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Gustav Jahoda University of Strathclyde Ever since psychology emerged as a separate discipline about a century ago, there have been differing views as to what it is or ought to be. Some, like Ebbinghaus, saw it as a budding natural science, experimental and quantitative. Others, like Dilthey, regarded psychology in the main as a humane field of study, historical and interpretative in character. The dichotomy of "explaining" versus "understanding" has been a subject of debate ever since. Regrettably, most of the protagonists of these respec tive positions tend to view them as mutually exclusive, in spite of the fact that already Wundt had stressed that "hard" experimental and "soft" VOlkerpsychologie are both equally important. For the major part of the present century the field has been largely dominated by advocates of "hard-nosed" scientific approaches, typified first by Behaviorism and, latterly, cognitive psychology which concen trates on central processes involved in cognition. Without in any way wishing to denigrate the undoubted achievements of cognitive psycholo gy, it has its limitations that are epitomized by T. H. Huxley's dictum "The great end of life is not knowledge but action". This might well serve as the motto for the action theory of Ernest Boesch, who is one of several prominent psychologists out of harmony with the prevailing ethos. They travel under different banners such as "social constructivism", "ethogen ics" or "hermeneutics", but all share reservations about what many feel is the arid "scientism" of the mainstream.
The goal of cultural psychology is to explain the ways in which human cultural constructions -- for example, rituals, stereotypes, and meanings -- organize and direct human acting, feeling, and thinking in different social contexts. A rapidly growing, international field of scholarship, cultural psychology is ready for an interdisciplinary, primary resource. Linking psychology, anthropology, sociology, archaeology, and history, The Oxford Handbook of Culture and Psychology is the quintessential volume that unites the variable perspectives from these disciplines. Comprised of over fifty contributed chapters, this book provides a necessary, comprehensive overview of contemporary cultural psychology. Bridging psychological, sociological, and anthropological perspectives, one will find in this handbook: - A concise history of psychology that includes valuable resources for innovation in psychology in general and cultural psychology in particular - Interdisciplinary chapters including insights into cultural anthropology, cross-cultural psychology, culture and conceptions of the self, and semiotics and cultural connections - Close, conceptual links with contemporary biological sciences, especially developmental biology, and with other social sciences - A section detailing potential methodological innovations for cultural psychology By comparing cultures and the (often differing) human psychological functions occuring within them, The Oxford Handbook of Culture and Psychology is the ideal resource for making sense of complex and varied human phenomena.
Part of a set containing the contributions of authors from a variety of nations, cultures, traditions and perspectives, this volume offers an up-to-date assessment of theoretical developments and methodological issues in the rapidly-evolving area of cross-cultural psychology.
This book is a landmark in contemporary cultural psychology. Ernest Boesch’s synthesis of ideas is the first comprehensive theory of culture in psychology since Wilhelm Wundt’s Völkerpsychologie of the first decades of the twentieth century. Cultural psychology of today is an attempt to advance the program of research that was charted out by Wundt—yet at times we are carefully avoiding direct recognition of such continuity. While Wundt’s experimental psychology has been hailed as the root for contemporary scientific psychology, the other side of his contribution— ethnographic analysis of folk traditions and higher psychological functions— has been largely discredited as something disconnected from the scientific realm. As an example of “soft” science—lacking the “hardness” of experimentation—it has been considered to be an esoteric hobby of the founding father of contemporary psychology. Of course that focus is profoundly wrong—the opposition “soft” versus “hard” just does not fit as a metalevel organizer of any science. Yet the rhetoric discounting the descriptive side of Wundt’s psychology is merely an act of social guidance of what psychologists do—not a way of creating knowledge.
Gender and Culture in Psychology introduces new approaches to the psychological study of gender that bring together feminist psychology, socio-cultural psychology, discursive psychology and critical psychology. It presents research and theory that embed human action in social, cultural and interpersonal contexts. The book provides conceptual tools for thinking about gender, social categorization, human meaning-making, and culture. It also describes a family of interpretative research methods that focus on rich talk and everyday life. It provides a close-in view of how interpretative research proceeds. The latter part of the book showcases innovative projects that investigate topics of concern to feminist scholars and activists: young teens' encounters with heterosexual norms; women and men negotiating household duties and childcare; sexual coercion and violence in heterosexual encounters; the cultural politics of women's weight and eating concerns; psychiatric labelling of psychological suffering; and feminism in psychotherapy.
