Macro Cultural Psychology: A Political Philosophy of Mind
Carl Ratner
Abstract
This book articulates a new psychological theory and cultural theory that construes psychology as based in macro cultural factors, recapitulating the features of macro cultural factors, and functioning to perpetuate macro cultural factors. Participating in macro cultural factors is shown to generate general and concrete features of psychology. The theory traces general features of psychology (thinking, emotions, self-concept) to general features of cultural factors, and it traces concrete features of psychology (the individualistic self, anorexia, romantic love) to concrete macro cultural fact ... More
This book articulates a new psychological theory and cultural theory that construes psychology as based in macro cultural factors, recapitulating the features of macro cultural factors, and functioning to perpetuate macro cultural factors. Participating in macro cultural factors is shown to generate general and concrete features of psychology. The theory traces general features of psychology (thinking, emotions, self-concept) to general features of cultural factors, and it traces concrete features of psychology (the individualistic self, anorexia, romantic love) to concrete macro cultural factors (such as consumerism, formal education, capitalist work, Protestant religion). The book additionally examines the cultural basis of psychological theories. Politics is shown to be a central element of macro cultural factors, and their corresponding psychological phenomena. Psychological theories are also shown to be political in the sense of supporting or reforming the status quo. Macro cultural psychology is based upon philosophical principles. These include dialectics, structuralism, critical realism. The entire enterprise draws upon the work of Vygotsky, Luria, and Leontiev known as cultural-historical psychology.
Keywords:
politics,
cultural theory,
cultural factors,
emotions,
structuralism,
critical realism,
Vygotsky
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2011 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780195373547 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2012 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373547.001.0001 |
