The Social Psychology of Culture

Description

As the speed of globalization accelerates, world cultures are more closely connected to each other than ever before. But what exactly is culture? It seems to be involved in all psychological processes, but can its psychological consequences be studied scientifically? How can cultural differences be described without reifying culture and reinforcing cultural stereotypes? Culture and mind constitute each other, but how? Why do humans need culture? How did the evolution of the mind enable the development of human culture? How does participation in culture transform the mind, and how does the mind process and apply culture? How may culture become a resource for pursuing valued goals, and how does culture become part of the self? How do culture travelers navigate cultures and negotiate multiple cultural identities? The authors of this volume offer a refreshing theoretical perspective and organize seemingly disparate research evidence into a coherent body of psychological knowledge. With its accessible language and lively narrative, this volume engages its readers in an intellectual journey through the fascinating research literatures in psychology, anthropology, and the cognate disciplines. This book will make an ideal textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate courses on psychology and culture, cultural studies, cognitive anthropology, and intercultural communication.

"This superb account of the way culture and social psychology are interrelated uses a broad set of theoretical and applied perspectives. It is very much up-to-date, describing more recent experiments than even professional cultural psychologists are likely to know. Cultural psychology is a collaborative enterprise, and the inclusion of the biographies of the major researchers allows the reader to become, in a small way, a member of the team of researchers exploring the culture and social psychology link. Both professional psychologists and students will learn a great deal from it." - Harry C. Triandis, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign "This is truly a unique book. Written in a manner that is engaging and accessible to a broad audience, Social Psychology of Culture effectively weaves together theory and concrete illustrations of cultural influences on thought and behavior. The result is a comprehensive review that simultaneously advances our understanding of culture, and of social psychology. Kudos to the authors for a remarkable piece of scholarship." - Marilynn B. Brewer, Ohio State University "Though the basic orientation of this book is social psychological, the perspective from which the authors view cultural phenomena is unusually broad and integrative. I recommend this book to any psychologist who seeks entree to this fascinating and burgeoning area of theory and research." - Robert M. Krauss, Columbia University "This volume provides comprehensive coverage of fundamental issues and applications in a balanced and extremely readable manner. A definite must for any course on the social psychology of culture." - Gun R. Semin, Free University Amsterdam