Human Autonomy in Cross-Cultural Context (eBook)

Valery Chirkov received his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Rochester, Rochester NY. He is an associate professor in Culture and Human Development and Applied Social Psychology programs in the Department of Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK. His research interests concern the application of self-determination theory of human motivation in cross-cultural research, psychology of immigration and acculturation, culture and well-being.

Contents 5
Contributors 7
About the Authors 9
1 Introduction: The Struggle for Happiness and Autonomy in Cultural and Personal Contexts: An Overview 15
Why Are We Writing This Book 15
A Brief History of the Views Regarding the Importance of Autonomy for Human Happiness 16
Autonomy and the Good (Moral) Life in the Confucian Ethics 20
Autonomy, Agency, and Happiness in the South Asian Cultural Context 23
Happiness, Human Autonomy, and Self-Determination in Modern Psychology 28
A Deterministic Trend in Modern Psychology 29
Social Constructionism in Modern Psychology and the Question of Human Agency and Happiness 30
The Humanistic Trend in Modern Psychology 34
A Short Review of the Chapters 36
Part I A Theoretical Context of Human Autonomy and People's Flourishing 36
Part II Human Autonomy Across Cultures and Domains of Life: Health, Education, Interpersonal Relationships, and Work 38
Part III. Human Autonomy in Modern Economy, Democracy Development, and Sustainability 39
References 41
Part I A Theoretical Context of Human Autonomy, Peoples Well-Being, and Happiness 45
2 Positive Psychology and Self-Determination Theory: A Natural Interface 46
Positive Psychology 46
Self-Determination Theory 48
SDT in Application: An Empirical Example 50
Implications 51
Relevance of the SDT Analysis for PP Theorists and Practitioners I: Supporting Autonomy 52
Relevance of the SDT Analysis for PP Theorists and Practitioners II: Assessing and Supporting Needs 54
Cross-Cultural Application of SDT 54
References 56
3 A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Social, Institutional, Cultural, and Economic Supports for Autonomy and Their Importance for Well-Being 58
Happiness and Well-Being Debated 59
Happiness and Wellness Defined 60
Basic Needs Underlying Wellness 61
Autonomy as a Key to Wellness 62
Autonomy and Relatedness: Their Dynamic Interplay 66
Differential Aspirations: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Life Goals 68
Social Contexts, Need Satisfaction, Autonomy, and Intrinsic Aspirations 70
Summary 72
References 73
4 Dialectical Relationships Among Human Autonomy, the Brain, and Culture 78
The Nature of the Arguments Around Human Autonomy and Happiness 79
A Conceptual Framework 80
Evolutionary and Biological Basis of Human Autonomy 82
The Systems and Organismic Approach to Autonomy as an Emergent Property 84
The Brain, Frontal Lobes, and Human Autonomy 86
The Role of Culture and Society in Shaping Human Autonomy, Well-Being, and Their Relations 88
Cultures of Horizontality and Verticality in Promoting Autonomy and Self-Determination 90
The Empirical Support of the Cross-National Universality of the Relations of Autonomy and Happiness 94
Conclusion 98
References 99
Part II Human Autonomy Across Cultures and Domains of Life: Health, Education, Interpersonal Relationships, and Work 105
5 The Role of Autonomy in Promoting Healthy Dyadic, Familial, and Parenting Relationships Across Cultures 106
Autonomy and Openness Vs. Defensiveness 107
Need Fulfillment in Close Relationships 109
Autonomy and Interpersonal Conflict 111
Parental Autonomy Support 112
Autonomy and Relational Well-Being Across Cultures 114
References 118
6 Do Social Institutions Necessarily Suppress Individuals Need for Autonomy The Possibility of Schools as Autonomy-Promoting Contexts Across the Globe 122
What Makes a Social Institution Controlling 124
Do Social Institutions Necessarily Need to Be Controlling 125
Can Hierarchical Social Institutions Be Both Smooth Functioning and Noncontrolling 129
Can Hierarchical Schools Be Truly Autonomy Supportive 130
What Would an Autonomy-Promoting School Look Like 131
It Would Be Designed to Satisfy Students' Psychological Need for Autonomy 131
What Would an Autonomy-Promoting School Look Like 136
It Would Create Frequently Recurring Opportunities for Students to Experience Autonomy During Learning Activities 136
Are Autonomy-Promoting Schools Cross-Culturally Feasible 138
References 139
7 Physical Wellness, Health Care, and Personal Autonomy 144
Systematic Search of the Literature 146
Inclusion Criteria 146
Exclusion Criteria 146
Personal Autonomy and Tobacco Outcomes 147
Diabetes Self-Management 149
Medication Adherence and Use 150
Substance Use and Abuse 151
Autonomy and Other Medical, Surgical, and Dental Outcomes 152
Personal Autonomy and Physical Activity/Exercise1 153
Autonomy and Weight Regulation 158
Personal Autonomy and Dietary Behavior 160
Are There Subgroups Who Express Greater Preference for Expert Recommendations? 164
Summary Personal Autonomy and Dietary Behavior 165
Overall Summary 166
References 168
8 Autonomy in the Workplace: An Essential Ingredient to Employee Engagement and Well-Being in Every Culture 174
Conceptualizations of Autonomy 175
Theoretical Frameworks 177
Employee Engagement 180
Individual Performance 181
Well-Being 181
Organizational Practices 182
Autonomous Work Groups 182
Participative Management 184
New Work Arrangements 186
Future Avenues 188
References 189
Part III Human Autonomy in Modern Economy, Democracy Development, and Sustainability 199
9 Capitalism and Autonomy 200
Value Conflicts 203
Controlled, Non-autonomous Regulation of ACCs Ideology 208
Behaviors and Institutions 208
Personal Behaviors 209
Institutional Dynamics 210
Conclusion 212
References 213
10 Economy, Peoples Personal Autonomy, and Well-Being 216
Introduction 216
The Divergence Between Economic Growth and Peoples Well-Being 218
The Facts 218
The Explanations in the Happiness Economics 221
Personal Autonomy: Placing a Psychological Concept into Economics 223
Economic Growth, the Erosion of Personal Autonomy, and Well-Being 227
The Explanation Based on the Deterioration of Personal Autonomy 227
The Integration Among Explanations 232
Policy 234
References 238
11 The Development of Conceptions of Personal Autonomy, Rights, and Democracy, and Their Relation to Psychological Well-Being 249
Conceptions of Personal Autonomy, Freedoms, and Rights 250
Democratic Participation and Voice 256
Autonomy, Democratic Participation, and Well-Being 259
Conclusions 261
References 262
12 Personal Autonomy and Environmental Sustainability 265
The Concept of Environmental Sustainability 265
Psychological Sciences Response to a Sustainable Environment 266
SDT and the Motivation for Pro-environmental Behaviors 269
Quality of Motivation and the Occurrence of PEB 270
Motivation for More and Less Difficult PEBs 270
The Search for Information About Health Risks 272
Determinants of Motivation for PEB 274
The Influence of Government Policies 275
The Influence of Information on Environmental Issues 276
Conclusion: Toward Sustainable Development 280
References 281
Index 286