Western Front - 1969 May 27

              Cross-cultural research center set
Western has established a
center for cross-cultural research
in psychology, Dr. Robert
Meade, professor of psychology
and director of the center,
announced last week.
The goals of the center are
threefold, Meade said.
1. To initiate, co-ordinate and
c o n d u c t research on
psychological phenomena as
they are conditioned by cultural
or sub-cultural groups;
2. To train foreign and
American students, both
undergraduates and graduates
(including doctoral candidates),
in techniques in cross-cultural
problems;
3. To publish and collect
research and theoretical papers
generated in the psychological
anthropology area.
The center will concentrate
on studies of attitude, attitude
change and persuasion with
r e s p e c t to total world
p o p u l a t i o n control and
c o m p a r a t i v e studies of
leadership and motivation,
Meade said.
Meade said he hopes that the
center will promote basic
understanding and tolerance for
the values, aspirations and
behavior of people in cultures
other than American.
"Nearly all psychological
research conducted on humans is
done using American Caucasian
subjects," he said.
The center was conceived in
1965 when Meade first came to
Western, the director said.
Dr. Evelyn Mason, associate
professor of psychology, and
Meade arrived at similar
conclusions as a result of
separate research.
Dr. Mason's research showed
that Mexican-Americans are
underachievers although they
h a v e a higher social
responsibility, tolerance and
intellectual efficiency then
Whites and American Indians.
Meade has conducted studies
of the culture of two large Asian
countries—India and China.
Both Indians and Chinese
respond more adequately to
authoritarian leadership than
t h e y do to democratic
leadership, according to Meade.
This is diametrically opposed
to studies conducted with White
American subjects, he said.
The center was established in
January and Meade became
director last month.
The psychology department
has one course which studies
non-American cultures, Meade
said.
The Journal of Cross-Cultural
Psychology, a quarterly, will
feature original research articles.
Meade also proposed an
annual volume of theory and
critical review of developments
in cross-cultural research.
The review will be based in
yearly symposiums held at
Western, Meade said.
""western front
Vol. LXI no. 27 Western Washington State College Bellingham, Washington 98225 Tuesday, May 27, 1969 10c
Civil rights up to
President -Douglas
Western's latest controversial subject: the million-dollar, multi-level VU addition which opened
last Tuesday. photo by seiford
Criticism hits VU addition;
Karp promises corrections
Student reaction to the new
million-dollar Viking Union
addition has been mostly
unfavorable.
Complaints range from the
cafeteria-coffee shop looking
"too much like a noisy,
overcrowded Saga dining hall"
to the building being "built like
a well-reinforced bank."
Viking Union Director Chris
Karp said that he recognized the
new union addition's weaknesses
and that steps were being taken
to correct the problems.
First-day sightseers plastered
the cafeteria-coffee shop with
the worst criticism. Most
belly-ached about poor table
arrangements, a lack of busboys
and poor acoustics.
"We'll be adding more round
coffee tables instead of square
o n e s to improve the
now-crowded atmosphere,"
Karp said. "As for the acoustics,
we are looking for funds to
cover the floor which should
help."
Since more personnel are
needed in the cafeteria kitchen,
the busboy service had to b e
discontinued.
"We are asking students to
cooperate in cutting operating
costs," Karp explained. "If we
don't, we'll have to increase
food prices."
Other complaints about the
new union complex included a
lack of directional signs.
Opening day found hundreds of
students wandering in every
corner of the structure looking
for the coffee shop.
"We wanted students to get a
good look at their new
building," Karp said. "But we
will be adding a floor directory
as soon as we decide which
offices and tenants will be
occupying the various rooms."
Additional union facilities
include a barber shop, smoke
shop and bank on the main level
arcade.
The barber shop opened the
first day, followed by the smoke
shop, which is operating on a
temporary basis until furnishings
arrive this summer.
T h e N o r t h w e s t e rn
Commercial Bank branch office
is projected to open June 15.
The coffee den on the main
level was the subject of favorable
comment. Its opening last week
helped to keep the coffee-shop
crowds down.
A 24-hour coffee and food
automat will supplement service.
The job of the Supreme
Court in the area of civil rights is
done for the time being, William
0. Douglas, associate justice of
the U.S. Supreme Court, said
here last week.
Any new impetus in civil
rights will have to come from
the executive branch of our
government, Douglas told his
audience during a question and
answer period in the VU.
Many more people of our
nation are concerned with equal
education and job opportunities,
he said.
"I'm not going anywhere,"
Douglas said when asked about
future vacancies on the Supreme
Court.
The associate justice declined
to speculate on who the new
faces on the high court would
be.
Douglas was asked about the
possible defense of Dr. Benjamin
Spock who is appealing a
conviction for anti-draft activity,
but he refused to discuss the
case since it was still under
consideration.
He also answered questions
about freedom of speech and
obscenity.
Douglas related a story to his
audience about Oliver Wendell
Holmes Jr., associate justice of
the Supreme Court, 1902-1932.
As Holmes was coming out of
a burlesque theater, a reporter
asked him why a justice of the
Supreme Court would have been
in such a place.
"Young man, it's because I
have a dirty mind," Holmes
replied.
Douglas was invited to
Western by Fairhaven College.
Associate justice William O. Douglas ponders questions asked by a
s t u d e n t Photo by seubrd