ANTH 331: Culture and the Individual Kimberly Porter Martin, Ph.D.

1. ANTH 331: Culture and the IndividualKimberly Porter Martin, Ph.D. Theory

2. Theory: A Definition • A set of related hypotheses that provide a better explanation than any single hypothesis. • A grounded theory is one that is based on empirically testable hypotheses that have been supported by evidence.

3. Theoretical Dimensions • Genetics (Nature) vs Culture (nurture) • Absolutist – Universalist – Relativist • Cultural Psychology • Action Theory • Sociocultural Theory • Indigenous Psychologies • Culture Comparative Research

4. The Nature/Nurture Controversy • Early debate during the first half of the twentieth century • Nature perspective partly rooted in racial determinism linked to colonial and post colonial attitudes • Racial determinism and environmental determinism were combined to predict both cultural factors and personality qualities. • Based on limited knowledge about how genetics and environment interact.

5. Absolutism, Universalism & Relativism • Restatement of the old Nature/Nurture controversy with a middle ground position added.

6. Absolutism • Biologically/genetically based • Limited influence of environment • Identifying species-wide traits • Imposed etic assumptions • Concepts defined in modern Western cultural terms • Straightforward comparison

7. Universalism • Interaction of biological and cultural factors • Culture has a substantial impact • Examining variations in species-wide processes • Derived etic methodology with attention to how Modern Western methods can be adapted in other cultures • Modern Western concepts with adjustment for cultural differences

8. Relativism • Culturally based • Culture is the primary causal factor in developing behavior and personality. • Emic methodology • Comparison is difficult • Context specific definitions for concepts • Local measurement units and instruments are used.

9. Confidence in Labeling Universal Traits • Conceptual Universals – highly abstract with no empirical measurement possible (national character) • Weak Universals – concepts for which there is empirical support for measurement in a variety of individual cultures. • Strong Universals – measured with the same metric across cultures but with a different origin. • Strict Universals – measured with same origin AND a common origin across cultures.

10. Cultural Psychology • Culture and behavior are inseparable. • Culture is in the minds of individual and does not exist outside of individual minds. • Behavior is part of a world view based on history within the society. • There will be an internal consistency that unites behaviors that may look unrelated. • Behaviors will be linked by systems of meaning, even if unconsciously. • Culture is governed by its own rules and does not depend on individuals to adapt and change.

11. Action Theory (Eckensberger) • Behavior is always goal directed. • There is always a set of choices for each action that a person takes. • Humans are aware of their actions and the consequences of their actions. • Humans accept the consequences for their actions. • Centers around the Reflexive Human Being • Humans follow, reflect on and shape culture and none of these can be left out. • Culture is the mediating factor between the person and the environment.

12. SocioCultural School (Vigotsky) • Higher mental processes are the focus • Specific processes must be present in society in order for humans to acquire them. • Cole adds • that specific activity settings must be present in order to transmit cultural information. • That mental processes are acquired in stages with biological/developmental prerequisites.

13. Indigenous Psychologies • The movement to create (recognize?) multiple theory sets about what human psychological traits are like. • Leads to culture specific methodology • Makes cultural comparison difficult • May be a necessary step toward developing a universal, cross-culturally valid psychology.

14. Culture Comparative Research • Culture is a set of conditions or variables • Culture is treated as an independent variable • Culture may be too general a concept to use as an independent variable; it needs to be broken down into smaller aspects or factors. • Culture may be a mediating or bridging factor that links variables together, rather than a variable in its own right. • Conventions (traditions or normal behavior sets) can be analyzed as reflecting behavior that will be shown by all normal members of a society without needing to study actual participants.