Abstract
A synthesis between reference group theory and structural analyses of social behavior is proposed, through a link between the concepts of role salience and role differentiation. This integration is then extended to provide a framework for some of the processes mediating individual differences in subjective culture, and some of the problems inherent in cross-cultural communication. The theoretical analysis is illustrated by an empirical study which compared religious role salience and/or differentiation in four cultural groups. The religious role was found to be more salient and less differentiated among Pakistani Moslems than among Javanese Moslems, Thai Buddhists, and Philippine Catholics.

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