Sociocultural

Sociocultural is a term used in various social sciences, particularly psychology, anthropology, and sociology, to refer to the intersection of societal and cultural factors that influence human behavior. The sociocultural perspective emphasizes the ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior.

Overview

The sociocultural perspective is a theory used in fields such as psychology and is used to describe awareness of circumstances surrounding individuals and how their behaviors are affected specifically by their surrounding, social and cultural factors. According to Catherine A. Sanderson (2010) "Sociocultural perspective: A perspective describing people’s behavior and mental processes as shaped in part by their social and/or cultural context."

Sociocultural Theory

Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasizes that children learn through social interaction that includes collaborative and cooperative dialogue. Vygotsky believed that parents, relatives, peers and society all have an important role in forming higher levels of functioning.

Applications

Sociocultural theory has been applied to the understanding of various forms of development and behavior, including social development, cognitive development, and educational achievement. It has also been used to understand and predict human behavior in various cultural and societal contexts.

See Also

• Cultural psychology
• Social psychology
• Cultural-historical psychology
• Activity theory

References

Sociocultural Resources
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