Lecturer: Dr. Kingsley Nyarko , Department of Psychology Contact - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education

2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Lecturer: Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, Department of Psychology Contact Information: knyarko@ug.edu.gh

Session Overview

At the end of the session, the student will be able to

• Evaluate the relevance of culture to national

development.

• Acquire values the promote national cultural

consciousness.

• Discuss the relationship between psychology and

culture in shaping national development.

Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• A Look at Culture
• Culture as an Element in National Development
• Psychology’s Role

Slide 3

Reading List

• Adair, J. G. (1999). Indigenization of Psychology: The Concept

and its Practical Implementation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 48 (4), 403–418

• Dyasi, H.M (1985). Culture and the Environment in Ghana.

Environmental Management, 9(2), 97-103.

Slide 4

A LOOK AT CULTURE

Topic One

Slide 5

A look at Culture

• Observations:

– Sir Edward Taylor, English anthropologist, 1832-1917

• “Knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other

capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” – UNESCO 2002:

• “A set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and

emotional features of society or a social group” and includes art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs – Geert Hofstede:

• Collective programming of the mind

Slide 6

A look at Culture

• Acquired knowledge that people use to filter life

experiences and to generate social behavior. It is:

• Learned
• Shared
• Cumulative
• Symbolic
• Integrated
• Dynamic

Slide 7

Sample Questions

• Evaluate the relationship between psychology and

culture in shaping national development.

• How does psychology play a role in shaping cultural

awareness?

Slide 8

CULTURE AS AN ELEMENT IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Topic Two

Slide 9

Culture as an Element in National Development

• Ignoring culture is like ignoring the role of norms

and standards in national development.

• Culture influences behaviour.
• Behaviour needs to be shaped to get desirable

results, such as national development.

• Psychology studies behaviour and behaviour

modification.

• Psychology appreciates individual differences.

Slide 10

Culture as an Element in National Development

• Sinha (1997) agreed that there was confusion about

meaning, National cultural values are

–learned early, (good to start from childhood) –held deeply and –They change slowly over the course of generations.

Slide 11

PSYCHOLOGY’S ROLE

Topic Three

Slide 12

Psychology’s Role

• What can Psychology Do??!!??

– Learning, Changing behaviours and attitudes

• Human Growth and Development?

– Psycho-social Development – Autonomy, independence, competence etc

• Adolescent Development.
• Cross-cultural psychology

Slide 13

Psychology’s Role

• National development should be seen as a process,

and can come about by looking at strategies that develop the individuals and various institutions within the nation

– Political institutions – Production of goods/services – Civic responsibilities – ICT and innovation – Attitudes towards work

• All these can be changed and shaped deliberately to achieve

desired national devt

Slide 14

Psychology’s Role

• Institutional transformation/Change & Culture
• For instance, institutional change:
• 1. alters the culture of the institution by changing select

underlying assumptions and institutional behaviors, processes, and products;

• 2. is deep and pervasive, affecting the whole institution;
• 3. is intentional; and
• 4. occurs over time.

Slide 15

Psychology’s Role

• Culture is important in institutional transformation

– along some aspects of the change process:

• 1) readiness for, and responsiveness to, institutional

transformation.

– Psychologists engage in readiness creation, to get acceptance

• f change by individuals.
• 2) resistance to planned change.

– Psychologists engage in managing resistance to change.

Slide 16

Psychology’s Role

• Culture and behaviour are related

– Change one, and you can succeed in changing the other!

• Use Behaviour modification techniques through learning

principles

– Attitude change can result in engaging in behaviours that lead to national development.

• Patriotism, citizenship behaviours, civic responsibilities, etc

Slide 17

References

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