I've been thinking a lot about the cultural profile of the DR to start me off in my planning a culturally sensitive program. Dutch cultural researcher Geert Hofstede identified five universally present dimensions of culture: power distance (PDI), collectivism vs. individualism (IDV), masculinity vs. femininity (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI), and short vs. long-term orientation (LTO) (data wasn't available for this dimension in the DR). (Of course, individuals reflect a melange of different cultures, so a country's scores in these dimensions only reveal dominant cultural trends in society.) Hofstede's website (geert-hofstede.com/) has a pretty cool tool that enables the visitor to compare countries in terms of his cultural dimensions.
Here's the Dominican Republic compared to the United States:
(Yes, I made a graph.) This data shows that both the DR and the USA are pretty similar in terms of being masculine cultures (assertive, competitive cultures with fairly rigid gender roles) that aren't too bothered by uncertainty (generally more accepting of unorthodox ideas and the unknown). However, the DR is far more collectivist and has a higher degree of power distance (accepting of hierarchy and the unequal distribution of power). Very good things to keep in mind. I'm really looking forward to learning more about the local culture of Bonao in particular to help me craft an appropriate program. This is going to be such a great learning experience! Exactly what I want to get out of my summer.
In other awesome news, I just finished getting caught up on vaccinations (hepatitis A, tetanus, and typhoid), and I'm now well-stocked with malaria pills.
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