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The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique set of circumstances in which to investigate collective memory and future simulations of events reported during the onset of a potentially historic event. Between early April and late June 2020, we asked over 4,000 individuals from 15 countries across four continents to report on remarkable (a) national and (b) global events that (i) had happened since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, and (ii) they expected to happen in the future. Whereas themes of infections, lockdown, and politics dominated global and national past events in most countries, themes of economy, a second wave, and lockdown dominated future events. The themes and phenomenological characteristics of the events differed based on contextual group factors. First, across all conditions, the event themes differed to a small yet significant degree depending on the severity of the pandemic and stringency of governmental response at the national level. Second, participants reported national events as less negative and more vivid than global events, and group differences in emotional valence were largest for future events. This research demonstrates that even during the early stages of the pandemic, themes relating to its onset and course were shared across many countries, thus providing preliminary evidence for the emergence of collective memories of this event as it was occurring. Current findings provide a profile of past and future collective events from the early stages of the ongoing pandemic, and factors accounting for the consistencies and differences in event representations across 15 countries are discussed., Krystian Barzykowski was supported by the French Government Scholarship (`Campus France'), the National Science Centre, Poland (UMO-2019/35/B/HS6/00528) and the Bekker programme from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (no.: PPN/BEK/2019/1/00092/DEC/1). The Washington University in St. Louis collaboration (Dessenberger, Roediger, Tekin, and Uner) was supported by a grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation to HLR. A. Taylor gratefully acknowledges support from The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

The article is based on a conception of identity and self as a situated narrative construction in which memory plays a central role. To construct self-narratives, individuals internalise cultural master narratives in specific socio-cultural settings. For that reason, the analysis of self-identity needs to go beyond the individual to integrate interpersonal and socio-cultural levels, as well. Starting from this theoretical perspective, two studies of identity reconstruction of women facing situations of inequality and violence (lesbian women and women after gender-based violence) in Spain were examined. These two groups were confronted with gendered master narratives that place women in a subordinate situation. The two studies applied a similar methodology, based on the use of Bruner’s self-indicators. The analysis of the cases was focused on three issues: the dynamics of master versus alternative narratives in identity (re)construction and their relation to social reproduction and change, the need to consider the three levels of analysis (socio-cultural, interpersonal and individual) and the role of voice and silence in these processes. Finally, the involvement or memory in identity reconstruction was considered.

This article develops a theoretical approach to the study of identity narratives from the concept of the bordering process. The first section describes the theoretical concepts that sustain the proposal, in particular, the concept of border as a mediating artifact, the theoretical concept of the bordering process as a social practice, and finally, identity narratives and the dialogical perspective of the self. The second section analyzes the proposals and limitations of some studies on identity narratives in international borderlands. In the same section, we develop our theoretical proposal for studying border identity narratives, which attempts to overcome some limitations of previous studies and respond to the debate on the role of others in the construction of the self. We conclude that the inclusion of the border as a semiotic artifact and the bordering process in the construction of the self provide a new perspective of identity narratives as border narratives for the study of border experiences throughout human development.

Recent international literature has demonstrated that the public stigma suffered by women victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) makes them less likely to disclose the abuse and to seek help and has a negative influence on third-party responses, with professionals working in the judicial system and law enforcement agencies being particularly susceptible to its impact. The absence of theories explaining how this stigma works and the legal and cultural differences that exist between countries prompted us to explore the process by which professionals working in law enforcement and the judicial system in Spain stigmatize this specific group of victims. Constructivist grounded theory was used to establish meanings and relationships between the components and processes involved in stigmatization, based on the data collected from individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 professionals working in the aforementioned fields. In addition to the stigmatization that the interviewees claimed to have observed in coworkers, we also analyzed the conscious and/or unconscious stigmatization that they themselves exercised, which became evident during the course of the interview. The results confirmed the existence of stigma among professionals, with the said stigma often being unintentional and implicit in nature. The theoretical model that emerged from the data comprised four broad categories linked to the origin of the stigma, stigmatizing myths about victims and IPV, stigmatizing responses to victims who are seeking help, and the consequences of the stigma for the victims. In the study, we outline the associations observed between these factors and the subcategories included in each, and highlight the need to design training programs for professionals who are designed to fight against the stigma and which include self-analysis exercises as well as theoretical contents. We also discuss other implications of the results for both research and practice.

