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in a typology of four categories, each representing a particular spatio-temporal juncture in the cosmopolitan metanarrative. First, we have Cosmopolitan
Memories, a category comprised of narratives that consecrate episodes of the past as defining moments in the progress toward a more cosmopolitan
world. Among these, two historical moments stand out as privileged sites of cosmopolitan memory-making: the century-long struggle against slavery
and segregation in America, and the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II. The former category comprises films such as 12 Years a Slave (2013) and
Selma (2014); the latter, an endless array of WW2-epics including Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Inglourious Basterds (2009). Two
groups of narratives articulate cosmopolitan ideas in a contemporary setting. Under the heading Cosmopolitanism at Home narratives set in a multicultural
domestic context are investigated. The category comprises films about immigrant communities in Western countries such as La Haine (1995) and Gran
Torino (2008), but also a cycle of Indian films including Swades (2004) and Rang De Basanti (2006). Chronicling cosmopolitan encounters between travelers
and natives, the next category is labeled Cosmopolitanism Abroad. It includes a broad range of travel shows and films, notably Babel (2006) and Eat Pray
Love (2010). Lastly, under the rubric Cosmopolitan Futures, science fiction narratives including The Walking Dead (2010-), Man of Steel (2013), and Pacific
Rim (2013) are examined. In a way reminiscent of the thought of scholars like Ulrich Beck and David Held, these narratives envision a future apocalypse,
whether of Zombies or climate change, as setting the stage for a final confrontation between the cosmopolitan camp and its enemies. By imagining the past
as a sequence of heroic struggles against ethical particularism, the present as a series of intercultural encounters, and the future as a climactic battle of Good
against Evil, pop-cultural cosmopolitanism narrates not only these events, but also history itself. While the attempts of the world religions and Marxism to
give history the shape of a meaningful, coherent, and teleological narrative have become discredited in the present age of postmodern skepticism, cosmo‑
politanism discourse has filled the resulting void by providing a grand narrative suited to the needs of globalized society.
PP 560
The Relationship Between Cultural Individualism and Online Health Information Seeking in 27 European Countries
D. Reifegerste
1
, M. Bachl
2
, E. Baumann
3
1
Hanover University of Music- Drama and Media, Department of Journalism and Communication Research, Hannover, Germany
2
University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
3
Hanover University of Music- Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany
European countries have undergone radical discontinuities on political and solidaristic values, esp. the countries in post-socialist Europe, which is also
represented in highly diverse national health and social care systems. Therefore, in order to understand micro-level data (e.g., individual health-related
behaviors) from different countries, they need to be analyzed by taking into consideration macro-level information, as suggested by socio-ecological mod‑
els. Several studies indicate that differences between European countries in doctor-patient communication, health behaviors, and health outcomes are,
among others, determined by national differences in cultural values. While this also applies for general online information seeking behaviors, research
on health-related information seeking remains focused on the individual level neglecting country-specific contextual variables. The cultural dimension
individualism/collectivism of Hofstede’s framework describes the relative strength of identity with respect to group membership. Members of individualistic
cultures are socialized to rely predominantly on their independent self, whereas in collectivistic societies, group allegiance is stronger. Here, people tend
to rely more on authority figures and believe, that the group provides security to its members. A further discontinuity that might be associated with these
cultural differences refers to fundamental changes in media environment. Health-related information is exponentially provided online serving as an op‑
portunity for self-determined information seeking and increased patient empowerment in shared decision making. Seeking information about diseases,
medical treatment or second opinions after visiting the doctor constitutes an intentional behavior that expresses personal responsibility for health-related
questions. Consequently, we assumed that individuals in more individualistic societies would be – all else being equal –more likely to engage in health-re‑
lated online information seeking. Additionally, we were interested in the relevance of the individualistic/collectivistic culture beyond individual character‑
istics. Using a large-scale representative telephone survey on health-related online activities from 27 member states of the European Union (n = 26,065;
Cyprus is not classified in the individualism/collectivism dimension), our data comprised respondents with Internet access (n = 17,769; 68.2%) and was
combined with Hofstede’s base culture data. Bivariate analyses on the national-level aggregate data demonstrated that individualism corresponded with
health information seeking in online sources (r = .49, p = .010). A multi-level generalized linear model confirmed the well-known influences of individual
characteristics such as age, gender, education, and health status. In addition, the cultural dimension individualism explained 36 % of the variance between
the countries that was not accounted for by individual characteristics. Members of individualistic countries were more likely to seek for specific health
information on the Internet than individuals in collectivistic countries. Our findings imply that differences in solidaristic values in European countries have
an effect on health information seeking. Preferences might be additionally shaped by historical and modern policies and practices of the welfare system
(e.g., health care infrastructures or social insurances). Consequently, models of health information seeking in international comparative studies should
integrate cultural dimensions. We will also discuss these findings in the light of cross-national doctor-patient communication, culturally sensitive health
education and international information provision.