What is cultural psychology and why is it important?

Cultural psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the interaction between an individual's mind and cultural influences, seeking to understand how our psychological processes, including thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, are shaped by and within the culture we are surrounded by.

Humans don't emerge from nothing; we are cultural beings born into different cultural contexts and groups. This affects how we understand ourselves, others, and our world, as well as what is 'normal' for us. Culture is often very invisible to us in everyday life, but it can be very beneficial for us to be aware of it in order to better understand ourselves, other people, and the world around us.

Central to cultural psychology is the recognition that our minds are not isolated units but rather entangled in a complex web of norms, values, and traditions across different groups we belong to. Culture can be understood as a tool within the individual that refers to a sense of there being social rules and expectations one wishes to adhere to. We all belong to various groups on larger and smaller scales, such as our family, the city we live in, our educational institutions, friend groups, political beliefs, and nationality, to name a few. Within each of these groups, different tendencies and norms prevail, which are stored within each of us and govern our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Examples could include:

• Whether it's normal/expected to greet friends or family with a hug
• Whether it's normal/expected to actively participate in class/lecture
• Whether it's normal/expected to honestly express how one is feeling when asked
• Whether it's normal/expected to take off one's shoes in others' homes
• Whether it's normal/expected to bring gifts back home to one's family when on vacation
  
  

Cultural and social norms and expectations thus play a role in many — even small — everyday situations. The cultural aspect within us can be experienced as the inner voice trying to dictate what "one should" do in a given situation. Many have also heard the words: "one shouldn't do that" where the 'one' often refers to an implicit cultural or social normative order that "should" be followed. But what feels normal or expected to you may not be so for another — we all experience the world from a specific standpoint.