In fact, I have been thinking of writing about the psychology of culture and the study in going out and seeing what people think and think with different cultures, for example, to investigate whether violent cultures and to analyze why they are so violent.
What is cultural psychology and what is it used for?
Have you ever heard of cultural psychology? André Malraux once said that "culture is the sum of all forms of art, of love and of thought, which the course of the centuries has made it possible for mankind to be less enslaved." If we use this definition as a departure, cultural psychology may give us a broad overview of society's past, now and future.
Much of our behavior is just as intertwined with our culture as it is with our own experiences. It does not mean that experiences or genetics do not affect us, but that they are not the only things that lead and influence the way we act.
"True culture is born with nature, and it is simple, humble and clean."
-Masanou Fukuoka-
What is cultural psychology?
Now we will give you a brief overview of cultural psychology. Most experts refer to it as a school of thought that arose as an alternative to the theories and methods of more speculative psychology. Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of cultural psychology.
Cultural psychology focuses on the influence of culture on those who grew up in it. It influences, in addition to behavior, also thoughts and feelings. The main mediator of influences on behavior is the habits and customs of culture.
In other words, cultural psychology tries to explain the reasons why a group of individuals from a particular context acts in a particular way and not on another. With this perspective, we observe details and explain what we observe.
Why, for example, does Western society, which today is very globalized, see certain events in the past and some diametrically opposed communities with horror? And the previous generations? Why weren't they terrified of the events that took place during their lifetime? How is it that the people who live in the opposite cultures do not see these things as horrible?
That leads to another question: what will future generations be horrified of when they read about things that are happening now and that seem normal to us?
Cultural barriers
Looking at the state of the world today, it is easy to see cultural barriers. Languages, customs, mentalities and ways of thinking are all forms of cultural barriers.
In each country, some customs are common to the entire population, while others are localized to specific cities or regions. In combination, all these cultural influences result in a variation of the human mind. Each individual receives a unique cultural heritage that depends on many different factors.
To use some simple examples: Muslims do not eat pork, the Indians see cows as sacred animals and the Spanish Basque has its own language. All of these factors create a unique cultural heritage that is different from any other population.
Why study cultural psychology?
Culture varies dependencies on place and heritage, and influences the behavior and thoughts of people who come into contact with it. What is the purpose of cultural psychology? It goes beyond simply describing the facts. Instead, it explores both the origin and the consequences that are produced, defined and maintained through tradition in the particular context.
As we said before, cows are holy in India. But how did that happen? The goal of the cultural psychology is to answer such questions.
Cultural psychology not only examines the core of history to understand why a population has a particular culture. It also studies how culture affects the people within it. Why do some customs and others not remain? How do these behavioral patterns affect? What implications do these traditions have for the future?
Links to sociology and anthropology
Cultural psychology is closely related to social science, especially sociology and anthropology. While sociology studies societies in a wider context, it focuses on quantitative information to investigate dynamic stories. The idea is to understand how a specific culture has been formed and how it influences the individuals.
Meanwhile, the anthropology studies the cultural content of society and the collective changes that take place. The idea is to understand symbols, concepts and settings.
So if you were wondering to yourself what cultural psychology is, you now have a little better understanding. It allows you to understand ethnic behavior and study intercultural conflicts, just to name a few.
"No one leaves their world without being paralyzed by its roots, or by a vacuum for the soul. We can carry with us the memory of several textures, one self soaked in our history, our culture. "
-Paulo Freire -
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