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.

This unique text covers the core research methods and the philosophical assumptions that underlie various strategies, designs, and methodologies used when researching cultural issues. It teaches readers why and for what purpose one conducts research on cultural issues so as to give them a better sense of the thinking that should happen before they go out and collect data. More than a "methods text", it is about all the steps that go into doing cross-cultural research. It discusses how to select the most appropriate methods for data analysis and which approach to use, and details quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods for experimental lab studies and ethnographic field work.

Bringing together leading authorities, this definitive handbook provides a comprehensive review of the field of cultural psychology. Major theoretical perspectives are explained, and methodological issues and challenges are discussed. The volume examines how topics fundamental to psychology?identity and social relations, the self, cognition, emotion and motivation, and development?are influenced by cultural meanings and practices. It also presents cutting-edge work on the psychological and evolutionary underpinnings of cultural stability and change. In all, more than 60 contributors have written over 30 chapters covering such diverse areas as food, love, religion, intelligence, language, attachment, narratives, and work.

Cross-cultural psychology has come of age as a scientific discipline, but how has it developed? The field has moved from exploratory studies, in which researchers were mainly interested in finding differences in psychological functioning without any clear expectation, to detailed hypothesis tests of theories of cross-cultural differences. This book takes stock of the large number of empirical studies conducted over the last decades to evaluate the current state of the field. Specialists from various domains provide an overview of their area, linking it to the fundamental questions of cross-cultural psychology such as how individuals and their cultures are linked, how the link evolves during development, and what the methodological challenges of the field are. This book will appeal to academic researchers and post-graduates interested in cross-cultural research.

Human psychology is deeply rooted in the culture in which people live. Introduction to Computational Cultural Psychology introduces a revolutionary approach for studying cultural psychology. Drawing on novel computational tools and in-depth case studies, Professor Yair Neuman offers thought-provoking answers to questions such as: how are thought and language deeply related? How can computers help us to understand different cultures? How can computers assist military intelligence in identifying vengeful intentions? And how is our concept of 'love' rooted in our basic embodied experience? Written by a leading interdisciplinary researcher this book is a 'tour-de-force' which will be of interest to a variety of researchers, students and practitioners in psychology as well as an interdisciplinary audience with an interest in the intricate web weaved between the human psyche and its cultural context.

This innovative textbook is the ideal introduction to cultural psychology. It focuses on a holistic approach, which emphasizes that culture is created and shared by minds and society. Organized around short core concept chapters, the book encourages students to think critically about culture and the theories around it. Chapters explore what cultural psychology is and its forms of knowing, how cultural psychology can be used to understand higher psychological functions, and the human psyche as a whole. Each chapter contains definitions of key concepts, real-world examples from everyday human activities, reflection questions, short biographies of key figures relevant to cultural psychology, and chapter summaries. There are also links to video interviews from leading international scholars which provide critical reflections on core concepts in cultural psychology. This is the essential introductory book for students of cultural psychology, as well as cultural studies and anthropology. It will be useful for anyone looking to learn more about the history of ideas, the human mind, and its historical and material relationship with culture.

Does our cultural background influence the way we think and feel about ourselves and others? Does our culture affect how we choose our partners, how we define intelligence and abnormality and how we bring up our children? Psychologists have long pondered the relationship between culture and a range of psychological attributes. Cultural Issues In Psychology is an all round student guide to the key studies, theories and controversies which seek to explore human behaviour in a global context. The book explores key controversies in global psychology, such as: Culture: what does it mean and how has it been researched? Relativism and universalism: are they compatible approaches in global research? Ethnocentrism: is psychological research dominated by a few regions of the world? Indigenous psychologies: what are the diverse research traditions from around the world? Research methods and perspectives: how can we compare and contrast cross-cultural psychology and cultural psychology? The book also includes detailed examinations of global research into mainstream areas of psychology, such as social, cognitive and developmental psychology, as well as abnormal psychology. With insightful classroom activities and helpful pedagogical features, this detailed, yet accessibly written book gives introductory-level psychology students access to a concise review of key research, issues, controversies and diverse approaches in the area of culture and psychology.

Basically, cultural processes consist of the interbehavior of developing organisms with the many institutions that mark a particular community or civilisation. This book deals with the processes whereby human organisms develop their cultural traits as part of their general psychological personalities.

This book fills an important gap in understanding the psychological impact of colonization on Indigenous Australians. Using cultural competence as a theoretical framework, it starts with an exploration of the nature of culture and worldviews which permeates and integrates the book. It provides a convincing explanation of how colonization has affected Indigenous Australians, the role of psychology in this process, and ways forward to redress Indigenous disadvantage. A key emphasis is on ‘doing our own work', the essential role of critical reflection in trans-cultural communication.