Is Mary Douglas's Grid/Group Analysis Useful for Cross-Cultural Research?

Cross-Cultural Research • Vol/Iss. 33(1) • Sage Publications • • Published In • Pages: 108-128 •
By Caulkins, D. Douglas

Hypothesis

Grid and group comprise separate dimensions of social organization.

Note

Some measures for "grid" are political authority, judicial authority, potential for increasing wealth, and potential for increasing power. Some measures for "group" are class stratification, caste stratification, and sovereign groups.

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Principal component factor analysisMostly SupportedUNKNOWNUNKNOWNUNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
Caste StratificationAssociationCastes
Class StratificationAssociationClasses
Judicial AuthorityAssociationJudicial Authority
Political AuthorityAssociationCommunity Heads, Districts, Government Institutions, Provinces
Sovereign GroupsAssociationKin Groups, Territorial Hierarchy
Potential for increasing wealthAssociationAccumulation Of Wealth
Potential for increasing powerAssociationStatus, Role, And Prestige

Related Hypotheses

Main AuthorHypothesis
Caulkins, D. DouglasLow "group" and low "grid" will be associated with economically productive social capital (indicated by high self-employment rates).
Stewart, Robert A. C.Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 4, "paternal authority", loaded highly and positively on household authority with father; high early aggression satisfaction potential; and patrilocal marital residence. Factor 4 loaded highly and negatively on desert grasses; matrilocal marital residence; Athabaskan linguistic affiliation; high anal socialization anxiety; modesty training six years or higher; and matrilineal kin group (58)
Caulkins, D. DouglasHigh integration into ethnic group (indicated by high "group") is associated with economically productive social capital (indicated by high self-employment rates).
March, James G."The range within which a group can manipulate the orientations of the individual members to behavior situations increases monotonically with increase in the autonomy of the group" (325)
Befu, Harumi". . . increasing political complexity at higher levels [will] entail more . . . delegation of authority and increased delegation of authority [will] be handled by creating new administrative levels within the village" (47)