Do you have any idea what the cultural psychologyWhat is its role in human development and psychological functioning? Well, throughout our article we will be explaining all the bases of this concept and everything you need to know about it.
Meet the cultural psychology.
What is the cultural psychology and what are its functions?
Some of the characteristics of our way of thinking and behaving not only have to do with our personal experiences or our genetics, but also with the culture in which we are immersed.
In order to enter the subject properly, we must first define what is the cultural psychology?; A large number of specialists agree in appealing to this as a current that manifested itself as an alternative to the methods and theories of the most speculative psychology, thus, it is considered as the heir to the psychology of Wundt (father of Experimental Psychology).
For a long period of time, Psychology had an area of specialization called Transcultural Psychology; To this extent, great researchers have been given the task of looking for differences in the psychological functioning of people who come from different cultural groups. Which suggests that culture is a source of differences between individuals and that there is a universal human nature, latent to cultural variation and biologically based.
La cultural psychology has different conjectures, culture is a universal human phenomenon: over the years, human beings have created their own cultures to live in. However, could culture have a universal role in human psychology?
Cultural psychology assumes that culture has a structural role in human psychological movement, so that universal human capacities such as communication, creativity and reasoning are the result of the fact that we all live in culture, encompassing different ways of life, traditions, languages and institutions that endure over time.
Functions of Cultural Psychology
To understand the functions of cultural psychology, then we will explain the main applications of it. It is very clear that, depending on the type of territory and the heritage it has, the culture can vary, thus influencing the behavior and thoughts of those who are in contact with it.
Help understand ethnicities
Our world is becoming more globalized every day, so it is very important to be aware of the type of population that exists in a certain region in which foreign initiatives are going to be developed. Many cultural psychologists work as consultants for companies or any type of organization so that what is done does not have a negative impact on the way of life of these people and that a lot of money and time are not wasted on initiatives that will not work.
To detect differential aspects
What characterizes the superiority of a culture (in the case of the Western culture today) is that the ethnic groups that are not part of the dominant one are so far apart that many of them are unknown, and it is basically assumed that they are like the others but with a type of aesthetics and own characteristics. This psychology participates in the process of understanding the significance of these differences between communities and, ultimately, to shed light on something that previously seemed like an amalgamation of cultures due to simple ignorance and a Eurocentric bias.
Allows intervention in conflicts
In the fight for diplomacy, it is always good to be clear that the opposing parties sometimes do not share the same vision of reality. Both language and ideology are distinguished between groups, and if what is sought is to fit in, one must first know what the pieces that are trying to unite are like.
Support other disciplines
Visibly the cultural psychology not only does it draw on anthropology and sociology, it also helps them move forward. This is achieved by participating in the other functions that we have already mentioned and adopting a focused vision so that over time, the cultural and the social, influence the actions, perceptions and thoughts of any individual.
Relationship with anthropology and sociology
It is indisputable that this area of psychology has a fairly intimate relationship with the social sciences, essentially with anthropology and sociology; while sociology studies societies in a broader sense, this psychological branch focuses on obtaining quantitative data to carry out the investigation of historical dynamics.
However, when it comes to anthropology, we rely on the one dedicated to studying the cultural content of a society and the collective changes that are generated, it is also important, since both seek to understand concepts, symbols, staging, among others. ; so if you were wondering what is the cultural psychology, you can already get an idea with this definition.
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