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Richard L. Lanigan
1.2. Sociocentric group culture
Table 1. Comparison of egocentric and sociocentric cultures
As illustrated in Table 1,
there is a direct contrast between
egocentric and sociocentric
cultures. The main
point to be made is that White
American culture is egocentric,
while the Navajo and
Spanish cultures are sociocentric.
The Navajo experience
involves the language and
practice contact of all three
cultural orientations. In Table
1, you need to simply substitute
the name “Navajo” for
“P. R. China” inasmuch as
both are examples of the sociocentric
orientation to interpersonal
encounter.
1.3. The culture of the Diné
As one may read in one of
the articles collected and edited
by Robert Winston and
Don Wilson “The Navajo
people are divided into 64
clans (k’éí), and members of
trace their descent through the
maternal line. Marriage between
fellow clan members is
forbidden” (2006: 361).
In 1973, the Japanese photographer
Kenji Kawano (1990)
came to the Navajo Nation to make a photographic record of willing code talkers
representing every clan. His book lists the names of each clan (in Navajo and
English) and contains biographical photographs of the living code talkers who