Guidelines for the Four Synthetic Cultures:

GAMMA CULTURE

  (High Individualism)  

Individualism indicates the extent to which a culture believes that people are supposed to take care of themselves and remain emotionally independent from groups, organizations, and other collectivities.

Gamma Behaviors: 

 1. Language: 
  • Gammas will use the following words with a positive meaning: self, friendship, do-your- own-thing, contract, litigation, self-respect, self-interest, self-actualizing, individual, dignity, I/me, pleasure, adventurous, and guilt.
  • Gammas will use the following words with a negative meaning: harmony, face, we, obligation, sacrifice, family, tradition, decency, honor, duty, loyalty, and shame.
2. The Cultural Grid:  
Behavior
Expectation
Verbal and self-disclosing Friendly
Criticize the other person behind their back, sabotage enemies. Unfriendly
Aggressively debate issues and control the interview actively. Trust
Noncommittal on issues and more passive, ambiguous or defensive. Distrust
Loudly verbal with lots of questions touching and close physical contact. Interest
Maintain physical distance with no questions or eye contact Boredom
3. Barriers:
     
  • Language: Gammas are verbal and self centered using "I" and "me" a lot. 
  • Nonverbal: Gammas touch a lot and are somewhat seductive. 
  • Stereotypes: Gammas are defensive and tend to be loners who see others as potential enemies.
  • Evaluation: Gammas use other people and measure the importance of others in terms of how useful they are.
  • Stress: Gammas like to take risks and like the challenge of danger to continually test their own ability.
4.Gender Roles:
     
  • Role of gender: Power might as easily be held by males as by females, especially in urban and modernized areas. Gender roles are less rigidly defined with each gender taking on the roles of the other-- to serve her/his self interests-- in public and/or private activities.
  • Role of women: Women are free as long as they have the power to protect themselves. Attractive women can gain power by being manipulative and taking advantage of their beauty. Less assertive and particularly older-- women are likely to become victims of exploitation by both younger men and women.
  • Role of men: Men excel in areas requiring physical strength. Younger, taller, and physically attractive men can be expected to be aggressive in asserting their power over others. Men who are uncomfortable being competitive . especially older men-are likely to be ridiculed as weak and losers.