Toward a Conception of Culture Suitable for a Social Psychology of Culture

The chapters in this volume mark an important shift in the study of culture and psychology. Instead of psychological phenomena investigated in different “cultures,” psychologists are increasingly taking the phenomenon of culture, itself, as a suitable topic focus of study. With this change in focus comes an obligation to devote greater theoretical attention to the concept of culture than has been typical in social psychology. After the excellent beginning provided by contributions to this volume, it may be helpful to pause and reconsider what we think culture is before embarking too far on a project to articulate its psychological foundations. We take this as our task for the conclusion chapter.