Political Psychology: Cultural and Cross-Cultural Foundations

Military force transforms political institutions, branches of government continually battle for power and position, leaders rise and leaders fall, but the key to the dynamics of these phenomena-the psychology of our political leaders, and that underlying most political processes-remains one of the most understudied aspects of political life.

New political forces, such as the trend toward globalization, have resulted in an ever growing need to understand the relationship between psychology, culture and politics. Drawing together essays by an international group of scholars from the fields of psychology, anthropology and political science, Political Psychology explores how cultural and political psychology shapes a wide range of contemporary issues.

Whether addressing societies and cultures comparatively, as in the cases of South America or Eastern Europe, or examining countries such as Japan and South Africa in isolation, the scholars gathered broach such issues as international and cross-cultural conflicts, cultural diversity, human rights, social stratification, and cultural shifts in the course of political changes.

By revealing how individual and public psychology alike intersect with politics and culture, Political Psychology analyzes the complex relationships that arise, and provides the conceptual means for effecting lasting social change.