Migration can be understood as a breach in life experience, creating a transition, and identity narratives as a strategy to repair this breach. Our study focuses on how two classical dilemmas that characterize this process are navigated in the narrative of migration of the participant (An Ecuadorian migrant woman in Andalusia): self versus others, and continuity of the self over time, despite changes. A semi-structured interview was conducted to achieve the objectives of the study. The interview was transcribed and analyzed on three axes: 1) Migration settings, identifying the dominant spaces of interaction where the migration narrative takes place; 2) Migration I-positions and voices, identifying the I-positions and voices involved in the narrative; and 3) Continuities and discontinuities in the identity narrative. The results demonstrated that the main settings and positions in the narrative were related to nationality, gender, and religion in relation to the dilemmas of self versus others and continuity versus change. These positions help the participant negotiate self-continuity in front of the changes associated with migration and the resistance against xenophobic discourses and positions in the host country. Results support the analysis of the transition processes associated to migration based on the concept of proculturation.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique set of circumstances to investigate collective memory and future simulations of events reported during the onset of a potentially historic event. Between early April and late June, 2020, we asked over 4000 individuals from 15 countries across four continents to report on remarkable (a) national and (b) global events that (i) have happened since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, and (ii) they expect to happen in the future. Whereas themes of infections, lockdown, and politics dominated global and national past events in most countries, themes of economy, a second wave, and lockdown dominated future events. The themes and phenomenological characteristics of the events differed based on contextual group factors. First, across all conditions, the event themes differed to a small yet significant degree depending on the severity of the pandemic and stringency of governmental response at the national level. Second, participants reported national events as less negative and more vivid than global events, and group differences in emotional valence were largest for future events. This research demonstrates that even during the early stages of the pandemic, themes relating its onset and course were shared across many countries, thus, providing preliminary evidence for the emergence of collective memories of this event as it is occurring. Current findings provide a profile of past and future collective events from the early stages of the ongoing pandemic and factors accounting for the consistencies and differences in event representations across 15 countries are discussed.

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Several prominent scholars in the Social Sciences have defended the need for a new way of studying the relationship between culture and the individual. Over the last three decades, it has been common to find studies under the heading of Cultural Psychology (CP), which have focussed on the role of culture in historical and ontogenetic development. However, among the defenders of CP, there have been specific disagreements over theoretical and methodological aspects of the project. This lack of agreement is revealed by the different conceptions of the role of meaning and social practice in human psychological functioning. This paper aims is to analyze some different approaches to CP, and the role of meaning plays in its constitution. For us, the central claim of CP is that the human mind should be seen as inter-penetrated by intentional worlds that are culturally and historically situated, and this psychology must to study the ways psyche and culture; person and context, self and other, practitioner and practice live together, and jointly make each other up. In addition, CP has also identified the symbolic mediation of mind and culture as its analytical focus. Finally, we defend that culture and mind are to be treated as forms of culturally differentiated meaning practices. To make possible this enterprise, we propose the necessity to develop the notion of mediated and situated actions as a unit of analysis of Cultural Psychology.

This study will investigate the narratives related by the members of three different generations within two different families on their memories of the Franco dictatorship. The first generation liv...

