Location
University of Windsor
Related Website
http://www.queensu.ca/psychology/People/Emeritus-Retired/JohnBerry.html
Event Type
Keynote
Start Date
30-5-2013 9:00 AM
End Date
30-5-2013 10:45 AM
Description
The field of cross-cultural psychology examines the relationships between the cultural contexts in which individuals develop and now live, and the psychological characteristics they display. The field of intercultural psychology examines how individuals with different cultural backgrounds and psychological characteristic engage each other and adapt to each other when living in culturally-diverse societies. In both fields, the theoretical position of universalism is helpful. This approach considers that all human beings share the same fundamental psychological processes (such as perceiving, thinking). Cultural experiences shape these processes during the course of development into variable competencies (such as abilities, attitudes, and values). Cultural situations then promote (or constrain) the expression of these competencies as performances in appropriate settings. Without these basic similarities, there can be no possibility of comparing behaviours across cultures (a methodological issue); nor could there be any mutual understanding or mutual acceptance across cultural boundaries when persons of different background interact. These theoretical and methodological issues will be elaborated using findings from a large international study of immigrant youth. The application of such findings to promote immigrant wellbeing can only be ensured when they are based in sound theoretical and methodological foundations.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Theory and Method in Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Psychology
University of Windsor
The field of cross-cultural psychology examines the relationships between the cultural contexts in which individuals develop and now live, and the psychological characteristics they display. The field of intercultural psychology examines how individuals with different cultural backgrounds and psychological characteristic engage each other and adapt to each other when living in culturally-diverse societies. In both fields, the theoretical position of universalism is helpful. This approach considers that all human beings share the same fundamental psychological processes (such as perceiving, thinking). Cultural experiences shape these processes during the course of development into variable competencies (such as abilities, attitudes, and values). Cultural situations then promote (or constrain) the expression of these competencies as performances in appropriate settings. Without these basic similarities, there can be no possibility of comparing behaviours across cultures (a methodological issue); nor could there be any mutual understanding or mutual acceptance across cultural boundaries when persons of different background interact. These theoretical and methodological issues will be elaborated using findings from a large international study of immigrant youth. The application of such findings to promote immigrant wellbeing can only be ensured when they are based in sound theoretical and methodological foundations.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/arabyouthsymp/conference_presentations/presentations2/1