ArsTechnica: A happy history makes for a relaxed nation

Kate Shaw in an article in ArsTechnica today summarises the findings of a recent report into what we might describe as "civilisational differences"—basically, how history affects a nation's or a region's culture:

Why is it against the law to sell chewing gum or to not flush a toilet in Singapore, but completely legal to smoke pot in the Netherlands? Anthropologists have developed a spectrum, called the tightness-looseness scale, to explain this kind of cultural variation. "Tight" countries have strong social norms, don’t tolerate much deviant behavior, and enforce strict rules and conventions. Meanwhile, "loose" nations have weaker social norms and are more permissive.

But what actually determines the type of culture that nations have? A study published in Science last week finds that where a nation falls on the tightness-looseness spectrum has much to do with its ecological, historical, and societal threats.

The authors surveyed nearly 7000 people from 33 counties to determine the tightness or looseness of each nation. Respondents were asked to respond numerically to several questions, such as "In this country, if someone acts in an inappropriate way, others will strongly disapprove."  They were also asked to rate how appropriate certain behaviors (such as kissing, crying, and singing) are in various situations (like in a park, at a party, and in the workplace) in their country. The answers were used to determine how strong social norms and social constraints are in each country.

All the answers were then combined into a single tightness score for each country; the higher the score, the tighter the country. The highest-scoring countries included Pakistan, Singapore, and Malaysia, while some of the loosest nations were Brazil, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.

The researchers then compared these scores with various aspects of the nations' ecology and history. Tighter nations tend to have higher population densities—along with faster-growing populations—than loose nations do. They also have fewer natural resources, smaller food supplies, less access to safe water, and poorer air quality. They tend to be hit with more natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and have higher incidences of pathogens and communicable diseases. Territorial challenges are also more common in tight nations than loose ones.

It seems that these historical and ecological factors may play a large role in determining how tight or loose a nation is. The social norms, practices, and institutions that develop over time in each country are most likely a result of this greater context, allowing the country to function in its own particular set of circumstances.

Ukraine and some other former Soviet nations were found to be among the loosest countries.  The authors suggest that this may be a type of "pendulum" effect: since emerging from the communist era, these nations have made an about-face and now have relatively few rules and very loose social norms.

In this era of globalization, it makes sense to understand how countries develop and how cultures evolve. To some people, Singapore’s ban on gum may seem a bit over the top, but in an extremely densely populated country where waste is a huge concern, strict laws may make a bit more sense. While other nations' societal norms may seem bizarre, immoral, or dysfunctional to us, it’s worth looking at the bigger picture to understand what might have brought those norms about.

Obama: Now is time for US and West to lead

BBC News reports on the content of US President Barack Obama's speech today to UK parliamentarians in Westminster Hall, revealing that the President appears to have been reading our exam syllabus (!):

In his speech, Mr Obama... :

• Acknowledged differences in the US and UK approach to deficit reduction but said their end goal was the same
• Insisted the allies were preparing to "turn a corner" in Afghanistan - allowing Afghans to take the lead against the Taliban and stopping the country from becoming a haven for terrorists
• Warned North Korea and Iran against flouting their obligations on nuclear weapons
• Vowed to worked for a resolution to long-running conflicts like that in Sudan, and in supporting a "secure Israel and a sovereign Palestine"
• Defended action in Libya - saying the intervention had "stopped a massacre"

The report also outlines the setting and summary of the President's historic speech:

President Obama has told British politicians that, despite the rise of new global powers, the time for US and European leadership "is now".

He said the influence of the US, UK and allies would remain "indispensable," in a speech in Parliament on the second day of his UK state visit.

But he said that leadership would need to "change with the times" to reflect economic and security challenges.

He is the first US president to address MPs and peers in Westminster Hall.

Rows of the UK's most senior politicians and other prominent figures lined the historic building to hear the US president talk about the history of the UK's relationship with the United States and its shared values - and outline some of the future challenges facing the world.

Former British prime ministers Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown sat next to each other in the packed hall - the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament - which fell silent as the US president began his 35-minute speech.

As he began, Mr Obama joked that with an "especially active press corps", the relationship between the UK and US was forever being "over analysed".

But he added: "There are few nations that stand firmer, speak louder and fight harder to defend democratic values around the world than the United States and the United Kingdom."

 The Guardian, like most other newspapers, also covered the speech—and included a convenient video summary:

Location, location and how the West was won

Ian Morris, Stanford University professor and author of a recent book entitled Why the West Rules - For Now: The Patterns of History, and What they Reveal About the Future has placed a summary of his findings in the BBC News Magazine:

full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11721671

On his current visit to Beijing, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said China will soon reclaim its position as the world's biggest economy - a role it has held for 18 of the past 20 centuries. But how did the US, Britain and the rest of Europe interrupt this reign of supremacy? It comes down to location.

Morris combines a close examination of developing economic realities with a large dose of geographical determinism to explain the world we live in—and the world we may yet live in!