28th International Congress of Psychology August 8 ... - U-netSURF

Psychological theories of the human psyche have been limited to origin myths of very few
occidental societies (e.g. the Oedipus myth). Psychology has been built on very limited
experiential and cultural bases, while ethnological evidence includes many mythological
perspectives that could lead to many psychologies. Psychology needs to transcend every society’s
particular myth systems and build its knowledge on universal cultural mechanisms of meaning
construction that operate in all societies at all historical periods. Hence the notion of functional
culture (meaning construction within each and every person’s mind) is the central concept for
basic knowledge in human psychology.
3053.2 The initial assumptions of the Chinese persons’ individuation, H.S. Ye 1 , C.H. Shi 2 ,
1 2
Nanjing Normal Universit, Nanjing, China; Hehai University, Nanjing, China
According to Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology, the individuation process, which is based
on the theories of collective consciousness or archetypes, must be observed in different cultures.
By studying the ideas of Chinese philosophy, two initial assumptions of Chinese persons’
individuation will be discussed: (1) That process of individuation which refers to becoming a
wholeness of opposite attributes and which is evident after middle age is useful for illustrating
Chinese personality development; (2) Chinese persons must balance among Confucianism, Taoism
and Buddhism to be individuated. In Confucianism ego is more important while in both Taoism
and Buddhism the Self is paid more attention. Each of these schools has positive and negative
effects on Chinese individuation.
3053.3 The indistinct and flexible self: Analysis on the self in Chinese culture, R.S. Zheng,
Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang, China
The self in Chinese culture bears the following characteristics: firstly, the boundary of the self is
indistinct. This can be revealed by the share of property in a family and one’s private matters are
always concerned by others. Secondly, the connotation of the self is extensible. For example,
parents in China would look upon their children as the continuation of their life. The third is that
the self in Chinese culture is somewhat dramatic. This means that Chinese people tend to hide
their real or inner thought and emotion in many circumstances, and sometimes manifest dual or
multi personality. In a word, the self in Chinese culture is indistinct and flexible.
3053.4 Interobjectivity and diversity management: The collective roots of individual thought
and action, F. Moghaddam, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
Two apparently contradictory trends characterize the contemporary world: first, globalization and
the increasing realization of the global village through expanded trade and communications;
second, fragmentation and attempts by various groups, including cultural, linguistic, and religious
minorities, to resist assimilation and retain distinct identities. In some cases these clashing trends
have given rise to inter-group violence and even terrorism (Moghaddam & Marsella, 2004). In
order to contribute more effectively to finding better strategies for managing diversity,
psychologists must abandon reductionist approaches and give greater importance to collective
processes. Toward this end, the collective roots of individual thought and action are discussed
through the concept of interobjectivity (Moghaddam, 2003).
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