Intercultural differences in imagining future selves between Ugandan and Slovenian adolescents

Alja Pehar, Maruša Grešak

 Full article (pdf)  |   Written in Slovene  |  Published: 23. december 2019 |  Reads: 342

Abstract

One of the most important features of imagination is an orientation towards the future, which also encompasses imagining one‘s personal future. Extent and content of possible alternative personal futures are influenced by cultural context and prevalent expectations, norms and values in the society. With this research, we aimed to assess whether and in what way imagining personal future differs between adolescents from suburb Slovenia and rural Uganda. We presumed there will be considerable differences in heterogeneity/homogeneity of imagining future selves due to cultural diversity. Drawings from 65 participants from Slovenia (27 females) and 42 participants from Uganda (20 females) were included in content (drawings) analysis. Participants from Slovenia were 11 to 14 years old, and participants from Uganda were 10 to 16 years old. Participants were instructed to draw who they want to be when they grow up. We classified the drawings and complementary descriptions into four categories, i.e. (1) content orientation, (2) occupations, (3) categories of occupations, and (4) gender stereotypicality). Our results showed that Ugandan and Slovene adolescents differ regarding heterogeneity/homogeneity of imagining future selves. Female and male participants in both countries depicted predominantly gender-stereotypical occupations. We concluded that culture is an important frame for imagining personal future. We observed distinct differences in a variety of depicted future selves’ alternatives between cultures. This might be correlated with cultural differences in terms of available resources, society expectations and information access.

Keywords

occupational aspirations, intercultural differences, imagining personal future, drawing

Cite

Pehar, A. & Grešak, M. (2019). Medkulturne razlike v predstavljanju lastne prihodnosti slovenskih in ugandskih mladostnikov [Intercultural differences in imagining future selves between Ugandan and Slovenian adolescents]. Eksperimentator, 3, 17–27.