ABSTRACT
The literature on Native-American culture abounds with descriptions by social scientists of how various Indian cultures differ from mainstream American culture (Chisholm, 1983; Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck, 1961; Pelletier, 1969). These differences range from superficial and generalized value-laden characterizations that are obviously ethnocentric, such as the view that Indians are “… permissive and indulgent …” (Granzberg, 1973), to detailed characterizations of particular cultures by participant observers. Characterizations of differences between Indian and non-Indian ways on the part of Indians themselves are rare but are needed to balance the generally stereotyped and ethnocentric views. Not only is there a need for the “insider's” views, but also there is a need for the use of culturally relevant paradigms such as the wholistic model described by Tharp (chapter 4, this volume). Such models enrich our understanding and give us an opportunity to state or re-state many of our research questions differently.
