Social Psychology of Culture

“This superb account of the way culture and social psychology are interrelated uses a broad set of theoretical and applied perspectives. It is very much up-to-date, describing more recent experiments than even professional cultural psychologists are likely to know. Cultural psychology is a collaborative enterprise, and the inclusion of the biographies of the major researchers allows the reader to become, in a small way, a member of the team of researchers exploring the culture and social psychology link. Both professional psychologists and students will learn a great deal from it.” - Harry C. Triandis, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign“This is truly a unique book. Written in a manner that is engaging and accessible to a broad audience, Social Psychology of Culture effectively weaves together theory and concrete illustrations of cultural influences on thought and behavior. The result is a comprehensive review that simultaneously advances our understanding of culture, and of social psychology. Kudos to the authors for a remarkable piece of scholarship.” - Marilynn B. Brewer, Ohio State University“Though the basic orientation of this book is social psychological, the perspective fromwhich the authors view cultural phenomena is unusually broad and integrative. I recommend this book to any psychologist who seeks entrée to this fascinating and burgeoning area of theory and research.” - Robert M. Krauss, Columbia University“This volume provides comprehensive coverage of fundamental issues and applicationsin a balanced and extremely readable manner. A definite must for any course on the social psychology of culture.” - Gün R. Semin, Free University Amsterdam

• 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