Cultural Considerations in Positive Psychology and the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

Abstract

AbstractResearch in positive psychology and the psychology of religion and spirituality has been largely acultural, acontextual, and apolitical. However, social scientists interested in positive human development have long recognized that culture plays a central and indelible role in shaping human behavior. In this chapter, I highlight clarifying definitions of culture. I explore the link between culture, religiosity, spirituality, and positive psychological development. I argue that extant approaches to the study of culture, religiosity/spirituality, and positive development are limited in that they do not sufficiently account for structural and sociopolitical contributors to these relationships. I also posit that existing models do not typically account for the power dynamics that shape positive psychological and prosocial outcomes. Drawing on the Socioecological, Transactional model of Religiosity and Spirituality (SET-RS Urban; Mattis et al., 2019), I propose a new conceptual frame that addresses these gaps. This new framework, the integrative model of Culture, Religiosity, and Spirituality in Positive Development (CRSPD), can guide future research on the relations between culture, religiosity, spirituality, and prosocial development.