| Description |
A new way to compare societies across space and time will be developed. The method is based on the `Imitation Game’, which is related to the `Turing Test’. Non-members’ try convince a judge they are members of minority or excluded groups and vice-versa. Success over a series of repetitions indicates good cultural understanding of the `target’ group. The method could have shown, for example, the extent to which the black slave population of the US had to understand white society to survive, while white society had no need to understand the black population. The proportion of successful identifications over a series of tests is an inverse measure of the degree of understanding. The content of the questions and answers also indicate cultural features of the group and the society.
Initial tests in local conditions have held promise but the method must be refined and proved by producing a database of interesting cross-national and cross-regional comparisons. Is the method resilient enough to provide comparative measures across culturally diverse regions and, potentially, to measure changes over time? By making an initial comparison of European and other regions, which ought to be valuable in itself, it will be shown whether the method is fit to be used, like the Eurobarometer, for a longitudinal audit of change in societies.
The dimensions of comparison are gender relations, ethnic minorities, religion and sexuality. Regions to be compared are Scandinavia, Western Europe, Central Europe and Southern Europe with North and South America included during the final year barring contingencies. An unusual feature of the proposal is the casual employment of graduate students to run the research locally, giving rise to a trained cohort of potential users in a number of countries.
|