Severe mental illnesses (SMI) in general, and schizophrenia in particular, have been characterized as alterations of the experience of self and identity. When first diagnosed with SMI, the subjective experiences and specific narrative challenges faced by this population are particularly important. Therefore, qualitative approaches which allow to analyze these subjective experiences should be developed. This article presents in detail a specific method, called Social Positioning Analysis, which makes the complexity of narratives and life stories with multiple turning points understandable. To develop this methodological proposal, it has been taken into account the performative aspects of social interaction in which narratives are constructed. The methodology has previously been used in other health contexts and is innovative in the field of mental health. Linguistic criteria, definitions, and multiple examples are included to facilitate its application, as well as some reflections about its potential and possible benefits. Los trastornos mentales graves (TMG) en general, y la esquizofrenia en particular, se han caracterizado como alteraciones de la experiencia del yo y de la identidad. Cuando se diagnostica por primera vez con TMG, las experiencias subjetivas y los desafíos narrativos específicos que enfrenta esta población son particularmente importantes. Por tanto, conviene desarrollar enfoques cualitativos que permitan analizar estas experiencias subjetivas. Este artículo presenta en detalle un método específico, denominado Social Positioning Analysis, que permite comprender la complejidad de las narrativas e historias de vida con múltiples puntos de inflexión. Para desarrollar esta propuesta metodológica se ha tenido en cuenta los aspectos performativos de la interacción social en los que se construyen dichas narrativas. La metodología ha sido utilizada previamente en otros contextos de salud y es innovadora en el campo de la salud mental. Se incluyen criterios lingüísticos, definiciones y múltiples ejemplos para facilitar su aplicación, así como algunas reflexiones sobre sus potenciales y posibles beneficios. Gobierno de España, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PSI2016–80112–P

Narrative identity can be understood as an evolving story of the self in which the reconstructed past, the current present, and the projected future are interwoven, allowing the development of a sense of unity and meaning-sense of self. These narratives of personal experiences are dynamic reflections of how people recall their experiences (autobiographical memories). At the same time, they are subjective constructions, with an objective impact. For example, remembering and narrating personal experiences prior to brain damage (aphasia), at the present time, or even anticipating future experiences can facilitate the development of a stronger sense of the self across time. When this ability to narrate and communicate personal experiences is damaged, this process is hindered. Language impairment impacts dramatically the person’s quality of life in different areas: personal relationships, work, the ability for constructing a strong sense of self, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, etc. The impact of aphasia on identity is frequently acknowledged, but only a limited number of studies have focused on narrative as a tool for understanding and researching this linguistic and communicative disability and its relationship with self-making processes. In our view, narrative can play a crucial role in these processes. When linguistic and communicative capacities of the individual are damaged by aphasia, the individual suffers a loss of identity. We are words, we define ourselves with words and when words are missing, our possibilities as human being are limited so that the very concept of the self is affected. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to analyse the relationship between self-descriptions and personal narratives of people with aphasia in different life periods, considering brain damage as a turning point. The study focuses on the analysis of the identity (re)construction process in people with acquired brain damage, as a consequence of which they have suffered different types of aphasia. We will describe this process by identifying and delimiting some aspects involved. For this, an instrument that explores the following aspects was used: (a) socio-demographic data; (b) narratives of a series of life experiences and events (a self-defining memory before brain, a memory after the brain damage, and, finally, a projection to the future). All these memories were referred to different life-domains: family, work, and leisure; and (c) an adapted and reduced version of the Twenty Statement Test (TST), a qualitative instrument to elicit self-descriptions. In this chapter we present the results of the TST (self-descriptions).

Cross-cultural differences in autobiographical memory (AM) are associated with cultural variations. In models of the self and parental reminiscing style, but not many studies have analysed the relationship between AM and specific cultural practices such as formal schooling. Theoreticians like [Greenfield, P. M. (2009). Linking social change and developmental change: Shifting. pathways of human development. Developmental Psychology, 45, 401–418. doi:10.1037/a0014726; Kağitçibaşi, C. (2005). Autonomy and relatedness in cultural context. Implications for self and family. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36, 403–422. doi:10.1177/0022022105275959] and [Keller, H. (2007). Children development across cultures. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates] have considered formal schooling as an engine towards the model of independence; however, the empirical evidence in this regard is inconclusive: while some studies found evidence of a relation between formal schooling and characteristics of AM, others did not. To solve this inconsistency, the present study compared orally narrated childhood memories of Mexican adults with three different levels of education (from rudimentary literacy to university). Results support a relationship between formal schooling and AM in the predicted direction: More educated participants reported longer, more specific and more self-oriented memories than those with less schooling experience did. Some gender differences were also observed, with males generally reporting more individually and less socially oriented memories than females, except for university level participants. We conclude that these results support Greenfield’s theory about formal schooling as a sociocultural factor that promotes the cultural pathway to independence, as well as complexity and context-boundedness of gender differences in AM.

