Richard Shweder
Encyclopedia
Richard A. Shweder, is an American cultural anthropologist and a significant figure in cultural psychology
. He received his B.A. in anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh
in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology
from Harvard University's
Department of Social Relations in 1972. He taught at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi
, Kenya
, for one year. Since 1973, he has been a faculty member at the University of Chicago
where he is currently professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development and in the Department of Psychology.
His main fieldwork outside the United States has been in the temple town of Bhubaneswar
in the state of Orissa
, India
. Among other topics, his fieldwork in India has looked at cross-cultural concepts of the person, self, emotions, and moral reasoning.
He has also published extensively on matters relevant to the "culture wars" debates in cultural studies
in the U.S., and has advocated forms of cultural pluralism
while being mindful of the practical and ethical difficulties certain kinds of pluralism entail. He chaired a joint Social Science Research Council/Russell Sage Foundation Working Group on "Ethnic Customs, Assimilation and American Law", concerned with the issue of the "Free exercise of culture: How Free Is It? How Free Ought It To Be?" He has also commented upon military uses of anthropology for counterinsurgency and other purposes outside of the United States.
He is a past president of the Society for Psychological Anthropology. He is the recipient of numerous academic awards and research grants.
Cultural psychology
Cultural psychology is a field of psychology which assumes the idea that culture and mind are inseparable, and that psychological theories grounded in one culture are likely to be limited in applicability when applied to a different culture...
. He received his B.A. in anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
from Harvard University's
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Department of Social Relations in 1972. He taught at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, for one year. Since 1973, he has been a faculty member at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where he is currently professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development and in the Department of Psychology.
His main fieldwork outside the United States has been in the temple town of Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
in the state of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Among other topics, his fieldwork in India has looked at cross-cultural concepts of the person, self, emotions, and moral reasoning.
He has also published extensively on matters relevant to the "culture wars" debates in cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
in the U.S., and has advocated forms of cultural pluralism
Cultural pluralism
Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities, and their values and practices are accepted by the wider culture. Cultural pluralism is often confused with Multiculturalism...
while being mindful of the practical and ethical difficulties certain kinds of pluralism entail. He chaired a joint Social Science Research Council/Russell Sage Foundation Working Group on "Ethnic Customs, Assimilation and American Law", concerned with the issue of the "Free exercise of culture: How Free Is It? How Free Ought It To Be?" He has also commented upon military uses of anthropology for counterinsurgency and other purposes outside of the United States.
He is a past president of the Society for Psychological Anthropology. He is the recipient of numerous academic awards and research grants.
Selected publications
- Shweder, Richard A., and Robert A. Levine, editors. (1984) Culture Theory: Essays on Mind, Self and Emotion. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Shweder, Richard A., and D.W. Fiske, editors. (1986) Metatheory in Social Science: Pluralisms and Subjectivities. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. (See also chapter 8 in Thinking through cultures, which is substantially the same text with minor amendments).
- Jessor, Richard, Anne Colby, and Richard Shweder, editors. (1996) Ethnography and Human Development: Context and Meaning in Social Inquiry. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
- Shweder, Richard A., Martha MinowMartha MinowMartha Louise Minow is the Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor of Law and the Dean of Harvard Law School. She teaches civil procedure, constitutional law, family law, international criminal justice, jurisprudence, law and education, nonprofit organizations, and the public law workshop...
, and Hazel Markus, editors. (2002) Engaging Cultural Differences: The Multicultural Challenge in Liberal Democracies. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press. - Shweder, Richard A., "Why do Men BarbecueBarbecueBarbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
?" (2002). - Shweder, Richard A. 2007. “A True Culture War.” The New York Times 10/27/07.
- Shweder, Richard A., editor, (2009) The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press