Cultural Psychology: A Perspective on Psychological Functioning and Social Reform

ISBN-13: 9780805854770 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 268 str.

Carl M. Ratner

Opis

This book aims to help resolve two urgent needs of our era: the need to develop a scientific comprehension of human psychology, and the need to reform society in order to solve pressing social ills. Author Carl Ratner seeks to explain how broad cultural factors, such as social institutions, cultural artifacts, and cultural concepts, are central to psychological functioning. Written in a straightforward and jargon-free style, this book outlines a qualitative methodology for investigating the psychology of individuals. The objective is to explain how cultural elements shape the minds of individuals and demonstrate how individuals can utilize the theory presented to understand how they are influenced by cultural factors. In addition, this book contributes to multicultural understanding and communication. It sensitizes us to the ways that psychological phenomena are organized differently in different ethnic groups, helps us understand psychological differences, which lead to different behaviors, and enables us to communicate more effectively by taking psychological differences into consideration.

Spis treści

Contents: Preface. Part I: Psychology, Culture, Politics, Science. Introduction to Macro Cultural Psychology. Macro Culture. Part II: Principles of Macro Cultural Psychology. The Dialectical Integration of Psychological Phenomena and Macro Cultural Factors. Part III: Applications of Macro Cultural Psychology to Research Methodology, Social Reform, and Personal Growth. Research Methodology for Macro Cultural Psychology. Macro Cultural Psychology, Social Reform, and Psychological Change. Macro Cultural Psychology and Personal Growth. Scientific and Political Deficiencies of Psychological Theories/Constructs That Minimize Macro Culture. Epilogue: A Philosophy of Science and a Social Philosophy for Macro Cultural Psychology.

O autorze

Authored by Ratner, Carl