This book considers cultural psychology from historical, theoretical, and epistemological perspectives, building an understanding of cultural psychology as a human science and moving beyond the nature-culture dichotomy. The unique collection of chapters seeks to advance the field of cultural psychology by reviving its historical legacies and arguing for its social responsibility in future historical developments. It considers European legacies for cultural psychology as developed by leading figures such as Giambattista Vico, Wilhelm Wundt, Wilhelm Dilthey, and Ernst Cassirer in order to provide insights into a long tradition of thinking from a cultural psychology perspective. The book discusses historical pathways in the rise and repression of cultural psychology and its different historical forms, arguing for the necessity of decolonizing psychology, securing a place for culture in it, and developing an epistemology suited to humankind’s meaning-making processes in mutual shaping of psyche and culture. It provides an integrative and historical understanding of the subject and uses the diversity and heterogeneity within the field to offer critical reflections on its achievements. The thoroughly international group of contributors brings diverse analyses of self, body, emotions, culture, and society and considers the future of cultural psychology. The volume is a stimulating read for scholars and students of cultural and theoretical psychology and related areas including philosophy, anthropology, and history.
The goal of cultural psychology is to explain the ways in which human cultural constructions -- for example, rituals, stereotypes, and meanings -- organize and direct human acting, feeling, and thinking in different social contexts. A rapidly growing, international field of scholarship, cultural psychology is ready for an interdisciplinary, primary resource. Linking psychology, anthropology, sociology, archaeology, and history, The Oxford Handbook of Culture and Psychology is the quintessential volume that unites the variable perspectives from these disciplines. Comprised of over fifty contributed chapters, this book provides a necessary, comprehensive overview of contemporary cultural psychology. Bridging psychological, sociological, and anthropological perspectives, one will find in this handbook: - A concise history of psychology that includes valuable resources for innovation in psychology in general and cultural psychology in particular - Interdisciplinary chapters including insights into cultural anthropology, cross-cultural psychology, culture and conceptions of the self, and semiotics and cultural connections - Close, conceptual links with contemporary biological sciences, especially developmental biology, and with other social sciences - A section detailing potential methodological innovations for cultural psychology By comparing cultures and the (often differing) human psychological functions occuring within them, The Oxford Handbook of Culture and Psychology is the ideal resource for making sense of complex and varied human phenomena.
Brings together scholars in the social sciences from around the world, to address the question of how mind and culture are related through symbols
Now completely revised (over 90% new), this handbook offers the authoritative presentation of theories, methods, and applications in the dynamic field of cultural psychology. Leading scholars review state-of-the-art empirical research on how culture affects nearly every aspect of human functioning. The volume examines how topics fundamental to psychology--such as cognition, emotion, motivation, development, and mental health--are influenced by cultural meanings and practices. It also addresses the psychological and evolutionary underpinnings of cultural stability and change. The second edition reflects important advances in cultural neuroscience and an increasing emphasis on application, among many other changes. As a special bonus, purchasers of the second edition can download a supplemental e-book featuring several notable, highly cited chapters from the first edition. New to This Edition: *Most chapters are new, reflecting nearly a decade of theoretical and methodological developments. *Cutting-edge perspectives on culture and biology, including innovative neuroscientific and biopsychological research. *Section on economic behavior, with new topics including money, negotiation, consumer behavior, and innovation. *Section on the expansion of cultural approaches into religion, social class, subcultures, and race. *Reflects the growth of real-world applications in such areas as cultural learning and adjustment, health and well-being, and terrorism.
Now completely revised (over 90% new), this handbook offers the authoritative presentation of theories, methods, and applications in the dynamic field of cultural psychology. Leading scholars review state-of-the-art empirical research on how culture affects nearly every aspect of human functioning. The volume examines how topics fundamental to psychology--such as cognition, emotion, motivation, development, and mental health--are influenced by cultural meanings and practices. It also addresses the psychological and evolutionary underpinnings of cultural stability and change. The second edition reflects important advances in cultural neuroscience and an increasing emphasis on application, among many other changes. As a special bonus, purchasers of the second edition can download a supplemental e-book featuring several notable, highly cited chapters from the first edition. New to This Edition: *Most chapters are new, reflecting nearly a decade of theoretical and methodological developments. *Cutting-edge perspectives on culture and biology, including innovative neuroscientific and biopsychological research. *Section on economic behavior, with new topics including money, negotiation, consumer behavior, and innovation. *Section on the expansion of cultural approaches into religion, social class, subcultures, and race. *Reflects the growth of real-world applications in such areas as cultural learning and adjustment, health and well-being, and terrorism.