Carl Ratner

Director

Institute for Cultural Research

and Education

P.O. Box 1294, Trinidad, CA. 95570, USA

Email Carl Ratner

   

 

 

 
 
 
   
               

 

 

 

                     
 
RESEARCH INTERESTS
 
PUBLICATIONS
 
SPEECHES SEMINARS
 
EMPLOYMENT
 

AWARDS

 
                       
 
EDITORIAL BOARDS
  VISITING SCHOLAR POSITIONS     EDUCATION  
COMMUNITY SERVICE
 
 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

 

SOCIAL SCIENCE DESIGN & ANALYSIS

CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

VYGOTSKY

ACTIVITY THEORY

QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY

DIALECTICS

BOURDIEU

SOCIAL HISTORY

 

 

PUBLICATIONS


Books:

 

Macro Cultural Psychology: A Political Philosophy of Mind. Oxford University Press. Forthcoming, 2010

Cooperative Behavior: Its Cultural Psychology, Social Philosophy, and Politics. Springer. Forthcoming.

Cultural Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology, and Indigenous Psychology. Nova. 2008.

Cultural Psychology: A Perspective on Psychological Functioning and Social Reform. Erlbaum, 2006.


Cultural Psychology: Theory and Method. Springer/Plenum, 2002

Cultural Psychology and Qualitative Methodology: Theoretical & Empirical Considerations. Springer/Plenum, 1997

Vygotsky's Sociohistorical Psychology & Its Contemporary Applications. Springer/Plenum, 1991 (published in Portuguese by Artes Medicas, Brazil; 1995)

 

Articles

 

Macro Cultural Psychology. In Jaan Valsiner (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Culture and Psychology. Oxford University Press. 2012.


Cultural Psychology. In Robert Rieber (Ed.). Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories. Springer, 2010.

Harre’s social philosophy and political philosophy: A social scientific critique. Journal for The Theory of Social Behaviour, 2009, 39, 4, 448-465.

Cultural Psychology and Qualitative Methodology: Scientific and Political Considerations. Culture and Psychology, 2008, 14, 3, pp. 259-288..

Subjectivism. Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Sage, 2008.

Methodological Individualism and Holism. Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Sage, 2008


Objectivism. Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Sage, 2008

Reductionism. Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Sage, 2008..

A Macro Cultural-Psychological Theory of Emotions. In P. Schultz, & R. Pekrun (Eds.). Emotions in Education (pp. 85-100). Academic Press. 2007..

The Cooperative Manifesto: Social Philosophy, Economics, and Psychology for Cooperative Behavior, Journal of Co-operative Studies, 2007, 40, 3 (#121), 14-26, .

 

Contextualism versus Positivism in Cross-Cultural Psychology. In G. Zheng, K. Leung, & J. Adair (Eds), Perspectives and progress in contemporary cross-cultural psychology. Beijing: China Light Industry Press, 2006, pp. 35-48..

Epistemological, Social, and Political Conundrums in Social Constructionism. Forum Qualitative Social Research, Oct.. 2006, vol.6, #3.

Vygotsky's Conception of Psychological Development. In R. Rieber & D. Robinson (Eds.), The Essential Vygotsky (pp. 401-413). NY: Kluwer/Plenum, 2004.

Genes and Psychology in the News. New Ideas in Psychology, 2004, 22, 29-47.

A Cultural Critique of Psychological Explanations of Terrorism. Cross-Cultural Psychology Bulletin, 2004, vol. 38, #1-2, pp. 18-24.

Theoretical and Methodological Problems in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 2003, 33, 67-94.


Subjectivity and Objectivity in Qualitative Methodology
. Forum Qualitative Social Research, 2002, 3 (3).

Analyzing Cultural-Psychological Themes in Narratives. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 2001, vol.. 2, #3


Activity Theory and Cultural Psychology 
In C. Moore & H. Mathews (Eds.), The Psychology of Cultural Experience. Cambridge University Press, 2001, pp. 68-80.


A Cultural-Psychological Analysis of Emotions. Culture And Psychology, 2000, 6, 5-39.


Agency and Culture. Journal for The Theory of Social Behavior, 2000, 30, 413-434.


Outline of A Coherent, Comprehensive Concept of Culture. Cross-Cultural Psychology Bulletin, 2,000, 34, 1 & 2, pp. 5-11.


(with Mruck, Katja, & Breuer, Franz). Introduction. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal] June, 2000, 1,(2).


Introduction, Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 2000, vol. 38, no. 3

Three Approaches To Cultural Psychology: A Critique. Cultural Dynamics, 1999, 11, 7-31.


The Historical and Contemporary Significance of Vygotsky's Sociohistorical Psychology 
In R. Rieber and K. Salzinger (Eds.), Psychology: Theoretical-Historical Perspectives. 
Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association. 1998, pp. 455-473 

Prologue. Vygotsky's Collected Works, vol. 5. New York: Plenum. 1998.

