A rule‐based analysis of cultural differences in social behaviour: Indonesia and Australia1

It is suggested that any two cultures may be described and compared in terms of a coherent system of rules and their underlying value themes that operate within each culture. The usefulness of the rule model is tested with respect to a representative Eastern (Indonesian) culture and a representative Western (Australian) culture. Three questionnaires were administered to a wide variety of respondents within the Jakarta and Sydney areas. The questionnaires tapped first, the respondents choice of action in a hypothetical situation, second, the respondents affective reaction to each alternative action choice, and third, the respondents relative endorsement of conflicting value statements. The results indicated very clear patterns. Each cultural sample presented an. internally consistent pattern of responses to the series of hypothetical situations. However, the patterns of responses of the two cultural samples were markedly different. The pattern of responses and their differences are explicable in terms of three basic (Indonesian) value‐orientation themes: general sociability , the subordination of the individual to the community , and the steady state .