9 Questions
What is psychological anthropology?
A subfield of anthropology that studies the interaction of cultural and mental processes
Which of the following is NOT one of the schools within psychological anthropology?
National identity
What does psychoanalytic anthropology focus on?
How cultural symbols can be interpreted using psychoanalytical theories and techniques
What does culture and personality examine?
How personality is influenced by a person's culture
Who are the leading figures in configurationalist approach?
Ruth Benedict, A. Irving Hallowell, and Margaret Mead
What does national character focus on?
The personality traits of a particular nation or culture
What does ethnopsychology study?
The cultural variations of psychological processes, such as perception and categorization
What does cognitive anthropology focus on?
How people think and process information
What does psychiatric anthropology examine?
The interaction between culture and mental health or mental illness
Study Notes
Psychological Anthropology: An Overview
- Psychological anthropology is an interdisciplinary subfield of anthropology that studies the interaction of cultural and mental processes.
- This subfield examines how human cognition, emotion, perception, motivation, and mental health are shaped by cultural enculturation and development.
- Psychological anthropology has been intertwined with anthropology since the beginning, and it has been influenced by psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories.
- The schools within psychological anthropology have their own approach, such as psychoanalytic anthropology, culture and personality, configurationalist approach, national character, ethnopsychology, cognitive anthropology, and psychiatric anthropology.
- Psychoanalytic anthropology focuses on how cultural symbols, including myths, dreams, and rituals, can be interpreted using psychoanalytical theories and techniques.
- Culture and personality examines how personality is influenced by a person's culture, and how changing cultures can change one's personality.
- Configurationalist approach describes a culture as a personality, and leading figures include Ruth Benedict, A. Irving Hallowell, and Margaret Mead.
- National character focuses on the personality traits of a particular nation or culture, and leading figures include sociologist Alex Inkeles and anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn.
- Ethnopsychology studies the cultural variations of psychological processes, such as perception and categorization.
- Cognitive anthropology draws on cognitive science and focuses on how people think and process information.
- Psychiatric anthropology examines the interaction between culture and mental health or mental illness, and prominent psychological anthropologists have addressed the cultural construction of mental health as a profession.
- Psychological anthropology has been a relatively small but productive subfield, and few universities have active graduate training programs in psychological anthropology.
Test your knowledge on the fascinating field of psychological anthropology with this overview quiz! Discover how cultural and mental processes interact, and learn about the different approaches within psychological anthropology, such as psychoanalytic anthropology, culture and personality, and cognitive anthropology. Explore the cultural construction of mental health and mental illness, and find out about the leading figures in the field. Take this quiz to deepen your understanding of psychological anthropology!
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