Psychological anthropology studies the interactions between individuals and their culture, exploring how cultural norms shape psychology and perception. It can contribute to the development of mental health services and help people working with diverse backgrounds.
A psychological anthropologist studies the interactions between individuals and their culture. Researchers in this field explore how cultural norms can shape psychology and perception. They also study the impact that individuals have on their society, to learn more about how and why social changes occur. This discipline in the field of anthropology is taught at some colleges and universities, particularly those with programs that focus on cultural anthropology rather than physics.
As individuals grow up in specific cultures, they can internalize a variety of lessons from the people and places around them. These lessons can shape the way they think and behave. For example, young women growing up in cultures that believe that very thin women are beautiful may be pressured to maintain a specific physical appearance. This pressure could contribute to the development of eating and exercise disorders, psychological conditions that can be shaped by social attitudes. A psychological anthropologist can see how social pressures shape cognition.
Members of this field may study abnormal psychology in cultures around the world. A psychological anthropologist can observe behaviors considered normal and abnormal across cultures; in some regions, for example, suicide is not as stigmatized as it is in others. Psychological anthropologists can analyze how and why mental illnesses arise and how people with mental illnesses are treated in their home cultures. This field of study may also include assessing how cultures respond to mental illness or erratic behavior.
Researchers in psychological anthropology can choose from a variety of areas. They tend to specialize in specific regions or cultures, to develop a deep understanding of how those cultures work and how they interact with individuals. There may also be a specific interest in a specific phenomenon, such as early childhood psychology or the psychology of working men and women. Cross-cultural studies by a psychological anthropologist can compare and contrast, assessing differences in psychological development that can be created through cultural pressures.
The study of psychological anthropology can contribute to the development of more effective and adequate mental health services. It can also help people who may interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds or who do business in foreign countries. Understanding the Japanese work ethic and the psychology of Japanese workers, for example, would be important for a manager or CEO working in Japan as a representative of a foreign country. Similarly, teachers working with students around the world may need training in child development from the perspective of a psychological anthropologist to understand how to meet the needs of their students.
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