Psychology of the Americas

Psychology of the Americas: Mestizo Perspectives on Personality and Mental Health presents the framework for a personality psychology and psychiatry of the Americas. This framework is based on the mestizo world view, a perspective that emerged from sociopolitical events which are unique to the development of many of the nations of the Americas. The word "mestizo" refers to the synthesis of native American and European people, cultures, and life styles. This book is divided into nine chapters and starts with a discussion of the concepts and principles of developmental, personality, community, and clinical psychology/psychiatry, which are reflected in the cultures of the indigenous peoples of North and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Considerable chapters offer some models that are based on the paradigms of diversity and synthesis, specifically a values/belief systems-cognitive styles framework based on research that has explored the relationship between traditionalism-modernism and cognitive styles. The specific models focus on individual development of pluralistic identities, the mental health of families coping with acculturation stress, person-environment fit of migrating individuals who are mismatched with institutions and agencies of the community, and on intergroup and international relations in situations of conflict. The remaining chapters deal with the tenets and assumptions of a psychology and psychiatry, including theories and approaches which differ in many respects from the European world view-based personality psychology and psychiatry of the past. This book is of value to psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, and students.