CULTURE AND PERSONALITY
ANT and SOC 4320
Garrett_Cook@baylor.edu
MMS 318
710-4433
This is a seminar-like course that strives to understand the philosophical, moral and
scientific implications of cross cultural research on the mind, the psyche, personality
and personality formation and the emotions. We will investigate how culture,
personality, and identity are related.
PART I
THE CLASSICS- Psychological Anthropology
1- Culture and Personality Studies:
The self, culture, cultural and biological determinism, pioneer thinkers,
Configurationism
2- Classical Psychological Anthropology (findings and failures)
PART II
POSTCLASSIC ECLECTICISM
3- Issues of meaning and mind/culture interface: interpretive, structuralist,
cognitive, post modern, and critical anthropology
4- Culture and Identity: Emotions, charisma, cross cultural psychiatry, love, thematic
interpretations of cultures and selves, ethnicity, dialectics of culture and
personality in America.
PART III
AGENT CENTERED ANALYSIS
5- The person-centered ethnography: Pros and cons, findings and examples
Charles Lindholm
Ruth Benedict
Paul Radin
Joan Barker
Books to purchase
Culture and Identity
Patterns of Culture
Crashing Thunder- The Autobiography of a Winnebago
Indian
Danger, Duty and Disillusion
Work and Grading
-An exam on each of the 5 units
50
-Written and oral Report on the ideas of an important
psychological anthropologist/culture& personality theorist
10
(See the appended list)
-Research Project (15 page term paper that develops your answer to the question:
How are culture and personality related?
Citing research used in constructing your argument
40
Bonus for class participation
0-3