• We measured 13 hygiene norms in 56 societies. Hygiene varied across Most were stricter societies that value self-control higher. A few where more disease threat was perceived. This study sheds new light on how emerge. Three major theories could potentially explain why vary societies: tightness-looseness theory, and theory of a civilizing process driven by is valued. test these using data from...

Based on the experiences of Japan and Germany, Ikegami argues that middle-income countries should introduce public long-term care insurance (LTCi) at an early stage, before benefits have expanded as a result of ad hoc policy decisions to win popular support. The experience of the Netherlands, however, shows that an early introduction of public LTCi may not prevent, but ...

Collectivism is better than individualism as the former holds the community together more than the latter do. Paradoxically, individualists tend to believe that there are universal values that should be shared by all, while collectivists tend to accept that different groups have different values. Many of the Asian cultures are collectivist, while Anglo cultures tend to be individualist. This pa...