Social Ecology and Cultural Neuroscience WF-PS-SECN-ER

I will start by briefly overviewing the cultural psychological studies and the inherent limitation in the field –its descriptive nature and reliance on performance based noisy measure. I then teach the new lines of research continuing and evolving the quest for understanding the mutual constitution between cultural ideas and psychological mechanisms. Socio-ecological approach narrows down the concept of culture to its essential socio-ecological level antecedents directly impacting the individual and give rise to cultural psyche and behaviour. Cultural neuroscience approach attempts to dig deeper into the neural underpinnings as well as gene-environmental interaction, in order to find the trace of cultural training of our malleable biological physiology.
For the 1st unit, brief history of cultural psychology and its shortcomings will be introduced. After the 2nd unit, the new lines of research will be lectured. Specifically, the 2nd unit will introduce evolution of societies, the 3rd and 4th unit will introduce socio-ecological environment responsible for collective survival. The 5th will introduce the idea of socio-ecological psychology, and 6th to 7th will be devoted for discussing about recent evidence in line with the idea. The 8th will introduce the idea of malleability --of neural structure in response to environmental requirements. The 9th will be used to introduce the idea of cultural neuroscience. The 10th to 11th will be devoted for the neuroscientific approach to cultural self. The 12th through 14th will be devoted for the neuroscientific approach to culture and well-being. The final class will be used for the final test.
We first tap into the socio-ecological factors that are nominated up to date and are considered to be the antecedent to independence and interdependence of the self. Specifically, I present evidence comparing regions within nations, and experimental studies that manipulated the social factors to see resulting change in individuals’ cultural psyche. I will then discuss on the recent neuroscientific, as well as gene-environmental interaction studies that delineates how our biological makeup is also a function of socio-environmental requirements and thus a function of behaviors practiced on a daily basis operated to solve those requirements. Concept of brain plasticity and methylation will be briefly introduced and will be discussed in relation to socio-ecological factors that are considered to be historically relevant in shaping our psyche through sustenance of health and group survival therein.