Introduction: This work is based on a larger project that studies the identity of border people on the Ceuta/Tétouan border. The objectives include the definition of this group and the creation of an instrument to examine its process of identity construction in this scenario. Method: In the collection of data to define this population, various sources of information were used and a network of key informants was created. Regarding the second goal, three volunteers participated in a pilot test of the instrument, and four researchers in its creation and assessment. Results: For the first aim, our proposal involved grouping the distinct collectives into three categories: people who frequently cross the border; those who occasionally cross it; and people who do not cross. An autobiographical semi-structured interview and a field notebook of the interviews were created as a result of the second goal. Conclusions: This type of work requires a sensitive approach to the context under study that considers the socio-political conditions and also requires support from knowledgeable informants for the introduction of the researchers. Introducción: Este trabajo es parte de un proyecto que estudia la construcción identitaria de las personas de ambos lados de la frontera entre Ceuta y Tetuán. Los objetivos fueron definir dicho colectivo y crear un instrumento para abordar la construcción identitaria fronteriza. Método: Se utilizaron diversas fuentes de información y se creó una red de informantes clave para la recolección de datos. Para el segundo objetivo, participaron tres colaboradores en una prueba piloto y cuatro investigadores en su evaluación. Resultados: Se agrupó a los diversos colectivos en tres categorías: personas que cruzan habitualmente la frontera, aquellos que lo hacen ocasionalmente, y personas que no cruzan. Igualmente, se creó una entrevista semi-estructurada autobiográfica y un cuaderno de campo para las entrevistas. Conclusión: Este tipo de trabajo requiere una aproximación sensible al contexto que se estudia, considerando los condicionantes socio-políticos y apoyado por informantes conocedores del mismo que introduzcan a los investigadores. Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España Programa de Formación del Profesorado Universitario–FPU

Research over the past two decades has evidenced (cross)cultural variations in autobiographical memory (AM). These variations are consistent with cultural differences in self-construal. However, research about the influence of people’s participation in specific cultural practices (e.g., schooling practices) on AM and self is needed. Our study explores some characteristics of AMs of Mexican participants with different backgrounds of formal schooling. The results evidenced differences between schooling levels in the age at the earliest memory, the content of their memories, and the personal self-focusing index. The characteristics of the AMs of the participants with more school experience are similar to those that characterize the “cultures of independence.” At a more theoretical level, our data may support the ideas proposed by Greenfield, Keller, and Kagitçibasi about the role of formal schooling (as a crucial sociodemographic factor) in promoting the developmental pathway to independence.

This article studies the relationship between a set of variables related to the legal process and women’s disengagement from legal proceedings against their (ex)partners in Southern Spain. A total of 345 women answered a questionnaire. Results evidenced that request for a protection order (PO), granting such PO, imprisonment of the offender, and women’s perception of who decided during the process were significantly related to disengagement (medium effect size). In addition, a logistic regression model was developed to predict disengagement with two variables: granting a PO and women’s perception of who decided. Results are interpreted in terms of the necessity that the judicial system gives support, protects, and provides women with opportunities to participate in the recovery process. Junta de Andalucía 1071/0453 Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (España) FPU15/00373

Some evidence suggests prevalence of collectivist values and interdependent self in post-communist Europe. However, research on social representations identifies a possible divide between Eastern Europeans’ appreciation of their immediate social environment on the one hand and their suspicion toward impersonal collectives on the other. The current study aimed to capture this divide by investigating two types of interdependent self, namely relational and collective. Specifically, we compared self-descriptions in two Slovak samples—“old” with a communist experience (n = 80) and “young” without it (n = 80)—and used a country that has never been communist (Denmark; n = 80 x 2) to control for age effects. Results showed predominance of independent self in all groups, higher relational self in both old groups, and highest collective self among the young Slovaks. This indicates no association between communist experience and interdependent self, but a possible post-communist effect is suggested. Theoretically, the study substantiated the importance of disentangling interdependence.

