Cultural Psychology: A Perspective on Psychological Functioning And Social Reform

286 Pages·2005·1.45 MB·English

by  Carl Ratner

CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
A PERSPECTIVE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL
FUNCTIONING AND SOCIAL REFORM
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CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
A PERSPECTIVE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL
FUNCTIONING AND SOCIAL REFORM
Carl Ratner
LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, PUBLISHERS
2006 Mahwah, New Jersey London
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008.
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Copyright©200 6byLawrenceErlbaumAssociates,Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any
form, by photostat, microform, retrieval system, or any other
means, without prior written permission of the publisher.
LawrenceErlbaumAssociates,Inc.,Publishers
10IndustrialAvenue
Mahwah,NewJersey 07430
www.erlbaum.com
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Ratner,Carl.
Culturalpsychology:aperspectiveonpsychologicalfunctioning
andsocialreform/CarlRatner
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8058-5477-0 (cloth :alk. paper)
ISBN0-8058-5478-9(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Ethnopsychology. 2.Socialpsychology. 3.Socialproblems.
I.Title.
GN502.R373 2006
158.8'2—dc22 2005050058
CIP
ISBN 1-4106-1731-9 Master e-book ISBN
This book is dedicated to the generation of Americans
who came of age in the 1960s.
Their political idealism, intellectual audaciousness,
and cultural creativity inspired my political passion
and intellectual growth, which have culminated in this book.
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Contents
Preface xiii
Part I: Psychology, Culture, Politics, Science
Introduction to Macro Cultural Psychology 3
Mainstream Psychology Versus Macro Cultural
Psychology 4
Culture Comprises the Explanatory Constructs
of Psychological Phenomena 7
Culture 12
Macro Cultural Psychology 14
Ontological Principles 21
Dialectics 22
Functionalism 24
DifferencesBetweenMacroCulturalPsychology
andOtherApproachestoCultureandPsychology 25
Cross-Cultural Psychology 26
Cultural Psychology 30
Methodology 32
MacroCulturalPsychology,SocialReform,andPersonal
Growth:IntegratingScience,Politics,andTherapy 33
Intellectual Origins of Macro Cultural Psychology 35
vii
viii CONTENTS
Macro Culture 41
Enumerating and Defining Macro Culture 41
Macro Cultural Factors Are More Than Aggregates
of Individuals 42
ThePrinciplesandObjectivesThatUnifyandDirect
aMacroFactorMayNotBeintheThoughts
andMotivesofIndividualsWhoFunctionWithinIt 46
The Social, Physical, and Conceptual Characteristics
of Macro Factors Are Consciously Administered
and Enforced by Social Bodies Because They Are
Pivotal to Social Regularity 47
In Most Societies, Macro Factors Are Normally
Regulated and Promulgated by a Powerful Elite 48
Individuals Introduce Certain Variations
as They Implement Macro Factors—However
Variations Must Be Limited if Social Regularity
Is to Be Maintained 49
Macro Cultural Factors Are Specific to Particular
Societies 49
Macro Cultural Factors Are Integrated Within
a System 51
Within a Social System, Certain Macro Factors
Are More Influential Than Others 52
The Components of a Social System Are Distinct
at the Same Time That They Are Integrated 58
Macro Cultural Factors Unify the Behavior
and Psychology of Disparate Individuals 60
Macro Cultural Factors Are the Product of Social
Struggle 61
Macro Cultural Factors Are Actual Practices,
Not Official Pronouncements and Policies 62
Part II: Principles of Macro Cultural Psychology
The Dialectical Integration of Psychological 67
Phenomena and Macro Cultural Factors
Macro Cultural Factors Were the Impetus for Humans
to Develop Psychological Capacities 68
Macro Cultural Factors Are the “Operating System”
of the Mind 74
CONTENTS ix
Psychological Phenomena Are Part of Macro Cultural
Factors 81
Macro Cultural Factors Organize Psychological
Phenomena 85
Macro Factors are a Goal, orTelos, of Psychological
Phenomena 85
Macro Factors are Structuring Frameworks
of Psychological Phenomena 87
Macro Factors are Resources That Individuals
Draw On 97
The Cultural Organization of Psychology Is Not
a Mechanical Process, but Depends
On Subjective Activity 102
Macro Cultural Factors Imbue Psychological Phenomena
With Concrete Characteristics 103
Cross-Cultural Similarities in Psychology Are Compatible
With the Cultural Nature of Mind 112
Psychological Phenomena Promote Macro Cultural
Factors 113
Psychology Is a Macro Cultural Factor 116
The Relation of Psychology to Other Macro Cultural
Factors Is a Unity of Differences 120
Psychology Mediates Reactions to Other Macro Cultural
Factors 123
SocietyIsComposedofDiverseMacroFactorsThatGener-
ateDiversePsychologicalCharacteristicsAmongIndi-
vidualsandWithinaGivenIndividual 124
Macro Cultural Factors Act on Psychological Phenomena in
Complex Ways 128
One Macro Factor May Be Composed of Several
Associated Elements That Collectively
Affect Psychological Phenomena 128
One Macro Factor May Affect Many Psychological
Phenomena 128
Several Macro Cultural Factors May Contribute
to One Psychological Phenomenon 129
Psychological Effects That Appear in One Macro
Cultural Factor May Be a Function of Other
Macro Factors 131