Edwards, Carolyn PopeKnoche, LisaAukrust, VibekeKumru, AsiyeKim, Misuk2021-06-232021-06-23200603872866161574-04552197-7984https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-28662-4_6https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12491/5965International Workshop on Scientific Advances in Indigenous Psychologies - Philosophical, Cultural and Empirical Contributions -- OCT 29-NOV 01, 2001 -- Taipei, TAIWANOver the past several decades, the topic of child development in a cultural context has received a great deal of theoretical and empirical investigation. Investigators from the fields of indigenous and cultural psychology have argued that childhood is socially and historically constructed, rather than a universal process with a standard sequence of developmental stages or descriptions. As a result, many psychologists have become doubtful that any stage theory of cognitive or socialemotional development can be found to be valid for all times and places. In placing more theoretical emphasis on contextual processes, they define culture as a complex system of common symbolic action patterns (or scripts) built up through everyday human social interaction by means of which individuals create common meanings and in terms of which they organize experience. Researchers understand culture to be organized and coherent, but not homogenous or static, and realize that the complex dynamic system of culture constantly undergoes transformation as participants (adults and children) negotiate and re-negotiate meanings through social interaction. These negotiations and transactions give rise to unceasing heterogeneity and variability in how different individuals and groups of individuals interpret values and meanings.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessAmerican Belief SystemsParental EthnotheoriesIndividualismIndependenceConference Object10.1007/0-387-28662-4_6141162WOS:000237185200006N/A