Geert Hofstede (1980) presented an analysis of culture which identified a set of categories or dimensions that are useful in identifying cultural traits and in analyzing cultural differences. Hofstede (1980) proposed that cultures tend to be individualistic or collectivist, to require the maintenance of either high or low power distance between members of different status levels, to either embrace or avoid uncertainty, to have a long-term or a short-term orientation toward time and expectations, and to place a high value on putatively masculine or feminine traits.
Hofstede (1980) categorized a number of cultures on each of these dimensions, pointing out their similarities and differences and noting, for example, that many Western European countries and the United States share a number of key characteristics. For example, the United States and the Scandinavian countries tend to be relatively individualistic, tolerate high levels of uncertainty, and share similar attitudes toward the unimportance of maintaining power distance between individuals. Conversely, the Scandinavian countries possess a longer term time orientation which emphasizes a concern for thrift and limited expectations for quick returns on investments and to be more oriented toward feminine traits such as personal relationships, a concern for others, and a high quality of life (Hofstede, 1980).
These cultural constructs are particularly interesting when applied to mass media entertainment vehicles produced in different cultures. The purpose of this project is to compare and contrast versions of a reality television program called Survivor, a program that has appeared in various manifestations in Sweden, Great Britain, and the United States. The report will examine the nuances of culture attached to this program in these three settings.
Survivor is a reality television program that originated in Sweden and has been adopted in Great Britain and in the...