Indigenous and Cultural Psychology

context, a view that much of psychology has forgotten over the years. This book should be mandatory reading for psychologists from all backgrounds and perspectives, and will be a valuable addition to personal and institutional libraries worldwide. - David Matsumoto, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USANew ideas in "psychology" are extremely rare but this book presents a uniquely new idea about applying the framework of psychological analysis in a global context. Up until now indigenous psychology has been stereotyped as exotic and has been almost entirely defined by its opposition to conventional psychological theory. This book gives the construct of indigenous and cultural psychology an independent existence and separate reality. . .This book provides the conceptual basis for separate status to indigenous psychology as an independent theoretical framework in its own right. The field of psychology will be forever changed by this book for those who take the time to read it. The book provides a new paradigm for understanding human behavior from a global perspective that is sadly missing in most if not all psychological textbooks. - Paul Pedersen, Professor Emeritus, Syracuse University and Visiting Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, HI, USAThis much needed volume fills a gap in our "understanding of people in context." It addresses a basic debate in cultural and cross-cultural psychology, that is, whether the unique-universal dynamics is to be construed as contradictory or complementary. The many contributors, well known in the field, shed light on indigenous and cultural psychology, covering a broad range of topics from philosophical perspectives to understanding of self and personality, from family and socialization to cognitive processes, from theory to applications. The book provides an alternative to mainstream "Western" psychology and much food for thought for the intellectually curious reader in grasping both the diversity and commonality in human psychology from a global perspective. - Cigdem Kagitcibasi, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey"The volume is quite timely. ... The book is a pioneer in indigenous and cultural psychology ... . it is quite comprehensive, comprising no fewer than 30 contributors, all specialists in indigenous and cultural psychology. ... Indigenous and cultural psychology challenges the mainstream, traditional understanding of the nature of people, compelling us to rethink, in radical, fundamental ways, our assumed basic theories of personality, perception, cognition, emotion, development, social psychology, and the like." (Ruth Chao, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 51 (42), 2006)"This 518-page book contains contributions from 30 international experts. The material covers a wide geographical area ... . The choice of topics is also wide, including interesting insights regarding child development, personality and cognitive processes. ... This volume has helped me gain a better understanding of the cultural contexts which some of my clients come from. ... This book has a very readable style, is well referenced, and has a useful subject index. I recommend it to anyone interested in cultural psychology." (Dr. Debbie Hawker, The Psychologist, Vol. 20 (1), January, 2007)"Indigenous and Cultural Psychology surveys psychological and behavioral phenomena in native context in various developing and developed countries ... . With this book, the editors have captured a growing field at a crucial stage in its evolution. Indigenous and Cultural Psychology benefits students and researchers on two levels, offering groundbreaking findings on understudied concepts, and signaling future directions in universal knowledge." (Anthony J. Marsella, International Journal of Mental Health Addiction, Vol. 4, 2006)