Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Human Development

This collection of essays brings together every major stream of scholarship and theoretical orientation in contemporary psychology, written by a galaxy of prominent names in their fields. The essays cover cross-cultural psychology, cultural psychology, cultural anthropology, evolutionary psychology and indigenous psychology, and address problems arising out of the application of psychological theories to practice. In his introduction, the editor summarizes the essential features of every position, arguing that it is both possible and desirable to promote meaningful interfaces between them, leading to a holistic perspective on human development. The volume is split into two sections: the first contains theoretical perspectives with some reference to methodological issues. The second deals with research on topics with which the authors have been associated for many years now. In many cases, the contents of the book draws upon and takes forward work the authors have been doing for a long time; in others, new ideas and insights have been introduced. Collectively, the research covers a large portion of the world and provides excellent cross-cultural perspectives, backed at many places by strong empirical data.