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Bridging Universal and Cultural Perspectives: A Vision for Developmental Psychology in a Global World
Author(s) -
Jensen Lene Arnett
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
child development perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1750-8606
pISSN - 1750-8592
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00213.x
Subject(s) - bridging (networking) , psychology , cultural psychology , cross cultural psychology , scholarship , cultural neuroscience , asian psychology , epistemology , scope (computer science) , cognitive science , theoretical psychology , social psychology , cognitive psychology , cognition , computer network , philosophy , neuroscience , computer science , political science , law , programming language
— This article argues that now is an opportune time to draw together the accumulated bodies of knowledge in developmental and cultural psychology in order to build a new vision for developmental psychology scholarship that bridges universal and cultural perspectives. Such bridging requires rethinking (a) the entity of developmental psychological analysis, (b) the scope and meaning of developmental psychology concepts, and (c) the nature of theoretical frameworks. This rethinking will render developmental psychology more broadly valid across cultures and more applicable to local cultural conditions. This is imperative in an increasingly global world where diverse peoples interact more than ever. Although the present focus is on rethinking developmental psychology, conclusions about the implications of bridging universal and cultural perspectives may be of interest in other fields and disciplines addressing psychological thought and behavior.