Theorists in autobiographical memory (AM) studies generally agree that AMs serve three kinds of broad functions: self-related, social, and directive functions. Although these kinds of functions are probably universal, gender and country variations are expected. The study investigates perceived use of AMs in everyday life. Male and female Danish and Spanish college students were asked to carry a diary and report a sample of naturally occurring instances of AMs. Participants were asked to assess their memories in terms of perceived functions. Results showed some country differences that were consistent with the characterization of Danish and Spanish samples in terms of individualism–collectivism. Some gender differences were also found. These differences, in contrast to our expectations, were limited to the Danes. To interpret it, two main lines of reasoning were proposed. The first was concerned with changes in gender ideology in Spain in the last decades. According to the second, these analyses may lead us to expand the number of broad categories as well as the variety of specific uses of AMs in everyday activities.

The relationship between culture and autobiographical memory has become an important research topic since research over the past three decades has shown (cross)-cultural variations in the content and style of autobiographical memories that are related to differences in how people from diverse cultures describe themselves and others. However, most research has compared North-American to Asian cultures, leaving a need to address the relationship in others. Our study examines differences in characteristics of autobiographical memory in three countries: Mexico, Spain and Denmark, using Qi Wang’s methodology and categories of analysis. College students from these three countries were asked to describe their earliest memory. Results confirm the expected differences, with Danish and Spanish participants’ earliest memories dating significantly earlier than that of the Mexican participants. At the same time, Danish participants were less likely to spontaneously mention emotions and feeling states in their earliest memories. On the other hand, Mexicans demonstrated a higher level of autonomous orientation than the participants in the other two groups. Gender was found to interact with several indicators, and even displayed a cross-over effect in emotion. The findings are interpreted as supporting the view of cultured self-construals, while also suggesting the need for more attention to the situated character of cultural differences.

This article tries to analyze instructional interactions in which one participant structures the overall solving of the task so that the other participant appropiates the skills and abilities that were accomplished jointly. Another primary interest is to examine the semiotic mechanisms involved in the instructor–learner interaction. Results from a study conducted with adult subjects grouped into dyads of instructor and learner are presented. Analysis focused on the instructional actions adopted by the instructor during the development of the task, on the structure and nature of actions of placing, its regulation, the strategical levels of these actions, and the use of different referential perspectives to solve the task. The results showed differences in some aspects of instructional interactions in relationship with participants' literacy level.

The relationship between autobiographical memories and self is important in many theories. Promising recent approaches from cross-cultural psychology use a concept of “self-construal”, in which reference to others can be as important as indicators of autonomy. However, these studies typically ask for earliest memories only, whereas we would expect the roles of others to change over the course of development. Taking as a premise that adolescents’ life unfolds in three concurrent settings – family, school, and friendship – we asked 66 adolescents (22 Norwegians in Study 1, and 40 Slovaks in Study 2) for a meaningful memory from each of these settings. The memories they selected from the family setting were oldest, school memories intermediate and friend memories most recent, suggesting a developmental trajectory in which the three settings have changed in importance. Memories from the friendship setting were also most frequently on their mind. Furthermore, family memories referred most to other people, frie...

Cross-cultural research over the past two decades has shown very important differences in self-construal. However, the comparison of a wider range of cultures is needed to further understanding into this relationship. In contrast to Markus and Kitayama’s distinction between independent and interdependent self-construal, authors such as Matsumoto, Kagitçibasi, and Oyserman and colleagues have defended a more complex, multidimensional, and situated perspective on self-construal. Recent studies using the Twenty Statement Test (TST) as a measure of self-construal have supported this multidimensional view of the construct. The current study explored self-descriptions in college students from three different countries (Denmark, Spain, and Mexico) by using a shortened version of the TST. The results evidenced some unexpected cultural differences in self-construal. Danish participants referred proportionally less to private and personal attributes and qualities than their Mexican and Spanish participants, and they made more references to interdependence and responsiveness to other. Results do not fit with some basic assumptions of Markus and Kitayama’s theory and give support to the view of self-construal as multidimensional and with variations associated with personal and situational factors.

