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Changing Perspectives in Social Psychology in India: A Journey Towards Indigenization
Author(s) -
Sinha Durganand
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
asian journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-839X
pISSN - 1367-2223
DOI - 10.1111/1467-839x.00003
Subject(s) - indigenization , asian psychology , social identity theory , social psychology , community psychology , popularity , critical psychology , cross cultural psychology , psychology , popular psychology , international psychology , mainstream , cultural psychology , social change , identity (music) , sociology , social science , social group , anthropology , aesthetics , psychology, philosophy and physiology , political science , philosophy , law
The popularity and success of social psychology in the U.S. have created the impression that social psychology is purely a Western, if not a U.S. product. Many scholars from African and Asian continents accept this claim that the roots of social psychology are American, and have tried to emulate their research strategies and methodology. Only recently, the European social psychologists have established their identity and distinctness different from the culture of American social psychology. Among Asian social psychologists, there is a growing awareness of a distinct identity and a rediscovery of their cultural heritage. In particular, Indian social psychologists emphasize functional interrelatedness of the self, relations, society, and universe. With this indigenization process, social psychology in India is taking on a character distinctive from that of the West, is imparting a new look to social psychology, and promises to provide what the mainstream social psychology lacks.