Cross-Cultural Studies of Families: Hidden Differences

In family research, detecting differences between or among countries depends on the use of measurement that is comparable across countries and relevant within all countries. Measurement is affected by theory, by the level at which measurement is considered, e.g., word or construct; and by time it is necessary to have enough time for all researchers to have both a scholarly understanding of families and an experiential understanding of families in all countries included in a study. An equally important issue affecting the detection of differences is the strategy used to find similarities and differences. Our experience suggests that it is best to examine differences within countries and compare patterns of differences across countries. Using this strategy it is possible to detect subtle differences that can be lost in global tests of cross country differences. We illustrate this point with data from a study of families in the former Soviet Georgia, Poland, Russia, and the United States.