Psychology of the Americas

Mestizo Perspectives on Personality and Mental Health

Manuel Ramirez, Arnold P. Goldstein

• Publisher: Pergamon
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780080263113
• eBook ISBN: 9781483153322
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Developmental Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Psychology of the Americas: Mestizo Perspectives on Personality and Mental Health presents the framework for a personality psychology and psychiatry of the Americas. This framework is based on the mestizo world view, a perspective that emerged from sociopolitical events which are unique to the development of many of the nations of the Americas. The word "mestizo" refers to the synthesis of native American and European people, cultures, and life styles. This book is divided into nine chapters and starts with a discussion of the concepts and principles of developmental, personality, community, and clinical psychology/psychiatry, which are reflected in the cultures of the indigenous peoples of North and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Considerable chapters offer some models that are based on the paradigms of diversity and synthesis, specifically a values/belief systems-cognitive styles framework based on research that has explored the relationship between traditionalism-modernism and cognitive styles. The specific models focus on individual development of pluralistic identities, the mental health of families coping with acculturation stress, person-environment fit of migrating individuals who are mismatched with institutions and agencies of the community, and on intergroup and international relations in situations of conflict. The remaining chapters deal with the tenets and assumptions of a psychology and psychiatry, including theories and approaches which differ in many respects from the European world view-based personality psychology and psychiatry of the past. This book is of value to psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, and students.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Psychology of the Americas: Mestizo Perspectives on Personality and Mental Health
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Chapter 1. A Psychology of the Americas
• Chapter 2. The Cultural and Philosophical Foundations of Mestizo Psychology and Psychiatry
• Chapter 3. Social Science Foundations of a Mestizo Theory of Personality and Psychiatry
• Chapter 4. A Mestizo Theory of Personality Psychology and Psychiatry
• Chapter 5. Research Methods and the Mestizo World View
• Chapter 6. Coping with Diversity in the Americas: The Need to Integrate Mestizo and European Research Approaches and Methodologies
• Chapter 7. The Mestizo World View and Mental Health in the Americas
• Holistic Views of Health and Maladjustment
• Good Relations with the Physical and Social Environments
• Religion, Spiritualism, and Health: Good Relations with the Supernatural
• Curanderos(as), Espiritistas, and Medicine Men: Mediating between the Person and the Supernatural
• Models for Understanding and Promoting Mental Health in the Americas
• A Neighborhood-Based, Culture-Responsive Model for Bicultural/Multicultural Stress
• Chapter 8. Coping with Change and Improving Intergroup and International Relations in the Americas: Applications of Mestizo Psychology
• Chapter 9. Conclusion
• Appendix
• Name Index
• Subject Index
• About the Author
• Pergamon General Psychology Series Titles