George A. De Vos - Böcker

Socialization for Achievement: Essays on the Cultural Psychology of the Japanese by George A. De Vos offers a sweeping interdisciplinary inquiry into the ways Japanese culture shapes individual motivation, achievement, and social conformity. Drawing on decades of research that integrates psychology, anthropology, and sociology, De Vos situates Japanese patterns of socialization within a broader theoretical framework for understanding human development. The essays in this collection probe how cultural traditions, child-rearing practices, and enduring familial obligations cultivate deeply internalized needs for accomplishment and self-justification. From analyses of normative role behavior in rural villages to examinations of guilt, arranged marriage, and women’s roles, De Vos demonstrates how the dynamics of obligation and endurance anchor Japanese society even amid rapid modernization. His comparative use of psychological testing—including Rorschach and Thematic Apperception protocols—underscores the persistence of cultural continuities in shaping motivation and social identity across generations and settings.In its later sections, the volume turns from sanctioned achievement to the darker terrain of deviance, delinquency, and alienation, illustrating how Japan’s strong culture of obligation also produces patterned forms of failure and marginalization. Essays on youth delinquency, gang organization, the Burakumin minority, and suicide trace the interplay between cultural traditions, rapid social change, and the pressures of conformity. Particularly compelling are the accounts of “role narcissism” and the ways in which internalized guilt, rather than shame, drives much Japanese behavior. De Vos argues that Japanese society exemplifies a distinctive form of “socialization for achievement,” wherein continuity of cultural psychology tempers institutional transformation, resulting in both extraordinary economic growth and persistent psychological strain. By combining psychoanalytic perspectives with sociological theory, this landmark collection not only illuminates Japan but also advances a general theory of how cultural traditions mediate socialization, achievement, and deviance in human societies.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.

Heritage of Endurance: Family Patterns and Delinquency Formation in Urban Japan delves into the complex interplay of family dynamics, cultural traditions, and societal influences in shaping delinquent behavior among urban youth in Japan. Centered on Arakawa Ward in Tokyo during the 1960s, this insightful study combines psychocultural and sociological perspectives to uncover how family interactions and community structures contribute to the genesis of deviant attitudes. The research focuses on fifty families, providing detailed analyses of how specific patterns in family life influence some children toward delinquency while others remain unaffected. Rich in life-history materials, the book highlights the unique artisan and merchant traditions of Arakawa, where deeply ingrained social ideals and entrepreneurial values foster a strong sense of belonging and resilience within the community.The book goes beyond the surface to explore Japan’s low delinquency rates in the broader context of its cultural continuity and social cohesion. It offers a nuanced understanding of how attitudes toward work, achievement, and technological competence are passed down through generations, creating a stabilizing effect on societal behavior. By juxtaposing Japanese and American approaches to delinquency, the authors reveal the enduring impact of Japan’s "heritage of endurance," emphasizing how community cohesiveness and family traditions act as protective factors. With its blend of in-depth analysis and cultural insight, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for understanding the intricate relationship between family, culture, and deviance in a rapidly modernizing society.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1984.

Symbolic Analysis Cross-Culturally: The Rorschach Test by George A. De Vos and L. Bryce Boyer explores how universal psychobiological processes intersect with the shaping power of culture to produce distinctive modes of perception, thought, and affective regulation. Grounded in the assumption that humans share a common mental apparatus, the authors emphasize how culturally normative child-rearing and socialization practices channelize drives and structure emotional and cognitive development. These differences in early experiences, they argue, manifest symbolically in language, behavior, and interpretive styles, offering scholars a pathway to link psychological universals with cultural variation.At the heart of the book is a bold methodological claim: the Rorschach test, long established as a projective instrument in clinical settings, can serve as a cross-cultural tool for investigating modalities of thought and affective control. By analyzing verbal responses to inkblot stimuli across societies, De Vos and Boyer demonstrate how projective testing can illuminate cultural patterning in cognition and emotion while remaining anchored in universal psychological processes. Their work positions the Rorschach not simply as a diagnostic device but as a comparative research method, opening possibilities for advances in social psychiatry, psychological anthropology, and developmental psychology. This volume will appeal to scholars seeking to bridge individual psychology and cultural systems through rigorous and innovative analysis.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989.

