Cultural Dimensions and Educational Values: A Thematic Analysis of Mozambican and US Parental Beliefs

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory (1991), as applied in the Culture Factor Group’s Country Comparison Tool highlights Mozambique’s collectivistic culture as less oriented towards success and achievement than the United States’ individualistic culture (The Culture Factor, n.d.). This is reflected in high dropout rates among primary school students in Mozambique and low literacy rates compared to the United States (U.S. Agency for International Development, n.d.). However, in 2008-2015, Mozambique experienced a trend of student population growth in the areas of social sciences, humanities, and social services (Miguel et al., 2022). Parental belief systems include factors such as parental involvement and cultural beliefs, and these factors impact children’s academic achievement (Spera et al., 2009). Through a qualitative analysis of interviews with Mozambican parents (n=9) and US parents (n=35), we examined differences in these populations in framing the importance of education based on the involvement in their children’s lives and their self-reported value of education. It was hypothesized that Mozambican parents value education from a perspective of cultural growth and improvement, while the US parents value education from an individualistic perspective focused on achievement and success. Indeed, when noting the importance of education, Mozambican parents described themes of societal development, breaking cycles of poverty, sacrifice, and collective responsibility, as seen in this quote, ‘when we educate our children…they know how to build their nation, their families, and their communities’. US parents were more likely to frame education as a pathway to personal growth and adaptability, and allow for alternative or non-formal pathways, as seen in the following quotes, ‘I don't necessarily have a formal construct of what does education have to be for them because they all have different journeys’, and ‘I'm allowing my son to figure out his own way. And if he wants to drop out and get a GED, I'm fine with that’. At the same time, the analysis of thematic language and parental involvement highlighted Mozambique’s shifting values towards educational achievement and the diverse perspectives that the US population attributes to success. References Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind: Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. The Culture Factor. (n.d.). Country comparison tool: Mozambique, United States. https://www.theculturefactor.com/countrycomparison-tool?countries=mozambique%2Cunited+states U.S. Agency for International Development. (n.d.). Education in Mozambique. USAID. https://www.usaid.gov/mozambique/education Miguel, L.L.A.J., Tambe, T.A.F. & da Costa, C.S. (2022). Examining expansion and trends in higher education in Mozambique, Africa. Higher Education, 83, 411–439. https://doi-org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/10.1007/s10734-020-00666-4 Spera, C., Wentzel, K. R., & Matto, H. C. (2009). Parental aspirations for their children’s educational attainment: Relations to ethnicity, parental education, children’s academic performance, and parental perceptions of school climate. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 38(8), 1140–1152. https://doi-org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/10.1007/s10964-008-9314-7