ABSTRACT
It is generally agreed that the need and ability to inhabit a culturally organized environment are among the defining characteristics of human beings, but it is a curious fact that for much of the history of psychology the role of culture in constituting human nature received relatively little attention in basic textbooks and leading journals, either of general or developmental science. This situation has, however, been changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Since the early editions of this textbook, coverage of research that pays attention to culture seems to have increased exponentially. Consequently, in this chapter we can hope to accomplish little more than open a gateway to a rapidly developing area of inquiry.