In Defense of Activity Theory. Culture and Psychology, 1997, 3, 211-223   

Vygotsky, The Einstein of Psychology (In Spanish).  Psicologia Y Ciencia Social, 1, 55-61, 1997. 

Solidifying Qualitative Methodology . J. Social Distress & the Homeless, 1996, 5, 319-326 

Activity as A Key Concept for Cultural Psychology.  Culture & Psychology, 1996, 2, 407-434.

 
The Unconscious: A Perspective from Sociohistorical Psychology.  J. of Mind and Behavior, 1994, 15, 323-342. 

Review of Van der Veer & Valsiner, Understanding Vvgotsky. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 1993, 29, 272-274.

 
Review of D'Andrade & Strauss, Human Motives and Cultural Models. Journal of Mind and Behavior, 1993, 14, 89-94.

 
A sociohistorical approach to contextualism. 
In S. Hayes (Ed.), Varieties of Contextualism, pp. 169-186. Reno: Context Press, 1993. 


Contributions of Sociohistorical Psychology and Phenomenology to ResearchMethodology. 
In H. Stam (Ed.), Recent Trends in Theoretical Psychology, Vol. III, pp. 503-510. New York: Springer, 1993. 


Review of J. Hamill, Ethnologic: The Anthropology of Human Reasoning.  J. Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1992, 23, 267-268. 


Cultural Variation in Cognitive Processes from a Sociohistorical Point of View.  J. Mind & Behavior, 1991, 12, 281-296. 


Concretizing the Concept 'Social Stress.  J. of Social Distress and Homelessness, 1991, 1, 1, 7-22. 


Ecologically Relevant Stimuli and Color Memory. J. General Psychology, 1990, 117, 369-377. 


A Social Constructionist Critique of Naturalistic Theories of Emotion. J. Mind and Behavior, 1989, 10, 211-230. 


A Sociohistorical Critique of Naturalistic Theories of Color Perception
.  J. Mind and Behavior, 1989, 10, 361-372. 


Psychology's Relation to Biology.  In Baker, et. al, Recent Trends in Theoretical Psychology, New York: Springer, 1988.

 
Subjective Errors in Objective Methodology.  Contemporary Social Psychology, 1987, 12, 2, 127-129. 


The 1984 Convention of the Chinese Psychological Society.  New Ideas in Psychology, 1985, 3, 229-232. 


The History and Current Situation of American Social Psychology
  (in Chinese). Chinese Social Science, 1984, 2, 213-233. 


The Family and Personal Relations (in Chinese), Intl. Sociology (J. of Sociology Institute, Chinese Academy Social Sciences) 1984, 5, 54-57

 
On Developing Sociology. (in Chinese), Society, 1983, 1, 45-48.

 
Self and Society (in Chinese), New Search (J. Psych. Instit., Chinese Academy of Sciences),1983, 2, 52-58. 

The American Sexual Revolution  (in Chinese), Family, 1983, 10

 
Do Studies on Identical Twins Prove that Schizophrenia is Genetically Inherited?

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1982, 28, 3, 175-178. 


A Review of the Literature on Schizophrenia and Genetics (in Chinese). Acta Psychologica Sinica, 1 & 2, 1980. 


Mental Illness in the People's Republic of China  Voices: Journal of American Academy of Psychotherapists, 1970, 14, 4, 80-84. 


The Critical Psychology of R. D. Laing.  Telos, Vol. 5, 1970, 98-114 


Commitment to Self-Appraisal and Interpersonal Evaluations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1967, 6, 5, 442-447. 
 


TRANSLATION (Chinese to English): 
" The Definition of 'Nation' and the Formation of the Han Nationality," 
Social Sciences in China, 1983, 4, 2, 167-188.

 

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SPEECHES AND SEMINARS

 

The Cultural Psychology of Oppression and Liberation. Keynote Address. Interamerican Congress of Psychology (32nd). Guatemala City, Guatemala. June 29, 2009.

Macro Cultural Psychology: A Framework for Understanding the Relation between Culture & Psychology. International Congress of Psychology. Berlin, July, 2008.

A Cultural-Historical vs. A Romantic View of Agency. International Congress of Psychology. Berlin, July, 2008.

Cultural Psychology and Qualitative Methodology. Workshop, University of Costa Rica. March 23-April 2, 2008..

Qualitative Methodology, Social Constructionism, Postmodernism, and Science. Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM). Oct. 15, 2007.

Cultural Psychology of Oppression and Social Reform. International Congress on Intervention and Community Praxis. Guernavaca, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2007.

Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Psychology, Macro Cultural Psychology, and Qualitative Research Methodology. Semiinar at the University of Rome, May 5-16, 2007.

