Ch. 14 S. 5 The Sociocultural Approach Obj: Discuss how the sociocultural approach views the importance of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in the development of personality.

The sociocultural perspective focuses on the roles of ethnicity, gender, and culture in the formation of personality.

Individualism Versus Collectivism One aspect of culture that sociocultural theorists focus on is the level of individualism or collectivism in a society.

Individualists tend to define themselves in terms of their personal identities. Collectivists tend to define themselves in terms of the groups to which they belong and often give priority to the goals of their group.

Sociocultural Factors and the Self According to sociocultural theorists, social and cultural factors also affect the self-concept and self-esteem of the individual Carl Rogers noted that our self-concepts tend to reflect how we believe other people see us.

Members of ethnic groups who have been subjected to discrimination and poverty may have poorer self-concepts and lower self-esteem than people who have not experienced discrimination and poverty.

In some cases, the reverse is true. In several studies, African American girls had a better self image than the white girls. How is this explained? It appears that African American girls are taught that there is nothing wrong with them if they do not match the ideals of the majority culture. White girls may be more likely to look inward and blame themselves for not being the ideal.

Acculturation and Self-Esteem Personalities are influenced by more than personal traits and learning experiences. They are also influenced by cultural settings. Acculturation is the process of adapting to a new or different culture.

It takes various patterns It takes various patterns. Some immigrants become completely assimilated, or absorbed, into the culture of the area to which they move. Others choose to maintain separation, and still others become bicultural. Research suggests that people who are bicultural have the highest self-esteem. Adopting the ways of the new society without giving up a supportive cultural tradition and a sense of ethnic identity apparently helps people function most effectively.

Evaluation of the Sociocultural Approach The sociocultural perspective provides valuable insights into the roles of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in personality formation. We cannot, however, understand how individuals think, behave, and feel about themselves within a given cultural setting.