Explain one cultural dimension with brief reference to one relevant study.

Refer to the paper 1 section A markbands when awarding marks. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

The command term “explain” requires candidates to give a detailed account, including reasons or causes, of one cultural dimension.

Cultural dimensions may include, but are not limited to:

• individualism versus collectivism (Berry, 1967; Chen et al., 2005)
• power/distance (Zhang et al., 2010; Lynn et al., 1993; Eylon and Au, 1999)
• long-term versus short-term orientation (Confucian dynamism) (Hofstede and Bond, 1988)
• masculinity versus femininity (Vunderick and Hofstede, 1998)
• uncertainty avoidance (Shane, 1995).

Responses should present the core traits that define the cultural dimension. For example, individualistic societies focus on uniqueness, achievement and freedom, whereas collectivistic societies focus on family, relationships and a common fate or heritage.

Candidates could explain the chosen cultural dimension generally, such as it is the effect of a culture on the beliefs and values of a society, or in a more detailed manner with explanations based on social mobility, agricultural versus urban, democratic principles, economic stability, etc. Both explanations are equally acceptable.

If a candidate explains more than one cultural dimension, credit should be given only to the first explanation.

If a candidate describes a relevant study, but a cultural dimension is not explained, up to a maximum of [4] should be awarded.

If a candidate explains one cultural dimension without reference to a study, up to a maximum of [6] should be awarded. 

HL - Strong responses wrote a detailed description of one cultural dimension and then explained it in terms of food accumulation, economic stability, history of democracy or religious influences.

Some candidates defined all of the dimensions and gave brief examples for each. In this case, only the first example was assessed.

SL - The vast majority of candidates discussed the cultural dimension of Individualism and Collectivism followed by a description of either Hofstede, Berry and Katz, Kulkofsky, or Petrova’s research. This question was generally answered well, with an impressive variety of relevant research described by candidates. There were however some responses that discussed the concept of enculturation with no explicit links to cultural dimensions.