Ways of Manifesting Collectivism: An Analysis of Iranian and African Cultures

Abstract

Intelligence analysts might easily misinterpret their observations made in a society other than their own, since their understanding may be filtered through the lens of the shared values, norms, and beliefs of their own culture. For example, given the information that farmers in Kandahar regularly pay the Taliban 50% of their earnings, an analyst might conclude that the farmers are paying extortion money, whereas an alternative probable conclusion might be that they are paying for protection against a corrupt national government. The latter interpretation could lead to a more culturally appropriate policy of working with the village elders to restore their influence as a substitute for that of the Taliban (Flynn et al., 2010). In an initial report, Dien, Blok, & Glazer (2011) presented a cultural framework by which to analyze human influence situations in collectivistic cultures. Cultural case studies of Afghanistan/Pakistan, China, and Japan were evaluated within the framework. The present supplemental report extends this cultural analysis to Iranian culture and to three African cultures, specifically Somali, Tuareg, and Hausa.