Human Psychology is Quintessentially Cultural. Darwin Said So, Sort of. Keynote address at the Indian National Academy of Psychology. Mumbai, Dec. 16, 2006.

National Workshop on Cultural Psychology: Theories and Methods, Nov. 15-20, 2006, New Delhi, India. Co-organizer.

Three Approaches to Culture and Psychology: A Comparison of Cultural Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology, and Indigenous Psychology. Keynote Address at Indian National Workshop on Cultural Psychology: Theories and Methods, Nov. 15, 2006, New Delhi, India.

Qualitative Methodology and the Analysis of Context. University of Morelos, Mexico, July 2-7, 2006.

Hermeneutics And Qualitative Methodology, Center for Survey Research & Methodology, Mannheim, Germany, June 22-23, 2005.

Contextualism and Atomism in Cross-Cultural Psychology, German Institute for International Educational Research, Frankfurt, Germany, June 24, 2005.

Fulfilling The Promise of Cultural-Historical Psychology: Articulating The Historical Dimension of Mind. Penn State University, Center for Language Acquisition. Feb. 10, 2005.

Contextualism in Cross-Cultural Psychology: A Corrective to Positivism. Keynote address to the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Aug. 3, 2004, Xian, China.
Sexuality in Socio-Historical Perspective. International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Aug. 3, 2004, Xian, China.

The Cultural Nature of Mind: Scientific, Political, and Personal Considerations. Keynote address at the Mexican National Conference for Psychological Research & Education, Mazatlan, Mexico; March 31, 2004.

Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Sociocultural Psychology. University of Campinas, and Catholic University of Goiana, Brazil. Nov. 27-28, 2003.


Hermeneutic Procedures to Improve Questionnaire Research. 2-day workshop at Zentrum für Umfragen, Methoden und Analysen (ZUMA) [Center for Survey Research & Methodology] Mannheim, Germany; July 2-3, 2003.


The Reception, Distortion, and Resuscitation of Vygotsky's Work. International Society for Theoretical Psychology. June, 2003, Istanbul, Turkey.


Politics, Culture, and Psychology. International Society for Theoretical Psychology. June, 2003, Istanbul, Turkey.


The Science and Politics of Conceptions of Self and Agency. Society for Research in Child Development. Minneapolis, April, 2001


Cultural Psychology: Theory & Method, University of Konstanz, Germany, May 21, 2001


A Selective Integration of Positivistic and Qualitative Methodologies for Cultural Psychology, Institute for Culture Studies, Essen, Germany, May 17-19, 2001.


Historical Aspects of the Sociocultural Psychological Approach. University of Rome, June 1, 2001.


Cultural Psychology, Vygotsky’s Activity Theory, and Qualitative Methodology. Seminar at University of Mexico (UNAM) January 10-28, 2000.


Organizer of the Symposium: Positivistic and Qualitative Methodologies in Cross-Cultural Psychological Research. International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Warsaw, Poland, July, 2000.


The scientific status of positivism and qualitative methodology. International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Warsaw, Poland, July, 2000.


Qualitative Methodology for Ethno-psychology. Mexican Congress of Social Psychology. Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 25-27, 2000.


Seminar at Academica Sinica, Taiwan, on Cultural Psychology, Dec. 4-14, 2000.


The Past, Present, and Future of Activity Theory. Hominis conference, Havana Cuba, Nov. 1-7, 1999


Chair of Symposium, Interpretive Methods in Cross-Cultural Psychological Research. International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Bellingham, Washington, August 1998.


Objectivity and Interpretive Methods in Cross-Cultural Psychological Research. International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Bellingham, Washington, August 1998.


Three Approaches to Cultural Psychology: A Synthesis. International Society for Theoretical Psychology, Berlin. German, April 1997.


Qualitative Methodology and Cross-Cultural Psychology. International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Pamplona, Spain, July 1994.


Vygotsky's Contribution to Cognitive Psychology, Seminar at the Institute for Psychological Studies, Guadalajara, Mexico, Feb. 1993.

Qualitative Methodology and Positivistic Methodology. International Society for Theoretical Psychology, Paris, May 1993.

The Functional Autonomy of Psychology from Biology, International Congress of Psychology, Brussels, 1992.


The Importance of Qualitative Methodology for Cross-Cultural Psychology, International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Belgium, 1992.


The Importance of Qualitative Research Methodology for Cultural Psychology, American Psychological Association, August 1991.


Vygotsky's Conception of Consciousness & Its Implications for Psychological Change, Interamerican Congress of Psychology, Costa Rica, 1991.


Contributions of Sociohistorical Psychology and Phenomenology to Research Methodology, International Society for Theoretical Psychology, 1991.


A Dialectical Interpretation of the Relation between Social Conditions and Consciousness, American Psychological Association, Aug. 1990.