This paper describes the role of grassroots associations in the acculturative integration process from an approach that stresses the contributions of community and cultural psychologies. Community psychology allows us to understand the acculturative transition as an empowerment process by which immigrants transform both structural conditions and themselves. Cultural psychology explains this empowerment process as a self-construction through which immigrants acquire a new vision of the world and of themselves. From these insights, acculturative integration is understood as an active, multidimensional and ecological process in which immigrants become an accepted part of the new society through the development of critical awareness, gaining capacities and opportunities to influence their environment and involving themselves in activities which transform both their “self” and their environment. The promotion of grassroots organizations, as empowering community settings, is presented as a tool to bridge newcomers and the receiving society. This model is illustrated by the experience of Amal, a grassroots organization of Andalusian Moroccan women. Using the personal, organizational and community narratives of Amal (activists, recipients, community workers, policymakers and written documents), we describe the influence of citizen participation in the construction of self and citizenship among activists, the bettering of an integrative community, and the promotion of a fair multicultural society. Lessons learned will be summarized in order to pave the way for the implications of the Amal experience for acculturative research agendas and social policy and action.

The aim of cultural psychology is understanding how mind is related to cultural, social, institutional, and historical contexts. This endeavor requires an adequate unit of analysis. We believe this unit of analysis to be mediated action. Our view of action as the unit of analysis has important theoretical and methodological consequences. In the theoretical domain , it means assuming a notion of culture as a set of semiotically mediated activity settings, and a view of cognition as heterogeneous, contextually and historically-culturally situated and semiotically mediated. We outline three methodological implications: a historical or genetic perspective, the analysis of activity in everyday cultural contexts, and the use of semiotically mediated action as a unit of analysis. Finally, we explain the way in which we have employed mediated action as a conceptual and methodological tool for conducting research in cultural psychology and illustrate some of these ideas with reference to specific studies carried out by our research group.

ResumenLa investigacion sobre la relacion entre cultura y memoria autobiografica ha evidenciado diferencias culturales en el estilo y el contenido de los recuerdos autobiograficos y su relacion con las concepciones del yo (self-cons-trual). La mayoria de las investigaciones se ha centrado en una variedad relativamente reducida de culturas. Se explora la relacion entre concepciones culturales del yo (cultural self-construal) y memoria autobiografica en universitarios/as mexicanos y espanoles. Los participantes debian contar su primer recuerdo y contestar a una version reducida del Twenty Statements Test (TST). Los resultados mostraron diferencias culturales en la edad del primer recuerdo y en algunas categorias de auto-descripciones, diferencias de genero en la frecuencia de recuerdo previo, asi como interaccion de genero y cultura en las auto-descripciones. Se obtuvieron correlaciones significativas entre algunas categorias de memoria autobiografica y auto-descripcion. Los resultados ofrecen un apoyo limi...

ResumenSe realiza un analisis de la relacion entre genero, identidad y memoria autobiografica desde la perspectiva de doing gender. Para ello se intenta integrar resultados que corresponden a diferentes niveles de analisis. En el nivel individual se han observado diferencias en aspectos como la edad en el primer recuerdo, la macroestructura y el contenido de la memoria autobiografica. Para rastrear los origenes de estas diferencias se ha demostrado que los padres y madres emplean estilos narrativos diferentes con sus hijos e hijas. Estas diferencias en los estilos narrativos son consistentes con las diferencias en los recuerdos de ninos y ninas.Para concluir, asumimos la necesidad de profundizar en el analisis del nivel sociocultural, resaltamos el caracter bidirectional de la relacion entre genero y memoria autobiografica, reconocemos la existencia de semejanzas entre los recuerdos de mujeres y hombres y afirmamos la dependencia contextual de las diferencias y semejanzas de genero.

Various authors in the tradition of cultural psychology have analysed the idea of the existence of different ways of thinking. Several classifications about ways of thinking have been proposed, all of them referring to similar ideas. Bruner distinguishes between narrative and propositional thinking, while Scribner distinguish between theoretical and empirical or functional argumentation. Vygotsky also assumed the existence of different ways of thinking. Once the cognitive plurality and the existence of different ways of thinking has been accepted, we are left with two questions: what changes in the different ways of thinking, and why does it change? With regard to the first question, we must consider the differences in the means employed to mediate mental processes. As for the second issue, we refer to the activity settings and practices in which individuals participate. The empirical analysis is applied in the context of adult education. Individuals in the sample belong to two different levels of adult education: basic literacy and advanced literacy levels. Two different tasks are proposed: the first consists of preparing menus and the second is a classification task. Results related to the different ways of solving these tasks show a plurality of ways of thinking in individuals in the advanced group. Our data show how school experience allows the development of new ways of thinking and the adjustment of mental functioning to task demands. Heterogeneity of verbal thinking is here interpreted and discussed as a heterogeneity despite genetic hierarchy, instead of a non-genetic one or as a hierarchy of power. From this, it appears that development is not the replacement of one mode of discourse-thinking by another, but the differentiation and co-existence of different ways of thinking connected to different practices.

