Cultural distance between peoples' worldview and scientific knowledge in the area of public health

Abstract

The objective of the present paper is an attempt to measure the public understanding of science in the area of health and hygiene and test the efficacy of "cultural distance model". A pre-tested open-ended questionnaire was used for administering cross-sectional surveys at a religio-cultural festival in India. 3484 individuals were interviewed and responses were coded and entered to construct computer database. The data was used for determining the cultural distance of five scientific concepts from the quotidian life of the target population. In developing countries, the formal system of modern education operates as a strong determinant in shaping cultural structures of thoughts prevalent among the citizens. There exists a cultural distance between the scientific structure of configuring natural occurrences and peoples' complexity of thoughts. The distance varies significantly across the concepts that were subjected to the inspection and is a function of the nature of scientific information.

Gerotranscendence and Life Satisfaction: Examining Age Differences at the Maha Kumbha Mela

“…In a study done at the Ardha Kumbha Mela (which is done once every six years) in Allahabad, the authors listed the number of male participants as being over 95% (Ruback, Pandey, & Kohli, 2008). Similarly, Raza and Singh (2004) listed a sample size of 81% male for their study undertaken at the 2001 Kumbha Mela. Therefore, we did not venture into making gender comparisons in this article, and caution is warranted against making generalizations regarding both sexes.…”

Relative Cultural Distance and Public Understanding of Science

“…We argued that it is erroneous to pigeonhole a subset of citizens as scientifi cally illiterate. Instead, on the basis of empirical data we have also shown that when a natural phenomenon placed at a large cultural distance is encountered, in the absence of broad scientifi c knowledge base, a non-expert is likely to resort to an extra-scientifi c explanation (Raza et al 2000).…”

“…Since the response variable is dichotomous, the two curves would always intersect each other at a point where 50 per cent of those who were interviewed offered valid scientifi c explanations or vice versa. Source: Raza et al 2002. The perpendicular line drawn from this intersecting point on the x-axis would show the education level required for the concept or idea or information to become part of the cognitive structure of 50 per cent of the population under discussion. In the region beyond the point where the two curves cross-sect, more than 50 per cent of the populace subscribe to the scientifi c explanation.…”

“…It has been established repeatedly that a whole host of factors, external to the nature of scientifi c information such as gender, occupation, access to non-formal channels of information, economic status, predisposition to cultural and religious activities, and age have a bearing on the worldview of cultural formations and subgroups (Raza et al 1995).…”

“…And we also conclude that in order to overcome the threshold of index of democratisation, various scientifi c explanations will have to travel varying degrees of cultural distance. Conversely, in order to travel through the permeable membranes that defi ne boundaries of a cultural grouping or a cultural sub-group, various ideas face varying degrees of resistance (Raza et al 2004). Empirically, this resistance could be measured in terms of cultural distance.…”