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PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types

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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 29
PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued)
Socialization
Socialization is the term that psychologists and anthropologists use to describe the development of, through
the influence of parents and others, of patterns of behavior in children that conform to cultural
expectations.
Direct and Indirect Socialization
Socialization takes place both directly and indirectly. Indirectly, the degree to which parents like children,
the kinds of work children are asked to do and whether children go to school may at least partially influence
how children develop psychologically.
Origin of Customs
Anthropologists not only seek to understand the link between personality traits and customs, but also how
customs were themselves developed. Some anthropologists believe that societies produce the kind of
customs best suited for undertaking activities necessary for the survival of society
Personality Types
Several anthropologists have tried to describe the influence of culture on personality. In the early 1950's, for
example, David Riesman proposed that there are three common types of personalities around the world.
The tradition-oriented personality places a strong emphasis on doing things the same way that they have
I
always been done. Individuals with this sort of personality are less likely to try new things and to
seek new experiences.
Those who have inner-directed personalities are guilt oriented. That is to say, their behavior is strongly
II
controlled by their conscience. As a result, there is little need for police to make sure that they
obey the law. These individuals monitor themselves. If they break the law, they are likely to turn
themselves in for punishment.
III
In contrast, people with other-directed personalities have ambiguous feelings about right and wrong.
When they deviate from a societal norm, they usually don't feel guilty. However, if they are caught
in the act or exposed publicly, they are likely to feel shame.
Abnormal Behavior
Just as there are cross-cultural variations in `normal behavior', there are also variations in `abnormal
behavior'. Abnormality is relative to a degree and a culture's ideas about mental illness and how to deal with
it can also vary.
Applied Perspective
Anthropologists are interested in understanding the possible cause of psychological differences and the
possible consequences of psychological variation.
Anthropologists are particularly interested in how psychological characteristics may help explain statistical
associations between various aspects of culture.
Projective Testing
People tend to project their feelings, ideas and concerns onto ambiguous realities.
64
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
In Thematic Appreciation Tests subjects are shown vague drawings and asked to interpret them by
projecting their own personalities. An aggressive person may see a weapon in a vague drawing, whereas a
more industrious person may visualize a more productive tool in the same vague drawing.
Useful Terms
Ambiguous: unclear or vague
Variation: differences
Socialization: the process of learning behavior
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 24 in `Anthropology' by Ember and Pergrine
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-site for this lecture, which provide
useful and interesting information:
Social Psychology6
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/socpsy.html
6
Please visit the hyperlinks on the website to read selectively on topics like collective behavior
65
Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival