Question

Describe how an environment can evoke certain personality differences. What are some limits on this (incorporate within culture variability)? Describe how cultural transmission can affect personality. What are some limits on this (incorporate within culture variability)?

Answer 1

The enviornmment evokes personality differences by favouring the expression of certain traits over the others. For each individual, personality results from an amalgamation of influences from their homes, schools, workplace etc. all of which shape the type of traits that the individual exhibits. In fact, it is also argued that personality should not be conceived as fixed and stable, rather fluid and flexible that involves one’s pattern of responses to events. The direct opposition to this view is that genetic influences also play a vital role personality and it is a combination of nature and nurture that lead to individual differences. Moreover, different cultures promote and discourage certain personality traits and thus puts a boundary on what traits are expressed in a socio-cultural setting.

In this manner, cultural transmission has a role to play in determining personality to a large extent as contact to a new culture drives the individual to display the acceptable set of personality traits. These are likely to be at least slightly different from his/her old culture as every culture tends to differ based on their set of ideal norms and behaviour. However, the limit to this would be the extent to which the new culture is tolerant and welcoming of individuals from different cultures, while allowing them to interact with its memebers.