Location and belonging: A study in cultural psychology

The author explores the meaning of 'cultural difference' and the role it plays within the context of the published research in psychology literature of the concepts, individualism-collectivism. To do this, he locates himself in the experience of life lived in several 'Third World' countries and adopts a 'humanistic' view of both the research in individualism-collectivism as well as the wider field of cross-cultural psychology.;Concluding that the 'problem,' for him in individualism-collectivism, is the cultural world view that informs this body of work, the author argues for a world view that is inclusive of all humanity rather than exclusionary. Such a view emphasises connection, one human being with another. It allows for both a deeper exploration of the significance of culture in the way in which humanity forms its groupings as well as inclusion of the experience of living outside one's base culture. Indeed, such a view reflects a perspective of a 'cultural psychology.';The author argues that there is no real reason, other than unreflective cultural view, to divide human experience into the pre-formulated categories of the research. The result of such a stance is that what is discovered is what has already been put in place. The 'Other' in the social science research of individualism-collectivism, cast as different and strange, remains so; the biased, superficial views hold, and human interests of understanding and recognition continue to go unserved.