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Individuality in Cultural ContextThe Case for Psychological AgencyNew York University, jenkins{at}xp.psych.nyu.edu In recent decades social science writing has given renewed attention to the notion of the self in human functioning. One tradition in social science writing has emphasized the importance of sociocultural influences on self-development, and some theorists seem to argue that such factors are primary in understanding the sense of individuality. This paper takes issue with the strong statement of this `social constructionist' view. While it is true that the content of personhood is fashioned in social context and varies across cultures, irreducible processes of individual human psychological agency also contribute to the development and functioning of the person. The universal capacity for `dialectical' thinking is discussed here as one such process. The importance of individual agency is highlighted in an example from a `sociocentrically' organized society. Both social and individual psychological perspectives are necessary to obtain a better grasp of the complexity of individuality.
Key Words: agency • dialectical thinking • self • social constructionism
Theory & Psychology, Vol. 11, No. 3,
347-362 (2001) This article has been cited by other articles:
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