When we speak of conformance or transformation in values, what are we labeling "values"?



In every conversation about cultural change—whether we’re lamenting the loss of tradition or celebrating progress—we use the word values as if it were self-evident. But from the perspective of cultural relativism, “values” are not universal truths; they are cultural constructs, shaped by the systems of meaning that give life coherence within a particular community.

To ask what we are labeling “values” is to ask: Whose values? Defined by what? Sustained by whom?

1. Values as Cultural Coordinates

Cultural relativism teaches that values are not fixed moral absolutes but coordinates within a cultural map—markers that help people navigate what is considered good, right, honorable, or desirable in their social world.

In one culture, individual autonomy may be the highest value; in another, communal harmony. In one, truth is prized as directness; in another, truth is tempered by compassion and context.

When we speak of “conformance,” we are describing alignment with those coordinates. When we speak of “transformation,” we are describing a shift in the map itself.

2. The Illusion of Universality

Modern societies often treat values as if they were transferable across borders—justice, freedom, equality, respect. Yet each of these words carries cultural inflections that change its meaning.

Freedom in a collectivist society may mean freedom within social responsibility. Freedom in an individualist society may mean freedom from social constraint.

To conform or transform, then, is not simply to adopt or reject a value—it is to reinterpret it through a different cultural lens.

3. Values as Living Practices

From a relativist standpoint, values are not static ideals but living practices. They are enacted daily through rituals, language, and relationships. A value exists not because it is written in a constitution or creed, but because it is performed—in how people greet elders, negotiate conflict, or express gratitude.

Transformation happens when those performances change. Conformance happens when they are reinforced.

The question is not whether a society holds certain values, but how those values are embodied and transmitted.

4. The Role of Power in Labeling “Values”

Cultural relativism also reminds us that labeling something a “value” is an act of power. Who decides which behaviors count as moral progress and which count as decline? Who defines what “respect,” “family,” or “success” mean?

Often, dominant groups universalize their own values and call them “human.” Minority or marginalized groups are then measured against those standards, their difference framed as deviation rather than diversity.

Transformation, in this sense, can be liberation—or assimilation—depending on who controls the narrative.

5. The Paradox of Conformance and Transformation

Conformance preserves identity. Transformation ensures survival. Cultures oscillate between the two, negotiating continuity and change.

From a relativist view, neither is inherently virtuous or corrupt. Each is a response to context—economic shifts, migration, technology, generational change.

The deeper question is not whether values should conform or transform, but how societies can remain self-reflective about what those values mean and whom they serve.

6. The Relativist Invitation

Cultural relativism does not ask us to abandon judgment; it asks us to locate judgment within context. It invites humility—the recognition that our own moral compass is culturally tuned.

When we speak of “values,” we are not naming eternal truths. We are naming the ways human beings make meaning together.

Conformance and transformation are not opposites; they are the twin movements of cultural life—the pulse of continuity and change that keeps societies alive.

image and some text AI-generated


post inspired by the article, "Transforming Values and Conforming Values of Arab and U.S. Leaders: An Exploratory Study in Cultural Relativism" (Mowafiq Alanazi and Betty Lou Leaver) in LREC in the Military (West Point Press)



Book Description

In today’s complex global security environment, military effectiveness depends not only on advanced technology and tactics but also on the ability to understand, communicate, and collaborate across cultures. This interdisciplinary volume examines the evolving role of language, regional expertise, and cultural competency (LREC) in U.S. military training, strategy, and leadership. Drawing on insights from both military and academic contributors, this collection offers a timely and authoritative overview of how LREC competencies support deterrence, interoperability, influence operations, and alliance-building for the warfighter.


Read more posts about foreign cultures HERE.

Read more posts about language learning HERE.

Read more posts about leadership HERE.

Read more military posts HERE.

Read more LREC posts HERE.




Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter: get inside information before others see it and access to additional book content
(recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, links to precerpts/excerpts, author advice, and more)

Check out recent issues.


 

   

MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
Check out our rankings -- and more -- HERE.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guest Post from Dr. Dennis Ortman: Words Matter

Image
  WORDS MATTER “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging symbol.” --I Corinthians 13: 1   My three brothers recently visited from afar. We spent a week together crammed into my small apartment. We exhausted ourselves talking about our lives and our favorite subjects--religion, psychology, and politics. I daily used up my quota of words. Many family and friends avoid talking about these subjects to avoid conflict. But we relish the give-and-take of debate. Coincidentally, the Republican National Convention was televised each night. We watched it diligently and exchanged views. Our convictions ranged across the political spectrum. So our conversations were animated, our disagreements passionate. However, at the end of the week, we learned something from each other and parted friends. Words matter. They have power. Our traditions attest to this fact. For example, God created the world with His word. He be...
Read more

Tuesday's Tip for Language Learning: Language Islands, A Shortcut to Language Fluency

Image
  If you've ever found yourself struggling mid-conversation in another language, desperately searching for words, translating in your head, and praying for a merciful topic change… you’re not alone. We've all been there. But today’s tip might just change the way you approach language learning — and save your dignity at the next international gathering. Let’s talk about language islands . What Are Language Islands? Back in the mid-1980s, Boris Shekhtman, a brilliant and wildly successful instructor at the Foreign Service Institute (and later the Specialized Language Training Center), coined the term “language islands.” His students — diplomats, international journalists, and world travelers — swore by his methods. And no wonder. A language island is a memorized chunk of speech — a little monologue, a practiced story, a polished opinion — that you know so well, you can say it without thinking. No mental translation. No stuttering. No panicked flailing for vocabulary. Just smooth...
Read more

A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: De-confusing Royalty Structure

Image
  Authors frequently confuse LIST and NET and, in this way, end up with contracts that pay lower royalties when they believe that they are getting a good deal. Often, they cannot negotiate in ways that benefit themselves because they do not understand this difference and its significance. Let's break this down. List refers to the retail price of the book. Payment on list means a percentage of the retail price of the book. If royalties are 8% of list (5-8% is typical), then on a $10 book, royalties would be 80 cents; if they are 10%, royalties are $1, on every book sold. Easy to calculate, easy to predict income, and always standardized, no surprises or overestimations. Net refers to what is leftover after expenses. Gross revenue gets adjusted by a number of expenses: printing costs, printer set-up fees, shipping costs, handling fees, distributor percentage of sales (typically, 40%-55% per book), distributors' initial and continuing catalogue listing costs (without which online ...
Read more