Social Psychology of Culture

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.

Chi-Yue Chiu, Ying-yi Hong

About the Authors. Preface. Chapter 1 What Is Culture? Culture in the News. The Concept of Culture in Historical Context. Categories of Culture. Definition of Culture. Organization of the Book. What is Social about Social Psychology of Culture? Chapter 2 Strategies for Describing Culture. Culture in the News ... and Fairy Tales. Describing Cultural Variations. The Global Approach. The Focal Approach. Summary and Conclusion. Chapter 3 Psychological Foundation of Human Culture. Culture in the News. Ape Cultures. Human Cultures. Cognitive Foundation of Human Cultures. Social Psychological Foundation of Human Culture. Nature, Culture, and Mind. Chapter 4 What is Culture For? Fact or Hoax? Biological and Cultural Evolution. What Does Culture Do for the Survival of the Species? What Does Culture Do for a Society? What Does Culture Do for the Individual? Conclusion . Chapter 5 Culture as Mental Habits: Shared Unintended Thoughts. Culture Travelers' Journal. Taxonomy of Knowledge. Interpretive Cautions. Mental Habits as Procedural Knowledge. The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis. Conclusion. Chapter 6 Culture, Self, and Others: Who Am I and Who Are They? Culture and Architecture. Person Representations. Representations of Other People. Representations of the Self . Representations of Groups. Conclusion. Chapter 7 Events and Norms: How Events Unfold and What We Should Do. Cultural Psychology in Public Bathrooms. Event Representations. Norm Representations. Conclusion. Chapter 8 Organization and Application of Cultural Knowledge. Cultural Icons. Organization of Cultural Knowledge: Is Culture a Coherent Meaning System? Multiple Determinants of Cultural Behavior. Relative Influence of Different Determinants. The Context of Cultural Knowledge. Conclusion. Chapter 9 Reproduction of Culture and Cultural Change. Cultural Change across the Globe. Media of Cultural Transmission. How are Shared Representations Constructed and Reproduced? Cultural Change. Conclusion. Chapter 10 Intercultural Contacts: Implications for Cultural Competence. The Rice Storm and the Butterfly Effect. Nature of Cultural Competence. Psychological Benefits of Intercultural Contacts. Psychological Costs of Intercultural Contacts. Conclusion. Chapter 11 Globalization and Multicultural Identities. Tsunami and Globalization. Migration and Globalization. Will Globalization Lead to Homogenization of Cultures? Globalization and Cultural Diversity. Migration and Management of Multicultural. Identities. Colonization and Identity Negotiation. Conclusion. Chapter 12 Scientific Study of Cultural Processes. Studying Culture in Coffee Shops. Beyond Description of Cultural Differences. Explaining Cultures. Psychic Unity and Cultural Relativity. What is Social about Social Psychology of Culture? References. Author Index . Subject Index