Uichol Kim (2006) with Kuo-Shu Yang & Kwang-Kuo Hwang
Indigenous and Cultural Psychology: Understanding People in Context
Series Editor: Anthony Marsella, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
New York. NY: Springer Science+Business Media.
Please see here Reviews.

About this book:

It was once assumed that the bedrock concepts of psychology held true for all the world’s peoples. More recently, post-modern approaches to research have expanded on these Western models, building a psychology that takes into account the sociopolitical, historical, religious, ecological, and other indigenous factors that make every culture, as well as every person as agents of their own actions.

Indigenous and Cultural Psychology surveys psychological and behavioral phenomena in native context in various developing and developed countries, with particular focus on Asia. An international team of 28 experts clarifies culture-specific concepts (such as paternalism and the Japanese concept of amae), models integrative methods of study, and dispels typical misconceptions about the field and its goals. The results reflect culturally sound frames of reference while remaining rigorous, systematic, and verifiable. These approaches provide a basis for the discovery of true psychological universals.

Among the topics featured:

- Scientific and philosophical bases of indigenous psychology

- Comparisons of indigenous, cultural, and cross-cultural psychologies

- Socialization, parent-child relationship, and family

- The private and public self: concepts from East Asia, Europe, and the Americas

- Interpersonal relationships: concepts from East Asia, Europe,, and the U.S.

- Factors promoting educational achievement and organizational effectiveness in Asia

- The growth and indigenization of psychology in developing and developed countries

- Are any values, attitudes, beliefs and traits universal? Cross-national comparisons

- The potential for indigenous psychology to lead to a global psychology

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.

Please see a short description of indigenous psychology by Uichol Kim (2006):

Indigenous psychology is defined as the scientific study of human behavior or mind that is native, that is not transported from other regions, and that is designed for its people. It advocates examining knowledge, skills and beliefs people have about themselves and studying them in their natural contexts. Theories, concepts and methods are developed to correspond with psychological phenomena. It advocates explicitly incorporating the content and context of research. The goal is to create a more rigorous, systematic and universal science that can be theoretically and empirically verified.

Ten characteristics of indigenous psychology can be identified. First, it emphasizes examining psychological phenomena in cultural context. Second, it is necessary for all cultural, native and ethnic groups. Third, it advocates use of multiple methods. Fourth, it advocates the integration of “insiders,” “outsiders” and multiple perspectives to obtain comprehensive and integrated understanding. Fifth, it acknowledges that people have a complex and sophisticated understanding of themselves and it is necessary to translate their practical and episodic understanding into analytical and knowledge. Sixth, although descriptive analysis is the starting point of research, its final goal is to discover psychological universals that can be theoretically and empirically verified. Eighth, it is a part of the cultural sciences tradition in which human agency, meaning and context are incorporated into the research design. Ninth, it advocates a linkage of humanities (which focus on human experience and creativity) with social sciences (which focus empirical analysis and verification). Tenth, two starting points of research in indigenous psychology can be identified: indigenization from without and indigenization from within.

Written for:
Cross-cultural psychologists, community psychologists