Culture: The Grand Web of Meaning

Chao, Melody Manchi; Kesebir, Pelin

Culture: The Grand Web of Meaning

THE EXPERIENCE OF MEANING IN LIFE: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES, J. Hicks, C. Routledge, eds., Springer Press, 2011

28 Pages Posted: 19 Sep 2011 Last revised: 29 Sep 2011

See all articles by Melody Manchi Chao

Melody Manchi Chao

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST)

Pelin Kesebir

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Center for Investigating Healthy Minds

Date Written: September 16, 2011

Abstract

Meaning and culture mutually constitute each other. Culture rests on meaning, whereas meaning exists and is propagated in culture. The uniquely human quest for meaning transpires against the background of culture and is simultaneously recreating culture. The current chapter aims to explore different aspects of this dynamic relationship between meaning and culture. We begin by defining meaning and culture, and elaborating the nature of their intricate relationship. Then, we analyze the universal and relative aspects of meaning systems across cultures. Finally, we examine meaning in the backdrop of multiculturalism to illuminate how individuals navigate through different cultural webs of meaning and its implications to cultural competence.

Keywords: meaning, culture, multiculturalism

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Chao, Melody Manchi and Kesebir, Pelin, Culture: The Grand Web of Meaning (September 16, 2011). THE EXPERIENCE OF MEANING IN LIFE: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES, J. Hicks, C. Routledge, eds., Springer Press, 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1929172