Emic perspective of intelligence in the Punjabi culture

Abstract

The present research pWIJOrfS to investigate fhe emic perJpeClive of illlelligence in the Punjab; culture 0/ PClkislan. It has adopted fhe emic rese(lrch Sirategy as llsed in cross-cullUral p.\ychology. Theji,-st step according 10 fhe emic research strategy for ifllelligence is 10 identify (he indigenous conception of construct in respective cll/lure. Accordingly, the present research was carried aliI in three phases 10 identify the emic perception of intelligence ifl the Punjab; cullure. Firsl phase of the study consists of two sleps. In .first step an anthropological interviews of IOj illiterate CII/Illral informants have been COlldllcted in the rural area of Pllly"ab. In Illis stage dtDerent words, statements and themes relev(lI1t 10 emic conception 0/ intelligence have been collected. In second step 30 common themes and statements related to emic conception of intelligence have been finalized by three independent judges. Second phase of the stl/dy purports to explore the behavioral manifestations o/these 30 themes lind statements. Again 105 rural cultur(d informants of Pllly'abi culture described Ihe operational aspect of these 30 themes. They gave statements, for each theme independently, which are representing the behavioral manifestation of these themes. In the third phase, accumulated results regarding ernic intelligence have been compared and contrasted with eUc criterion of intelligence measure of western clillUres. This comparison highlights an incidental advantage of the ell/ic strategy to develop respective indigenous concepts. Finally the emic per:,pective a/intelligence is identified. It is embedded in the Punjabi socia~cllltl/ral milieu, ;t is pluralistic and not Ifni/my, and manifests in local perspective. Ell/ic il1lelligence has social, ethical and affec:tive aspects. 1t is strongly related to the environment. In its content and constrllct, it is collectivistic and is 110t isolated and individualistic. It is remotely possible to assess the emic intelligence in a unitary measurable From.