ABSTRACT
Cross-cultural is a buzzword among social scientists, but too few in the field of psychology study or understand cultural influences. In fact, psychology is perhaps the most culture-bound of the sciences (Azuma, 1996; D. Shwalb & B. Shwalb, 1996), having developed in the traditions and values of Europe and the United States. It is the intersection of cultures that we can best appreciate the limitations of psychology as a universal science. Some psychologists sometimes see a value in non-Western research that broadens the data base or tests the universality of theories, but even this view assumes that ideas from outside the United States and Europe are mere supplements to psychological knowledge. After reading this chapter, we encourage you to reread the other chapters and to question the cultural assumptions held by each contributor. To ignore the fact that culture influences help-seeking behavior and education with regard to every chapter in this volume is to ignore a crucial causal variable.
