Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Introduction
- PART 1 Setting the stage
- PART 2 Explanation of cross-cultural differences
- PART 3 Methods for studying culture
- PART 4 The role of development
- PART 5 Concepts of culture
- 16 Cross-cultural differences as meaning systems
- 17 Ulysses returns: lessons from the logbook of a cross-cultural wayfarer
- 18 Values: cultural and individual
- 19 The cultural contexts of organisational behaviour
- 20 Rethinking culture and the self: some basic principles and their implications
- PART 6 Conclusion
- Index
- References
20 - Rethinking culture and the self: some basic principles and their implications
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Introduction
- PART 1 Setting the stage
- PART 2 Explanation of cross-cultural differences
- PART 3 Methods for studying culture
- PART 4 The role of development
- PART 5 Concepts of culture
- 16 Cross-cultural differences as meaning systems
- 17 Ulysses returns: lessons from the logbook of a cross-cultural wayfarer
- 18 Values: cultural and individual
- 19 The cultural contexts of organisational behaviour
- 20 Rethinking culture and the self: some basic principles and their implications
- PART 6 Conclusion
- Index
- References
Summary
Culture and the self is one of the most widely researched topics in cross-cultural and cultural psychology. Based on the assumption that there are marked differences in the conception of the self in Eastern and Western cultures (Markus and Kitayama, 1991), research has examined and uncovered many East–West differences in basic self processes (Chiu and Hong, 2006, 2007; Lehman, Chiu and Schaller, 2004). These discoveries have led some investigators to conclude that self processes are culture-dependent (Heine et al., 1999). In response to this claim and to defend the universal nature of basic self processes, some investigators (Sedikides, Gaertner and Toguchi, 2003; Sedikides, Gaertner and Vevea, 2005, 2007) have initiated a dialogue on whether cultures differ only in the expressions of the same (universal) self processes.
This debate over whether culture leaves deep imprint on self processes is particularly germane to two fundamental questions in cross-cultural psychology. First, what is the relationship between culture and the individual? Does culture shape how individuals conceptualise their ontological existence and essences? Second, how deep are cross-cultural differences in psychological functioning? Do individuals fully internalise cultural norms? When individuals display culturally appropriate behaviours, are they just being themselves, or do they feel pressurised to conform to normative expectations?
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Fundamental Questions in Cross-Cultural Psychology , pp. 518 - 542Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
References
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