Global human–computer systems: cultural determinants of usability
Andy W. Smith, Fahri Yetim · Interacting with Computers · 2003
Not so long ago, the practical relevance of cultural issues was widely ignored - if not questioned - in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) related literature. Initially, the awareness of the importance of human aspects of computer systems shifted the attention of researchers from how computer systems work to how people use these systems in their work. However, the increasing use of such systems in different cultural contexts, and observations that different people think in different ways, put forth the issue of the degree to which the use of such systems is really a matter of culture. Meanwhile, the importance of cultural issues has been evident in many other applied disciplines. Studies have applied concepts of culture from sociology, social psychology, and anthropology. Nevertheless, there are controversies concerning the definition and the use of the concept of culture. When defining culture, researchers often refer to patterns of values, attitudes, and behaviours, which are shared by two or more people. They further point out that culture is socially acquired, and that relationships with other people, relationships with the environment, and assumptions in term of space and language (for example) affect and shape culture, and are themselves affected by the culture.