ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors discuss the individuality and collectivity of the human self that develop through different developmental pathways across cultures. The self is a microcosm playing out in the macrocosm of family, community, society, and culture. Contemporary intellectual interests in the self can be traced back to William James, who devoted an extensive discussion of “the self” in his seminal treatise on the Principles of psychology. One of the ways of looking at the complexity of self-development is by examining two interrelated aspects of the self—autobiographical memory and self-concept. Drawing on the empirical findings of self-development in various cultural contexts, the authors analyze the content and manifestation of cultural constructions of the self in practical everyday activities through each developmental pathway. Biological maturation, cognitive growth, and social experience together interact to facilitate the development of the self. This holds true in all cultural settings.
