ABSTRACT
Developmental psychology, like other branches of psychology, desires to establish a universal science of the person. Yet we are in constant danger of mistaking the particular for the universal. This chapter moves toward the construction of a truly universal theory of development through the empirical and theoretical understanding of cultural diversity. The roles of cultural history and social history are emphasized in this account of development. It is argued that central components of cultural history are value orientations or cultural scripts. These are essential to understand the cultural variability of developmental goals and the acquisition of culture in different societal contexts. However, the study of cultural scripts and their effects on development requires some new methodological assumptions for psychology.
