Doing for others--altruism--is arguably one of the most human of our activities. Arguable too are the origins of altruism: biology, psychology, culture, all of the above? Researchers have been exploring all three in intriguing lines of inquiry. But as the world grows smaller, culture grows as a major dimension in how, and why, people help others.

The contributors to Altruism in Cross-Cultural Perspective employ a wealth of methods to examine selfless acts on a global scale. Extensive discussions help to define this elusive concept, in some cases expanding it to include empathy, cooperation, generosity, and Eastern and Western spirituality. Considerations of gender, urban/rural life, family relationships, and other key variables are included, as are relevant findings from evolutionary psychology and neuroscience. And inroads are made in answering such longstanding questions as why altruistic acts in one culture may not be perceived as such in others, and the costs of altruism to those who give. Among the topics featured:

• Cultural values and volunteering: A cross-cultural perspective.
• Embracing the biosphere: Altruism in Indian religions.
• Cultural variations: Traditional parental manipulation and ancestor-descendant conflict.
• Do we really like the kind girls and animals?: Altruism in folktales.
• Daoism and altruism: A China-USA perspective.
• Mesoamerican religious festivals: Altruism in human ritual.
• To give or not to give?: Confessions of a humanitarian aid worker.

Altruism in Cross-Cultural Perspective is timely reading for cross-cultural scholars and researchers of altruism and other pro-social behavior. Researchers from various disciplines will be especially interested in the book, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology,communication, philosophy, religious studies, gender studies, and bioethics.

Autorentext
Douglas A. Vakoch is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, as well as Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute. His research spans the fields of psychology, anthropology, and space sciences, and his books include Psychology of Space Exploration: Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective (NASA, 2011), On Orbit and Beyond: Psychological Perspectives on Human Spaceflight (Springer, 2012), Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication (NASA, 2012), Astrobiology, History, and Society: Extraterrestrial Life and the Impact of Discovery (Springer, 2013), and Between Worlds: The Art and Science of Interstellar Message Composition (MIT Press, 2013). Dr. Vakoch chaired the symposium Altruism in Cross-Cultural Perspective at the 34th Annual Conference of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, which brought together researchers from anthropology, psychology, sociology, medicine, and public health for the first in-depth discussion of altruism across cultures. He has been a faculty participant in two separate month-long summer seminars sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation: Biology and Purpose: Altruism, Morality, and Human Nature in Evolutionary Theory and Works of Love: Scientific and Theological Perspectives on Altruism. Dr. Vakoch has served on the Executive Committee of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, which brings together psychologists, anthropologists, and other social scientists to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and research. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Ecopsychology, and he serves as general editor for Berghahn Books' Ecofeminist Theory and Practice Series, which includes his own book, Ecofeminism and Rhetoric: Critical Perspectives on Sex, Technology, and Discourse (2011).

Zusammenfassung
Altruism in Cross-Cultural Perspective provides such a scholarly overview, examining the intersection of culture and such topics as evolutionary accounts of altruism and the importance of altruism in ritual and religion. The past decade has seen a proliferation of research on altruism, made possible in part by significant funding from organizations such as the John Templeton Foundation. While significant research has been conducted on biological, social, and individual dimensions of altruism, there has been no attempt to provide an overview of the ways that altruistic behavior and attitudes vary across cultures. The book addresses the methodological challenges of researching altruism across cultures, as well as the ways that altruism is manifest in difficult circumstances. A particular strength of the book is its attention to multiple disciplinary approaches to understanding altruism, with contributors from fields including psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology, communication, philosophy, religious studies, gender studies, and bioethics.

Inhalt

Altruism in Its Personal, Social, and Cultural Contexts: An Introduction.- Conceptual Aspects of Altruism in Cross-cultural Contexts.- Cross-cultural Variation in Altruism: Traditional Parental Manipulation and Ancestor-Descendant Conflict.- Guatemalan Adolescents' Reports of Helping in Urban and Rural Mayan Communities.- Do We Really Like the Kind Girls and Animals?: Cross-cultural Analysis of Altruism in Folktales.- Cultural Values and Volunteering: A Cross-cultural Perspective.- Daoism and Altruism: A China-USA Perspective.- Altruism in Indian Religions: Embracing the Biosphere.- AltruismRenouncing the Renunciant: A Discussion on Desire and Selflessness.- Spiritual Transformation and Healing: Is Altruism Integral?.- Altruism in Human Ritual.- Epilogue. To Give or Not to Give: Confessions of a Humanitarian Aid Worker.