DISCUSSION QUESTIONS SUMMARY
                                               WEEK6


Arnett, J. J. (2002). The psychology of globalization. American Psychologist, 57(10), 774-783

·    There are many negative influences and psychological consequences of globalization, but are
there any positive influences or psychological consequences of globalization too? Especially
concerning adolescents?

·    Is it possible that as time passes local identity can cease to exist? And what kind of impacts
can this state of matter have?

·    Is  only one global culture good or bad for you? What advantages and disadvantages one global
culture can have?

·    How does the globalization influence the psychological aspects of the life of adolescents? Can
you state an example of either positive or negative aspects of the globalization in the Czech
Republic that affect the life of adolescents?

·    What are the main differences between local, bicultural and global identity? Can there exist
also hybrid identities? If there can be the hybrid identities state an example.

·    Have you ever had the feeling that your country might be considered second-rate? When? Why?

·    Western lifestyle is supported in globalised world. What lifestyle do you think can ever force
it out? Why?

·    Do you think that globalization will totally destroy national identity in the future?

·    Do you think local community with its culture and traditions (and local identity as well) can
be replaced with the so-called global community (or global identity)? How can it influence the
people's lives and their feeling of being a member of some community?

·    Do you feel more being Czech or European? Imagine the situation when we all feel being more
European than Czech. What are the advantages or disadvantages you see personally in this identity?

·    Do you feel more adult rather than adolescent or emerging adult? What does it mean for you
personally?

·    In the light of “local identity” concept discussed by Arnett, can you think of some elements
of your local identity?

·    What the term cultural distance defined by Berry (in Arnett, 2002) stand for?

·    Do you agree with Arnett statement that „adolescents have a pivotal role in the process of
globalization“?

·    „Japanese adults refer to young people who postpone or forgo marriage in order to pursue
self-development with the derisive term parasite singles. However, this trend is quite world
spreaded.“  Why do you  think  i tis so negatively viewed in Japan?

·    What do you think, what are the consequences of identity confusion in adolescence?

·    It is possible that forming more identities, eventually global identity can prevent xonofoby
in the future?

·    Is there a risk with bicultural or global identity that the feeling of home, roots and
background and its psychological consequences will be diminished?

·    According to the author, globalization changes values of young people. My question is
following: Can this phenomenon lead to increasing of ageism?

·    Can globalization lead to reduction of xenophobia?

·    Can parents help to their adolescent children in choice of positive influences of
globalization?

·    To what extent does globalization affect development of pathological behavior of adolescents?
For instance in comparison with family and school surroundings.

·    How can be undesirable effects caused by globalization at adolescents prevented?

·    What positive effects does globalization have on psyche and formation of identity of
adolescents?

·     How much do you think is Czech Republic affected by globalization? In what areas is the
influence most visible and in what less?

·    How to “help” adolescents not to let themselves be influenced so much by globalization? How to
attract their attention to traditions and local culture values? Is it possible at all?

·    Why do you think some people jump so quick into the “wagon of globalization” and some people
so desperately seek for distinctness? Is it due to some personal trait?

·    What do you think, in our country, is it true that “in urban areas, globalization is more
evident” (in comparison to rural areas)? Do you know some evidence from your personal life that
globalization is not always welcome?

·    In your own opinion, what could be measurable effects of globalization for a given population?
If possible, try to find examples connected with adolescents´ life.

·    What do you think, are there still any differencies between rural areas and cities in Czech
republic in marriage age and age of ending education?

·    What do you think about the term marginalization? Do you think it is a common pattern in Czech
republic in youth culture?

·    In which way do trends of globalization influence relationships in families (for example in
China, or Japan)?

·    What are negative effects on human emotional life in connection with globalization?

·    In which way  can we stop spreading  of globalization?

·    How do people respond to influences of spreading western value system?

·    Why are worldwide companies focused on adolescents?

·    Do you think, that globalization destroys typical features of each culture? If yes, in which
way?

·    What are other ways of spreading globalization except from media?

·    The process of globalization influences also religious way of life. Why do you think that
people tend to join strict religious movements?



Fuligini, A. J., Hughes, D.L. & Way, N. (2009). Ethnicity and immigration. In Lerner, R. M. &
Steinberg, L. (Eds.) Handbook of adolescent psychology: Third edition (2) (pp. 527 - 569). John
Wiley and Sons

·      What are the main problems that immigrants and ethnic groups must deal with in the CR? What
organizations can help them in the CR?

·      Who is able to adapt to the conditions in a new country easier - boys or girls? Is a
language barrier the main problem?