Cognitive Universals from the Perspective of a Cultural Relativist, American Anthropological Association, Nov. 1989.


Chair of Symposium: Reconstructing Psychology's Conception of the Individual, Western Psychological Association, April 1988

.
A Lesson from the Natives on Reconstructing Psychology's Conception of the Individual, Western Psychological Association, April 1988.


Vygotsky's Conception of Consciousness as an Alternative to Nativism and Empiricism, International Society for the History of the Behavioral Sciences, Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 1988.


The Relation of Biology to Psychology, International Society for Theoretical Psychology, Canada, May 1987.


Vygotsky's Sociogenetic Psychology as a Theoretical System, American Psychological Association, New York, September 1987.


Psychology and Psychiatry in China, Chulalongkorn University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry Colloquium, Bangkok, Thailand, 1/2/86.


Chair and Moderator on Symposium, Implications of Individualism for Social Science and Social Policy, Western Social Science Association, April 1986.


Chair and Moderator of Symposium, Perspectives on Social Psychology: Theory, Methods, History, and Alternatives, Western Social Science Association, 1985.


Counseling and Family Problems, Chinese Psychological Counseling Association, Peking, China, 12/25/85.


How Psychologists Study Culture, Institute for South East Asian Culture, Bangkok, Thailand, 1/2/85.


Toward a Social Model of Social Psychology, Western Social Science Association, 4/84.


Can Social Science be Scientific? American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division, 6/84.


Errors in Social Psychology Research: How to Avoid Them, Chinese Psychology Society, Peking, Dec. 4, 1984.The Present Situation of American Social Psychology, Guangdong Social Psychology Society, 3/26/83.

Social Psychology and Social Development, Shanghai Psychological Society, 3/24/82.


Social Psychology and Social Development: The Case of China, International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 7/82, Scotland.


The Family as Mirror of Society, American Psychological Association, 8/81.


Psychology and Social Development, Chinese Psychological Society, 12/81, Peking.


Do Studies on Identical Twins Prove that Schizophrenia is Inherited, Western Psychological Association, 5/80.


Psychology in the People's Republic of China, American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 5/80.


Approaches to Social Science, Pacific Sociological Association, 3/76.


Dialectics and Social Psychology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 12/71, Philadelphia.

 

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EDUCATION


1970 Ph.D., Social Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo
1964 B.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin

 

 

EMPLOYMENT


1999-present Director of The Institute for Cultural Research and Education
1980-1999 Professor of Psychology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA.
1974-1979 Associate Professor of Psychology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA.
1968-1973 Assistant Professor of Psychology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA.
1964 New York City Dept. of Welfare case worker

 

 

VISITING SCHOLAR POSITIONS

 

Oct. 2005 Center for Language Acquisition, Penn State University.

June 2005, Center for Survey Research & Methodology, Mannheim, Germany
8/95-12/95 Stanford University, School of Education
1988-89 Laboratory for Comparative Human Cognition, University of California, San Diego
5/81-2/82 Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking, China
9/82-2/83 Peking University Sociology Department
2/83-7/83 Guangzhow Teacher's College Educational Institute

 

AWARDS

 

2006-2007 Fulbright Lecture Fellowship to Nehru University, New Delhi, India

2006, National Selection Committee, India Fulbright Comomission (USEFI), to select Indian Fulbrighters to the U.S.

Oct. 2005 Visiting Scholar Fellowship, Penn State University
1995 Dutch grant to lecture at University of Nijmegen
1992 Fulbright Fellowship to University of East London, England.
1990 Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise Award, Humboldt State University.
1988 Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise Award, Humboldt State University.
1984 Social Science Research Council Grant to deliver paper at Chinese Psychology Society Convention, Peking.
1964-68 United States Public Health Fellow, SUNY at Buffalo

 

EDITORIAL POSITIONS


1994-2003  Culture and Psychology Editorial Board


2000-present  Forum: Qualitative Social Research (On-line journal), Editorial Board


2001 Co-Editor (with Jaan Valsiner, and Juergen Straub), Forum: Qualitative Social Research, vol.. 5: Qualitative Methods and Cultural Research.


2000 Co-editor (with Franz Breuer, Katja Mruck). Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 1(2),. Available at: http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-eng.htm


2000 Guest Editor, Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 2000, vol. 38, no. 3: The Psychology of Art


1992-1999 Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness, Editorial Board


1984-1989 Contemporary Social Psychology, Editorial Board


1974-1976 Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, Editorial Board

 

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

 

2004-2007  North Coast Cooperative Board of Directors, member, and Vice President (2005-2007)
2000-2008  Coop Community Fund, President
1995-1999 Trinidad, Ca. school board
1975-1981 North Coast Coop board of directors
1972-1974 Consultant, Humboldt Open Door Clinic

 

 

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