In contrast, in an indulgent society, people would place a priority on their sense of
freedom and personal enjoyment through leisure time and interaction with friends.
Consumption and spending would take precedence over fiscal restraint. These differ-
ences help explain why the Chinese are more tolerant of strict government control
than are people in the United States. Among the Chinese, increased economic
growth is currently a greater consideration than individual freedoms, which can
come after gaining financial security.Monumentalism Versus Flexumility
Minkov’s analysis of WVS data identified another cultural dimension that he
labeled “monumentalism versus flexumility.” He likened “monumentalism” to
monuments or statues, which are created to reflect pride in a person, event, or
thing, and once erected, are relatively unchangeable. Thus, monumentalism
describes cultures that exhibit individuals with a high level of self-pride along
with“unchangeable identities, strong values, unshakable beliefs, and avoidance of
personal duality and inconsistency.”^85 “Flexumility,”a combination of the words
“self-flexibility”and“humility,”is the polar opposite of monumentalism and char-
acterizes those cultures that typically exercise humility and situational flexibility,
and that easily adapt to changing conditions. Table 6.10 lists selected traits for this
dimension.
In the ranking of forty-three nations (Table 6.11), Middle East countries, where
religion is a central component of life, scored highest on the monumentalism scale,
followed by Latin American nations. At the scale’s lower end, indicating a flexumility
culture, were Northeast Asian and European countries. The United States ranked in
the upper middle of the scale, which reflects how Americans balance self-promotion
and humility. In the United States, individuals are often told,“You have to toot your
own horn,”meaning that some degree of self-promotion is required and expected.
The success of Facebook in the United States can be interpreted as an example of
the general acceptance of self-promotion. However, if the horn is tooted too loudly
or too often, a person risks being labeled a braggart or an egotist. Consider the poten-
tial for success or failure when a monumentalism interviewer asks a flexumility inter-
viewee to talk about personal achievements.TABLE 6.9 Selected Characteristics of Industrious and Indulgent Cultures
INDUSTRIOUS CULTURE INDULGENT CULTURE
Hardwork over leisure Leisure over hard work
Thrift important Thrift less important
Economic development most important Economic development less important
Not fully in control of life Mostly in control of life
Unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life Happiness and satisfaction with life
Political liberties less important Political liberties highly important
Strong governmental control Loose governmental control
Strong penalties for nonconformity to
societal normsWeak penalties for nonconformity to
societal norms
Source: Adapted from M. Minkov,Cultural Differences in a Globalized World(United Kingdom:
Emerald, 2011).232 CHAPTER 6•Cultural Values: Road Maps for Behavior
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