Rituals and celebrations
idea
Together forever: ‘at-home burial’ in southern Vietnam
What might a traveller along the Mekong Delta learn about the beliefs and traditions behind the country’s elevated tombs?
by Gina Elia
Mental health across cultures
idea
Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful
In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress
by Bhrigupati Singh
Cultural diversity
idea
Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West
It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic
by Matt Huston
Cognitive and behavioural therapies
idea
CBT is the ‘gold standard’, but is that just for white people?
CBT is supported by a strong evidence base. However, effective cultural adaptation of the therapy is a work in progress
by Shayla Love
Civic life
idea
The surprising way to tackle prejudice in the real world
The good news is there are many effective anti-prejudice interventions, but the most promising remains relatively unknown
by Wing Hsieh
Cultural diversity
idea
The Quechua idea ‘pacha’ urges us beyond narrow self-concern
The Quechua term ‘pacha’ embodies an Andean worldview that sees everything as related, transcending narrow self-interest
by Jorge Sanchez Perez
Race and ethnicity
idea
If racial identity can be fluid, who changes their race?
Understanding how individuals change their self-described race helps us decode racial dynamics in the US and beyond
by Alexander Agadjanian
Mind and brain
idea
Why do we make snap judgments based on facial appearance?
Even snap judgments that appear at a very early age can be inculcated by the imagery and messages shared within a culture
by Richard Cook & Harriet Over
Thinking and intelligence
idea
Why academia should embrace ‘Grandma’s metaphysics’
‘Grandma’s metaphysics’ and other sources of wisdom are vital if academia is to embrace diversity and fully benefit from it
by Devin Sanchez Curry
Nature and the environment
idea
Why people across the world see constellations, not just stars
Orion, the Big Dipper and the rest reflect shared features of human perception – but also diverse cultural interpretations
by Simon J Cropper, Duane W Hamacher, Daniel R Little & Charles Kemp
Spirituality and religion
idea
One good way to understand religion is to break it apart
To understand what religion means, don’t reach for the dictionary. Better that you take it apart, break it, even throw it away
by Joseph Blankholm
Community
idea
The collective memory bias that flatters our homelands
A community’s vision of the past is often selective and biased, exaggerating its own contributions relative to others
by Jeremy K Yamashiro & Henry L Roediger, III