Contribution de la psychologie culturelle à la modélisation du développement

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the conceptual foundations of cross-cultural studies in the field of developmental psychology field within an historical perspective. We present the earlier theoretical conceptions of developmental diversity and their main orientations with the aim to understand the intertwined links between culture and development. The diversity of the theoretical frameworks provides an opportunity to get a finer view of the complexity of culture as related to development. Culture appears as multifaceted with several components; each of them potentially exerts an influence on one or another aspect of development. If many questions have found a theoretical answer, several debates are still open, like the specific influence or joint influence of biology and culture on development, or the concept of environment. New research questions emerge, such as culture and theory of mind, culture and developmental trajectories or historical changes. Finally, the cultural approach is vital for our understanding of child development in its fundamental dimensions.