This book presents an overview of Mexican ethnopsychology, an original
theoretical and methodological approach that seeks to complement the
mainstream psychological science - based on universal principles,
processes and constructs - with scientific methods to study the
idiosyncratic features and behaviors typical of specific cultural
groups. It proposes a historic-bio-psycho-socio-cultural theoretical
model to describe research findings of social, psychological, collective
and individual phenomena.
Psychology is at a crossroads of years of research with stress on
internal validity and little attention to contextual and cultural
variables. It becomes fundamental to continue on the internal validity
track but at the same time incorporate external validity issues. The
growth of indigenous movements and data allows for a profound evaluation
of the extents to which apparent universal phenomena are truly
universal, and to what extent they are idiosyncratic manifestations of
the cultures where the mainstream research is conducted.
Mexican ethnopsychologists have been following this path for decades,
since the pioneer work of Rogelio Díaz-Guerrero, but until now little
has been published in English about this innovative theoretical
approach. Ethnopsychology - Pieces from the Mexican Research Gallery
fills this gap by presenting the international community an overview of
Mexican ethnopsychology and thus providing a useful tool to behavioral,
social and health scientists interested in understanding how culture
shapes both collective and individual behaviors.
