PROGRAMME APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY COURSE CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY PRESENTATION

PROGRAMME: APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY COURSE: CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY PRESENTATION BY EMMANUEL DEMAH, EUSTACIA MORRIS AND ANNA USTYAKINA

Rogof, B. (2016). Culture and Participation: a Paradigm Shift. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8, 182 -189. Question 3: What are the differences between mainstream and participation approaches to culture? Exemplify limitations of mainstream approach that were overcome in participation approach on particular cases from other research/your own experience/fictional literature or movie.

INTRODUCTION This article presented by Rogoff (2016) focuses on how we understand culture and the very lens through which culture is conceived and understood. There are various classical paradigms through which culture is conceptualized and understood. However, Rogoff (2016) indicated that there is the need for a paradigm shift, focusing on peoples participation in cultural activities rather than understanding culture as an immutable characteristic attributable to separate individual and ethnic entities.

CLASSICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL WORLD VIEWS OF CULTURE • According to Altman and Rogoff (1987), there are basically two psychological world views for understanding culture. These psychological world views includes; • Interactional world view (Mainstream paradigm) • Transactional or Contextual World view (Participatory paradigm) • However, Rogoff (2016) idea (focus) through which one should conceptualize and understand culture, corresponds to that of the transactional world view.

Participatory Paradigm or Approach • Focuses on individuals participation in cultural activities • Culture is seen as an ongoing process • Focuses on the holistic interrelations of many aspects of human life or ways of life

Mainstream Approach or Paradigm • Culture is seen as a static social address such as ethnicity, race and nationality • Culture is viewed as an immutable feature of an individual as a member of a bounded group defined by individuals birthplace • The individual and its cultural aspects for his or her functioning are treated as separate entities that interact with each other

Differences Between Participatory Paradigm And Mainstream Paradigm Participatory • There is a mutual and holistic relationship between the individual and the cultural environment or community • Change is inherent or intrinsic to both the individual and the cultural communities • Description of patterns to understand how things work and their variations over time or different situations • The aim is to find the patterns that characterizes the role of specific situations that are inherently contextual. Mainstream • The individual and cultural communities are seen as separate entities • Change is not inherent since the individual and the cultural communities are seen as interacting separate parts or entities • Focuses on cause and effect relationship of phenomenon • The aim is to seek laws of relations between variables and parts of the system.

Limitations of Mainstream Approach that were Overcome in Participatory Approach • Individuals are likely to identify themselves with more than one group • There is ongoing proliferation of possible groups through culture contact and parenting across ethnic groups, race and nationalities. • It is an impoverished way to understanding culture as a way of life due to efforts to treating these variables as independent of each other.

Conclusion • If we want to get a deeper understanding of culture as a way of life in human functioning and development, then there is the need for a paradigm shift to focus on peoples participation in cultural communities.