·      Can children (newcomers or from other ethnic group) suffer from depressions when their
schoolmates refuse to accept them? Should the school try to solve it with those schoolmates or
mostly with parents?

·      Do you know somebody whose parents immigrated to the Czech Republic before or early after he
was born? Do you know about any difficulties he or she faces because of the conflicts of major
Czech culture and the original culture of his or her parents?

·      Did you have in your class (at primary, secondary or high school) somebody coming from
different culture? What was his position in the class? How did he feel there?

·      Can you think of a few of social or economical challenges which face ethnic-minority
families?

·      Do you believe, based on the paper by Fuligni, Hughes Fuligni, & Way, that friendships among
ethnic-minority adolescents differ in some aspects from friendships among majority youth? How? Can
you think of a few differences?

·      Academic difficulties among minority adolescents are quite common, therefore there are
explained by various theories, e.g. Ogbu´s theory of devaluation of academic effort and education.
What does research suggest about this theory?

·      According to you, what are the sources of ethnic variation in parenting style?

·      If children grow up in two cultures, it is possible to have really two identities? Or must
they choose or create new identity by their combination?

·      If it is creating own “combination”, is it possible, that it is made the process to get own
identity much more hard or even painful?

·      Which are reasons of different assimilation between Romanies and Vietnamese?

·      Do you think, that Vietnam community interdigitate Czech people better?

·      Can young Vietnamese be a ,, key,, for opening of their community?

·      What problems do adolescents of immigrant families have to face? How cant that be prevented?

·      According to some researchers (p.559), experiencing discrimination from peers of different
ethnic groups, can facilitate connection with peers of the same ethnic group. Do you think that
this process could work also in the opposite way? Could this experienced discrimination undermine
connection with own ethnic group? Could you imagine some concrete example when it will be
possible?




Schlegel, A. (2009). Cross - cultural issues in the study of adolescent development.  In Lerner,
R.M. & Steinberg, L. (Eds.) Handbook of adolescent psychology: Third edition (2) (pp. 570 - 589).
John Wiley and Sons

· Why the value of virginity in modern societies is receding into background and what causes it?

· What disadvantages or risks the cross-cultural or cross-national research can have?

· Many people say that children only sit at home today (PC games, internet, TV). They are not with
their friends outside. Do you agree with this opinion or do you have different experience?

· Czech parents and grandparents usually prepare dowry for young girls. Do you think that dowry is
an anachronism in Czech society? Or do you think that such an institution is constantly important
for newlyweds today?

· „The lack of interest by anthropologists in adolescence may have been due in part to assumptions
about adolescence. It was assumed by many that an adolescent stage is the social construct of
modern societies.“ Do you agree with this statement about adolescence (as a modern social
construct)?

· Adolescent all around the world have some similar features. But how did it look in the past when
adolescence was not a part of growing up? How look adolescence where children do not have chance to
have it (child soldiers, mothers in 12, 13 years, etc.)?

· It is written in the text that it is suitable for adolescents to have several adults at their
disposal (different from parents), they can ask for a help. It is more suitable the adults are
completely independent (teacher, careers master, psychologists) or if they are their relatives
(grandparents, aunts, uncles, more distant relatives)?

· Is it still appealing to some adolescents to attend clubs for different interests/hobby groups or
is it just leftover from earlier times (in Czech Republic or elsewhere)?

· Is it in Czech Republic valued to be a virgin among young adolescents? In what age girls and boys
start to live sexually in CZE?

· Do you think that beginning of adolescence in our culture is still somehow connected with first
menstruation and ejaculation? (“…we defined social adolescence as beginning at around first
menstruation and first ejaculation.”, p.575) Could you imagine some other signs of beginning social
adulthood than marriage in our culture?

· The author says: “As girls became more independent, boys and young men could direct their appeal
as suitors to the girls themselves, without as much regard for their parents as in earlier times.”
(p.576) Do you think that this development of events could have also some darker side?

· What do you think about importance of peer relations in adolescence in modern societies, are they
really less important than in traditional societies?

· Are there any differences between girls and boys in peer relations in adolescence? Do you think,
that these differences are also in Czech republic?

· What do you think about free time in adolescence? Did adolescents in traditional societies have
less free time than adolescents in present time?

· How do relations of adolescents with members of families change in course of development of
society?

·

· Parents are no longer models for American adolescents. Do you think that peers of adult mentors
could fully replace the traditional role of parents? Or the role of parents is irreplaceable?

· Does the globalization bring adolescents more freedom than it was in the past?

· Could apprenticeship systems introduce in Germany, Austria and Switzerland improve adolescents’
relationship to work?