Week#4 - Understanding Worldviews

Handout 1.4.2 Understanding Worldviews

1. Innocence/Guilt (N.Am, Europe, Australia, New Zealand)
2. Power/Fear (Parts of Africa, Asia, S.Am)
3. Honor/Shame (Asia, ME, S.Am)

Innocence/Guilt:
• There is a right and a wrong.     • Groomed to make the right choices:
• Deductive Reasoning                 • Cause and Effect Thinking
• Critical Analysis                        • Asking Good Questions            
• Bad even if no one knows          • The law
• Wrong depends on standards, not opinion   • If innocent, one feels good.
• I’m OK you’re OK                     • Abuse Mechanism: Innocence at all costs

Power/Fear:
• Learn to assess hierarchy            • Adjust your interaction based on the level of power
• Align yourself with the right person      • Develop skills to enhance your power base
• Manage the level of fear       • Found everywhere: (home, religious institutions, politics, business)
• Fear can have many faces     • Abuse Mechanism: Rule by fear to enhance/maintain your power-base

Honor/Shame:
• Learn to assess each situation   • Who is who and are they related to my ‘group’ (family, clan, tribe)
• Adjust to enhance honor (includes shaming others)  • If shamed: Family/group's guidelines for actions                                          • Performance is directly linked to who a person is
• Adhering but: can’t learn it from books    • Abuse Mechanism: Hide the shameful: don’t get caught