Socialization for Achievement: Essays on the Cultural Psychology of the Japanese by George A. De Vos offers a sweeping interdisciplinary inquiry into the ways Japanese culture shapes individual motivation, achievement, and social conformity. Drawing on decades of research that integrates psychology, anthropology, and sociology, De Vos situates Japanese patterns of socialization within a broader theoretical framework for understanding human development. The essays in this collection probe how cultural traditions, child-rearing practices, and enduring familial obligations cultivate deeply internalized needs for accomplishment and self-justification. From analyses of normative role behavior in rural villages to examinations of guilt, arranged marriage, and women’s roles, De Vos demonstrates how the dynamics of obligation and endurance anchor Japanese society even amid rapid modernization. His comparative use of psychological testing—including Rorschach and Thematic Apperception protocols—underscores the persistence of cultural continuities in shaping motivation and social identity across generations and settings.In its later sections, the volume turns from sanctioned achievement to the darker terrain of deviance, delinquency, and alienation, illustrating how Japan’s strong culture of obligation also produces patterned forms of failure and marginalization. Essays on youth delinquency, gang organization, the Burakumin minority, and suicide trace the interplay between cultural traditions, rapid social change, and the pressures of conformity. Particularly compelling are the accounts of “role narcissism” and the ways in which internalized guilt, rather than shame, drives much Japanese behavior. De Vos argues that Japanese society exemplifies a distinctive form of “socialization for achievement,” wherein continuity of cultural psychology tempers institutional transformation, resulting in both extraordinary economic growth and persistent psychological strain. By combining psychoanalytic perspectives with sociological theory, this landmark collection not only illuminates Japan but also advances a general theory of how cultural traditions mediate socialization, achievement, and deviance in human societies.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.

Heritage of Endurance: Family Patterns and Delinquency Formation in Urban Japan delves into the complex interplay of family dynamics, cultural traditions, and societal influences in shaping delinquent behavior among urban youth in Japan. Centered on Arakawa Ward in Tokyo during the 1960s, this insightful study combines psychocultural and sociological perspectives to uncover how family interactions and community structures contribute to the genesis of deviant attitudes. The research focuses on fifty families, providing detailed analyses of how specific patterns in family life influence some children toward delinquency while others remain unaffected. Rich in life-history materials, the book highlights the unique artisan and merchant traditions of Arakawa, where deeply ingrained social ideals and entrepreneurial values foster a strong sense of belonging and resilience within the community.The book goes beyond the surface to explore Japan’s low delinquency rates in the broader context of its cultural continuity and social cohesion. It offers a nuanced understanding of how attitudes toward work, achievement, and technological competence are passed down through generations, creating a stabilizing effect on societal behavior. By juxtaposing Japanese and American approaches to delinquency, the authors reveal the enduring impact of Japan’s "heritage of endurance," emphasizing how community cohesiveness and family traditions act as protective factors. With its blend of in-depth analysis and cultural insight, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for understanding the intricate relationship between family, culture, and deviance in a rapidly modernizing society.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1984.

Symbolic Analysis Cross-Culturally: The Rorschach Test by George A. De Vos and L. Bryce Boyer explores how universal psychobiological processes intersect with the shaping power of culture to produce distinctive modes of perception, thought, and affective regulation. Grounded in the assumption that humans share a common mental apparatus, the authors emphasize how culturally normative child-rearing and socialization practices channelize drives and structure emotional and cognitive development. These differences in early experiences, they argue, manifest symbolically in language, behavior, and interpretive styles, offering scholars a pathway to link psychological universals with cultural variation.At the heart of the book is a bold methodological claim: the Rorschach test, long established as a projective instrument in clinical settings, can serve as a cross-cultural tool for investigating modalities of thought and affective control. By analyzing verbal responses to inkblot stimuli across societies, De Vos and Boyer demonstrate how projective testing can illuminate cultural patterning in cognition and emotion while remaining anchored in universal psychological processes. Their work positions the Rorschach not simply as a diagnostic device but as a comparative research method, opening possibilities for advances in social psychiatry, psychological anthropology, and developmental psychology. This volume will appeal to scholars seeking to bridge individual psychology and cultural systems through rigorous and innovative analysis.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989.

In this thoroughly revised fourth edition, with ten new chapters, the editors provide thought-provoking discussions on the importance of ethnicity in different cultural and social contexts. The authors focus especially on changing ethnic and national identities, on migration and ethnic minorities, on ethnic ascription versus self-definitions, and on shifting ethnic identities and political control. The international group of scholars examines ethnic identities, conflicts and accommodations around the globe, in Africa (including Zaire and South Africa), Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, the United States, Thailand, and the former Yugoslavia. It will serve as an excellent text for courses in race & ethnic relations, and anthropology and ethnic studies.