This paper analyses the way in which discourse and argumentation may vary depending on participants’ educational level and gender. Men and women from three different educational levels (literacy, advanced level and university students) participated in discussion groups that debated about women and work, the sharing of housework and the way in which girls and boys are educated. The results showed important differences depending on participants’ educational level and gender. In general, the main differences were related to educational level, while gender tended to interact with educational level, as a moderating factor.

ResumenEl objetivo fundamental de este trabajo es explorar las distintas teorias que en la actualidad son denominadas como Psicologia Cultural, asi como analizar las diferencias y similitudes entre ellas. Las aproximaciones culturales citadas han sido incluidas dentro de dos grandes bloques que se diferencian por sus origenes y focos de interes. En el primero incluimos los enfoques historico-culturales, herederos de la Psicologia Transcultural. Dentro de este primer grupo hemos hecho referencia, en primer lugar y como punto de partida, a las ideas de Vygotski y Leontiev que han dejado huella en la Psicologia Cultural. En este bloque nos hemos detenido especialmente en el enfoque de M. Cole. En un segundo bloque, heredero de la tradicion proveniente de la revolucion romantica contra la Ilustracion y de la Psicologia de los pueblos, se ha incluido los enfoques simbolicos de J. Bruner y R. A. Shweder y la teoria de la Accion Simbolica de los psicologos alemanes E. E. Boesch y L. H. Eckensberger

The aim of this paper is to study the role ofteacher-student interaction, in the acquisitionof text comprehension and memory skills from asocio-cultural approach. In our view, one ofthe most important areas of neglect in cognitive research in this field is the interactional nature of that development. We intend to establish the way in which teacher-student interaction and, specially, the use of some specific semiotic means mayfacilitate the acquisition and internalizationof general strategies for understanding andremembering expository texts. The role ofreferential perspective (Wertsch, 1989) in theinternalization of complex text study actionsis analysed. The task was to study three expository textsthat were similar in their structure. Thecontent of the texts was analysed in terms ofidea-units (Meyer, 1984). Each text was formedby idea-units from three different levels: mainideas, secondary ideas and details. A categorysystem for the analysis of study and recall ofthe text is developed. In the study phase theanalysis proceeded in two steps: study actionsand text ideas. In the recall phase, two types ofindexes (number of ideas and degree ofclustering) were considered. For the analysisof instructional actions, both the nature ofinstruction and referential perspective wasrecorded.

ResumenSe hace un analisis de la relacion entre memoria y conciencia tal como se concibe en la psicologia cognitiva. Se citan varias lineas de investigacion en la que esta relacion se situa en primer plano: disociaciones entre formas explicitas e implicitas de memoria, investigaciones sobre control atencional y memoria operativa, estudios sobre el desarrollo de la memoria y el papel de la metamemoria e investigaciones sobre la relacion entre conciencia y representaciones. De este analisis se concluye la dificultad de la psicologia cognitiva basada en la metafora del ordenador para dar cuenta de este problema. Se propone una vision sociocultural, basada en las obras de Vygotski y Luria, que se asienta en dos ideas principales: para explicar la relacion entre memoria y conciencia es necesario ir mas alla del nivel computacional, caracteristico de los modelos cognitivos; y la imposibilidad de explicar esta relacion si no se atiende al desarrollo de las funciones mentales superiores, considerando diversos dom...

