Psychological Anthropology

This course examines the influence of culture and society on individual psychology. Readings and class discussions examine the history of the way anthropologists have thought about the relationship between culture and personality. Issues examined will include: Do cultures produce and favor distinctive personality types? How is mental illness shaped by cultural beliefs and social practices? Are there distinctive culture bound syndromes and, if so, what produces them? Do cultures provide tools to help individuals adjust to crises? Do some cultures do this better than others? Are emotions fundamentally the same across cultures or does emotional experience vary significantly with culture? Is there a culture of psychiatry in the US? How do our cultural assumptions and our pharmaceutical industries shape our views of personality and mental illness? Cases will be drawn from Oceania, Asia, North America, and the Middle East.