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  • © 2018

Culture, Cognition, and Emotion in China's Religious Ethnic Minorities

Voices of Suffering among the Yi

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Challenges the classical understanding of cognition and emotion in western psychology
  • Models a sophisticated use of mixed methods, resulting in a synergy of both descriptive and explanatory approaches to data analysis
  • Displays collaborative research utilizing the disciplines of religion, anthropology, sociology, and psychology

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Indigenous Psychology (PASIP)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxvi
  2. Narratives of Suffering

    • Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan
    Pages 41-81
  3. Suffering and Worldviews

    • Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan
    Pages 83-124
  4. Help-Seeking in Suffering

    • Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan
    Pages 125-170
  5. Emotions of Suffering

    • Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan
    Pages 171-201
  6. Toward a Reflexive Indigenous Psychology

    • Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan
    Pages 203-243
  7. Challenges and Future Directions

    • Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan
    Pages 245-275
  8. Back Matter

    Pages 277-288

About this book

This study examines the suffering narratives of the Bimo and Christian religious communities of the Yi minority who reside in the remote mountains of Sichuan and Yunnan, China, respectively. It is informed by the theoretical framework of ecological rationality, which posits that religions influence and are influenced by cognitive styles that have co-evolved with the ecological niche of a culture. It was predicted and found that in times of adversity, traditional religious communities differ in emotion expression, causal attribution, and help-seeking behavior, with far-reaching ramifications for how they are uniquely vulnerable to the ravages of modernization. The authors hope that the voices of the study participants, heard through their harrowing narratives, may inspire a deepened sensitivity to the plight of rural Chinese communities as China races to become a superpower in the global economy.

Authors and Affiliations

  • School of Sociology, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

    Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting

  • Rochester, USA

    Louise Sundararajan

About the authors

Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting is Associate Professor at China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China, as well as a licensed psychologist. She advocates for the importance of indigenous psychology for Chinese ethnic minorities in disaster zones.

Louise Sundararajan received her PhD in History of Religions from Harvard University, and her EdD in Counseling Psychology from Boston University, USA. She is Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and recipient of the Abraham Maslow Award from Division 32 of APA. She publishes extensively on culture and emotions.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Culture, Cognition, and Emotion in China's Religious Ethnic Minorities

  • Book Subtitle: Voices of Suffering among the Yi

  • Authors: Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, Louise Sundararajan

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Indigenous Psychology

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66059-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-66058-5Published: 08 November 2017

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-88166-9Published: 25 August 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-66059-2Published: 20 October 2017

  • Series ISSN: 2946-4692

  • Series E-ISSN: 2946-4706

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXVI, 288

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 54 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Cross Cultural Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Emotion, Ethnicity Studies, Neuropsychology, Religion and Psychology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access