ResumenFrente a la vision de la comprension y memoria de textos dominante en la psicologia cognitiva, en la que asume que este proceso tiene un caracter esencialmente individual, por la intervencion de estrategias y conocimientos almacenados en la memoria del lector, adoptamos una aproximacion sociocultural, que concibe el proceso como el resultado del uso de acciones mediadas semioticamente. Estas acciones pueden realizarse tanto en el plano interpsicologico como en el plano intrapsicologico. El aprendizaje de estas destrezas en la escuela implica, por tanto, una transicion desde un plano a otro. En este proceso, el papel del profesor es el de facilitar dicha transicion. Partiendo de esta concepcion teorica se ha realizado un estudio de la interaccion profesor-alumno en educacion de adultos. Los resultados muestran como la intervencion de los profesores permite la interiorizacio n progresiva por parte de los alumnos de acciones de comprension y memoria de los textos. Los profesores parecian situarse en l...

This paper describes an acculturative integration approach that stresses the contribution of liberation psychology. Immigrant integration is a challenge for receiving countries in the Western world due to the frequent asymmetrical and oppressive conditions suffered by newcomers in their new settlements. The cross-cultural perspective connects integration with psychological acculturation, emphasizing harmony between acquisitions of the new culture while maintaining cultural heritage, and creating opportunities for intergroup relationships. In turn, liberation psychology permits an understanding of the acculturative transition as an empowerment and self-construction process by which immigrants acquire a new vision of the world and of themselves, transforming both structural conditions and themselves. From this perspective we conceptualize acculturative integration as the process by which newcomers become an accepted part of the new society through a reflexive and evaluative process, changing their social references and position, rebuilding their social and personal resources, and achieving a new agency in coherence with their new challenges and goals. In this process, they acquire critical thinking about unequal conditions, gain capacities to respond to the inequalities, and take effective actions to confront them. We illustrate this process using the narratives of nine Moroccan women who are living in asymmetrical and oppressive local contexts in Andalusia, the southern-most region of Spain.

ResumenSe estudio la influencia de la educacion formal en el empleo de acciones de agrupacion y memoria en sujetos adultos. El trabajo tenia una doble perspectiva, transversal y microgenetica. Los sujetos pertenecian a tres niveles educativos y se les estudio a lo largo de cuatro dias, en dos pruebas de memorizacion y recuerdo y una prueba de categorization dirigida intercalada entre las anteriores. Los resultados mostraron la influencia esperada de la escolarizacion en el empleo de acciones de agrupacion y memoria asi como cambios a lo largo de las sesiones en el grupo intermedio. La interpretacion de los resultados se baso en las nociones de subordinacion de acciones mentales y de descontextualizacion de los instrumentos de mediacion.

ResumenSe hace una revision de las investigaciones cognitivas transculturales de las ultimas decadas. De estos estudios se deriva una serie de problemas metodologicos que cuestionan la validez de sus resultados. En el plano teorico, por otra parte, ha prevalecido un enfoque de caja negra que no ha permitido desvelar los mecanismos de influencia de lo cultural sobre lo cognitivo. Se defiende un planteamiento nuevo, que se situa en la linea del enfoque sociocultural de la psicologia sovietica, que centra los analisis en los contextos culturales y que toma las nociones de actividad y zona de desarrollo proximo como herramientas conceptuales para el estudio de la relacion entre cultura y procesos cognitivos.

In thirpaper Western and Soviet researches on the development oftnernoly actions (called «strategies, by Western researchers) are reviewed. The distinction between deliberate and non-deliberare memory processes and activities allow for the integration ofcontributions from both research unes. tontrol acquisition is a central issue throughout the development of memoiy actions. This development culminates with the constitution of mernoly executive control system. Final/y, the concept of Zone of ProxzmalDevelopmen: leads us ro consider memory development in a more complex and realistic manner than the notion of production deficiency does.

In thir paper a theoretical schema for integrating contributions from different research lines :ir proposed. These lines are the studies developed within the theoly of levels ofprocessing, the soviet investigations about memory and activity, the work on the development of memory strategies and Me studies on memory control and metamemoty. In ora'er to integrate these, a diainction is made between three kinds ofprocesses: encoding and retnaval operations, simple actions (linked to their conditions of application) and cornplex, general actions r?quiring the mastery of simple actions. These processes are hierachically integrated within a general theoretkal framework ofmemory, where language (regulating speech) plays a capital role as the very instrument in the genesir and control of memory actions.