Culture and Human Development


Book Description

This major new textbook by Jaan Valsiner focuses on the interface between cultural psychology and developmental psychology. Intended for students from undergraduate level upwards, the book provides a wide-ranging overview of the cultural perspective on human development, with illustrations from pre-natal development to adulthood. A key feature is the broad coverage of theoretical and methodological issues which have relevance to this truly interdisciplinary field of enquiry encompassing developmental psychology, cultural anthropology and comparative sociology. The text is organized into five coherent parts: Part 1: Developmental theory and methodology; Part 2: Analysis of environments for human development Part 3:




Personality, Human Development, and Culture


Book Description

Volumes 1 and 2 of the Invited Lectures present the main contributions from the 29th International Congress of Psychology, held in Berlin in 2008.




Cultural Psychology


Book Description

The distinguished psychologist Michael Cole, known for his pioneering work in literacy, cognition, and human development, offers a multifaceted account of what cultural psychology is, what it has been, and what it can be. A rare synthesis of the theory and empirical work shaping the field, this book will become a major foundation for the emerging discipline.




Culture in Minds and Societies


Book Description

This book presents a new look at the relationship between people and society, produces a semiotic theory of cultural psychology and provides a dynamic treatment of culture in human lives.




Child and Adolescent Development in Cultural Context


Book Description

This book examines how culture affects several aspect of human development, such as cognition, emotion, sociolinguistics, peer relationships, family relationships.




Cultural Transmission


Book Description

Cultural Transmission covers psychological, developmental, social, and methodological research on how cultural information is socially transmitted from one generation to the next within families. Studying processes of cultural transmission may help analyze the continuity or change of cultures, including those that have to cope with migration or the collapse of a political system. An evolutionary perspective is elaborated in the first part of the book; the second takes a cross-cultural perspective by presenting international research on development and intergenerational relations in the family; the third provides intra-cultural analyses of mechanisms and methodological aspects of cultural transmission. Made up of contributions by experts in the field, this source book is intended for anyone with interests in cultural issues – especially researchers and teachers in disciplines such as psychology, social and behavioral sciences, and education – and for applied professionals in culture management and family counseling, as well as professionals dealing with migrants.




Culture and Psychological Development


Book Description

From infancy through to school age and beyond, most children are in constant contact with an array of social influences. Home life, education, community and the media all have some part to play in a child's development. In this absorbing book, the authors discuss the ways such diverse cultural settings impact on behaviour and how children are shaped by the world around them. They examine development from both a cultural and cross-cultural perspective, drawing on case studies, to illuminate theoretical insights. Students of both developmental and cultural psychology will find this to be the perfect starting point from which to investigate this fascinating topic further.




Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures


Book Description

What does Western science know about the relationship between individual well-being and cultural trends? What can learn from other cultural traditions? What do the recent advancements in positive psychology teach us on this issue, particularly the eudaimonic framework, which emphasizes the connections between personal well-being and social welfare? People grow and live in cultures that deeply influence their values, aspirations and behaviors. However, individuals in their turn play an active role in building their own goals, growth trajectories and social roles, at the same time influencing culture trends. This process, defined psychological selection, is related to the individual pursuit of well-being People preferentially select and cultivate in their lives activities, interests, and relationships associated with optimal experience, a state of deep engagement, concentration, and enjoyment. Several cross-cultural studies confirmed the positive and rewarding features of optimal experience. Based on these evidences, this book offers a new perspective in the study of human behavior. Highlighting the interplay between individual and cultural growth trajectories, it conveys a core message: educating people to enjoy engagement and involvement in activities that can be relevant and meaningful for social welfare is a premise to foster the harmonious development of human communities, and the peaceful cohabitation of cultures.




Cross-Cultural Psychology


Book Description

Third edition of leading textbook offering an advanced overview of all major perspectives of research in cross-cultural psychology.




Children and Adolescents


Book Description

An individual's understanding of himself must begin with an appreciation of his origin. Thus, the concern of modern man to understand his behavior has led to an investigation of the forces that influence human development. Investigation encompasses many academic subjects: genetics, biology, medicine, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, sociology, anthropology, history, and psychology. However, each of these subjects falls into one or both of two broad categories-the biological and the cultural. In short, all human behavior is determined by both the biological characteristics and the environmental characteristics of the culture. Underlying the solution to any of today's social problems is, of course, the need for a clearer understanding of human psychological development. Children and Adolescents is a unique book in its approach to developmental psychology. Successfully integrating both the biological and the cultural influences, which determine the behavior of a child, the book begins with a discussion of behavioral development in infancy and a description of the physiological foundation of such early behavior. Alexander traces the process of growth through middle childhood and adolescence. Concerned with the normal difficulties and problems that arise in childhood, he demonstrates --by means of actual case studies the importance of early motivation and cognitive processes, particularly the need for self-direction in all developing children, the process of individual change through varying kinds of experiences, and the relationship of the child to authority. Children and Adolescents provides vital and well-organized material for all courses in child behavior--whether taught in departments of psychology, education, or home economics. Professionals concerned with social problems and child development will discover a stimulating new approach to the process of psychological growth.