Want to know what cultural psychology is? André Malraux said that “culture is what in life is still life”. Therefore, this area of psychology can offer us a broader vision, including the past, present and future of a society.
Because much of our behavior, besides each other’s way of being, is as much related to the culture in which we live as it is to our own experiences, this does not mean that experiments and genetic burden are not important, but they are not. the only ones that limit and contribute to the way we are and act.
“True culture is born with nature, it is simple, humble and pure. “Masanobu Fukuoka?
For those who want to know what cultural psychology is, let’s define briefly, most experts agree that cultural psychology is a current that has emerged as an alternative to the more speculative methods and theories of psychology, which is why it is considered heir from Wundt’s. psychology (Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of experimental psychology).
Cultural psychology focuses on the influence of a culture on people who come into contact with it, an influence that is not only relevant at the behavioral level, but seems to condition the way we think and feel, on the other hand, this influence is exerted through an instrument: customs and customs.
In other words, cultural psychology explains why a group of individuals inserted into one particular context acts in a specific way and not in another; this perspective allows us to observe and explain many details of human behavior; for example, why the Western vision, which is currently very globalized, leads us to observe with horror certain facts of the past or customs of other societies diametrically opposed to ours, why do people who insert the the the most in these cultures not see these facts with horror or why do our ancestors not perceive them in this way?
In this sense, another question arises: what will impact future generations when history shows them everything we think is normal today?
When we look at the world, we encounter many cultural barriers, for example, language, a particular custom, a mentality, a way of thinking.
If we look closely, in each country we find common customs within the population, but also others that are not because they belong to or are located in a certain city, region, region, etc. All of this includes variations in the human mind, as each receives a unique cultural heritage that depends on many factors.
Simply put, we can see how the Muslim community does not eat pork, in India cows are sacred animals or how certain regions such as the Basque Country have their own language in a bilingual context, all of which creates a unique cultural heritage differentiated from others.
It is obvious that, depending on the territory and the heritage received, culture varies, influencing the behavior and thinking of those who are in contact with it. Now what is cultural psychology trying to do? It goes beyond the simple fact, delves into the origins and consequences that produce, define and maintain the traditional in this particular context.
To be clear, let’s take an example. Taking the examples above, we already know that in India cows are sacred, but why does this happen?How did you get to this point today?
Cultural psychology does not just examine the heart of history to discover why a people has a particular culture, but also studies how this culture affects its inhabitants. Why do some customs succeed and some don’t, how do customs affect patterns of behavior?What future implications can these traditions have?
It is obvious that this field of psychology is related to social sciences, mainly anthropology and sociology, while sociology studies societies in the broadest sense, cultural psychology focuses on the proportion of quantitative data to study historical dynamics. It’s easier to know how a specific culture was formed and how it influences the people of that region.
Anthropology, which is responsible for studying the cultural content of a society and the collective changes that occur, is also linked to cultural psychology, since both seek to understand symbols, concepts, characteristics, etc. , you already have a little knowledge. Through it, we can understand ethnic behavior or the study of intercultural conflict.
“There is no absolutely uneducated man: man” is a hominize “express and tell his world. Do history and culture begin? Paulo Freire?