The book "Lives across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development" focuses upon the human development from different cultures' perspective. There have been various similarities and differences amongst the cultures throughout the world. The author has provided the theoretical and application view of the cross-cultural function across the book. There are various stories and personal experiences narrated, on the basis of which we can determine the importance of various cultures in this world. The author through his humorous and conversational tone has created an exciting experience for the readers in this book. I shall be describing certain concepts, wherein I found difficulty in understanding it as well as found easy to understand it. There are occasions while going through this book, when we feel confused and not able to get what the author is trying to say.
The sentence, which focuses upon the concept of cross-cultural psychology and how it affects the mental process of an individual, seems to be difficult in understanding it. People all around the world are speaking different languages, are following different cultures, and are following different tradition; but, it does not mean that, it will be affecting the mental process of understanding for any given individual around the world (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2010). However, one can find issues with conceptions of the self, affect, psychopathology, cognition, and depression while understanding the development of the human across the different cultures around the world. The social cohesion and social behavior will definitely get changed, when an individual leaves his local community and joins an unknown or strange community (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2010). His way of behaving and reacting will totally change in such community. So, in that sense, we might find that, there are some impacts on the mental process of thinking and understanding for a given individual.
The concept which I found interesting as well as easy to understand was the cognitive development. In this concept, we can find the development of the child in terms of conceptual resources, information processing, language learning, perceptual skill and other aspects of cognitive psychology and brain development. Any child belonging to any community or culture will be learning what he observes to, what he listens to, and what he interprets to (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2010). And, this is the reason, due to which, he will be learning the language, behaviors, and other forms of understanding from his parents, friends, relatives, and peers of his community. There will not be any major difference between a given child and rest all the people of his community. The cognitive development, thereby, takes place, right from the childhood and continues throughout the life span.
Reference
Gardiner, H.W., and Kosmitzki, C. (2010). Lives across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
