Qualitative methodologies in cultural psychology often lack the objective and verifiable character of quantitative analysis. Author Carl Ratner corrects this shortcoming by rigorously systematizing qualitative methods. The book discusses, for example, means of systematizing such subjective reports as interviews, letters, and diaries, which often yield valuable data that is not easily quantified. Ratner argues that "complex psychological phenomena are expressed through extended responses" and hence are best studied by new, more regularized qualitative methods that go beyond measuring simple, overt responses.
"As I sat down to write this chapter about the use of life story methods for capturing cultural-historical aspects of LGBTQ+ identity development, I was transported back in time... It was a hot summer day in 2004. I had travelled back from the "big city" where I was attending university to visit my family. This was my first summer away from home. At that moment, my family and I sat in the parking lot of a diner, having just finished breakfast at a local greasy spoon-a ritualistic send off before I started my four-hour return drive. In those moments, our car felt unusually cramped. My dad was in the back seat with me, my mom and brother in the front. I didn't have much of an appetite that morning knowing that in mere minutes, I would come out to my family as gay. On our way out of the restaurant, walking to our separate cars, I somehow managed to muster up the courage to tell my family there was something important I wanted them to know. So, there I was, in the backseat of the car with a message for my family. Looking back on it, the message was more like an ultimatum. They could learn to love this new version of me, as I had done, or our routine "see you later" might be a "goodbye." This is the beginning of my story-both my coming out story and, in some ways, my life story. Thankfully, my family is still an important part of this story"--
This volume aims to build on the approach to cultural psychology originally developed by the Russian psychologist Vygotsky and his colleagues Luria and Leontiev by providing qualitative methods such as interview techniques and content analysis as empirical tools for exploring the cultural aspects of psychology, and specific guidelines for formulating, conducting, and analyzing interviews on cultural aspects of psychology.
This unique text covers the core research methods and the philosophical assumptions that underlie various strategies, designs, and methodologies used when researching cultural issues. It teaches readers why and for what purpose one conducts research on cultural issues so as to give them a better sense of the thinking that should happen before they go out and collect data. More than a "methods text", it is about all the steps that go into doing cross-cultural research. It discusses how to select the most appropriate methods for data analysis and which approach to use, and details quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods for experimental lab studies and ethnographic field work.
Carl Ratner's new book deepens our understanding of psychology by emphasizing the role that cultural factors, such as social institutions, artifacts, and cultural concepts play in psychological functioning. The author demonstrates the impact of culture on stimulating and structuring emotion, personality, perception, cognition, memory, sexuality, and mental illness. Examples from interdisciplinary social science research illuminate a sophisticated dialectical relationship between cultural factors and psychological phenomena. Written in an engaging and straightforward style, the book articulates a new theory, "macro cultural psychology", and a qualitative methodology for investigating the cultural origins, characteristics, and functions of psychological phenomena. The theory is grounded in Vygotsky's cultural-historical psychology. Ratner explains how this cultural perspective can be used to enhance psychological growth and illuminate directions for social reform. He explains how social reform can enhance psychological functioning, and vice versa. The theory explains how and why psychological phenomena are organized in macro cultural factors. This analysis contributes to multicultural understanding and communication. Cultural Psychology critically examines several prominent psychological approaches including social constructionism, feminism, hermeneutics, psychobiology, evolutionary, cross-cultural, ecological and mainstream psychology. The book articulates a theory of macro culture that emphasizes the political dimension of culture and psychology. A critical realist philosophy of science for macro cultural psychology is also articulated. Intended for student, researchers, and practitioners in psychology, education, psychotherapy, history, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, philosophy of science, and policy makers and practitioners in public health and social service who are interested in understanding cultural aspects of psychology. The book is an appropriate text for courses in social psychology, cross-cultural psychology, community psychology, social work, social theory, philosophy and methodology of social science, and critical thinking.
Qualitative methodologies in cultural psychology often lack the objective and verifiable character of quantitative analysis. Author Carl Ratner corrects this shortcoming by rigorously systematizing qualitative methods. The book discusses, for example, means of systematizing such subjective reports as interviews, letters, and diaries, which often yield valuable data that is not easily quantified. Ratner argues that "complex psychological phenomena are expressed through extended responses" and hence are best studied by new, more regularized qualitative methods that go beyond measuring simple, overt responses.
This book presents a new look at the relationship between people and society, produces a semiotic theory of cultural psychology and provides a dynamic treatment of culture in human lives.
