PSYCH 307 Textbook 1: Chapters 1,2,3 Chapter 1: What is Cultural Psychology? · Psychological processes are shaped by experiences: different cultures have different experiences and thus differ in their psychology. · Universal or Culturally variable: Ways of thinking similar around the world or strikingly different. What is Culture? A Culture is any kind of information that is acquired from other members of ones species through social learning that is capable of affecting an individuals behaviours. A A particularly group of individuals who are existing within some kind of shared context and cultural ideas. A Global level: 'Western Culture" · What makes goops qualify for cultures is is that there members exist in a shared context, communicate with each other and share common practices and ideas. · Individual Variability: people in same culture belong to unique collection of mini cultures. · Psychological Processes vary by cultures: Humour preferences / morality Mind independent or intertwined with culture? A Richard Schweder assumes that mind operates under set of natural laws independent from content or context. (General psychology - People are same wherever they are: alphabets) A General psychologists: more captivated by human universality than cultural variability. Conceives if mind as CPU acting without context. Cultural variations do not exist as they merely provide variations in content outside CPU A Cultural psychologist: Humans as cultural beings have actions, thoughts and beliefs immersed in cultural info and thus info renders thoughts and actions as meaningful. Cultural meanings are thus entangled with mind operations. 1
A Brain shaped by culture: Cultural differences in analytical vs holistic reasoning: figure line task. Driving cabs leads to larger hippocampus and navigational skills. > Cultures cannot be separated from mind as culture and mind make each other up. Case study: Sambia Homosexuality: · Male initiation practice where they receive jerungdu masculine power though semen. Meaning of masculinity is derived from partial cultural experiences. Sexual motives are not universal and shaped by cultural practices. 2 Contrasting views of culture and psychology 1.) Psychological processes are essentially the same everywhere 2.) Psychological processes emerge differently across cultures > More abstract and specific practice is, the more evidence for universality Levels of Analysis (Determining universality) A Nonuniversals: If we find that particular cognitive tool does not exist in all cultures, this reflect absence of universality and is thus nonuniversal. > Nonuniverals are cultural inventions. Ex) Abacus and different numerical reasoning · Not cognitively available A Existential Universal: If psych phenomena is cognitively available but not used in same way across cultures. Topic exists in multiple cultures but not used equally or identically. > Motivations to succeed are in both west and east but exprecines with success and failure and impact on motivation is different. Asian use failure to improve. A Functional Universal: If psych topic is used for same reason across cultures but is more accessible to some cultures than others. > Ex) How willing is society to punish offenders differs by culture and thus costly punishment is not accessible to every culture