Many Deities, One God: Towards Convergence in Cultural and Crosscultural Psychology

Abstract

This paper deals with some of the theoretical and methodological concerns in cross-cultural/cultural psychology. These include the relevance of the search for psychological universals and related measurement problems, the use of a single nmodel of humanity as a template for norms and comparisons, and the observed contradictions between modal cultural characteristics and individual psychological expressions. The link between theory, research and application is another major concern, especially in the context of developing countries wherein resource constraints call for accountability in terms of social relevance and problem-solving orientation. Emphasis is also given to the possible contribution that indigenous psychologies can make by converging in the process of understanding how culture and individuals constitute each other in the course of development.