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Abstract

The multiple meanings of the ill-defined and amorphous notion of "culture" have been analysed. Diverse and vague definitions of culture and complete lack of agreement regarding its meaning led some scholars to de-emphasise the quest for psychological universals. Historically, the rise of cross-cultural psychology was due to certain profes sional conditions such as the availability of funds for large-scale projects and mobility of scholars from one culture to another. This professional opportunity spawned ill- conceived specialties of cross-cultural psychology and indigenous psychology, based on hasty and invalid assumptions. An effort has been made to highlight the need to go back to this search for universals which play a very significant role in the development of and determining human behaviour.

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Culture as a Psychological Construct

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