cross-Cultural Dialogues. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1994.
  ⁴ Stewart, Edward C., & Milton J. Bennett. American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1991
  ⁵ Levine, Robert, A Geography of Time: The Temporal misadventures of a social psychologist. New York, NY: Basic Books.

By Syed and Joyce Zafar
"Syed Zafar, president of Cultural Diversity Group, pursues his passion of promoting intercultural understanding through keynotes, workshops and a newsletter. Syed, born and raised in Pakistan, lived in Saudia Arabia before coming to the US. He has an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a decade of corporate work."

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