Review by Choice Review
This book addresses a fundamental question--the universality of human nature. As a research associate at Columbia's Southern Asian Institute, psychoanalyst Roland brings both scholarly and experiential evidence to bear on the issue. Drawing upon work with patients and therapists in both India and Japan, he describes the profound differences between the Western individualized self and the familial self so central to Asian culture. Within the context of family and group hierarchical structure, identity conflicts play out against the forces of Western contact, colonialization, and development. Both Japanese and Indian people are described as having a deep inner-core self associated with their respective cultures. Moreover, Indian culture responds to self-esteem issues rooted in decades of British denigration. Both, however, respond to Westernization with the development of an upper-acculturated layer of self; they incorporate ideals of autonomy and individual expression that are essentially alien to the historical context. Of special interest is the question of the appropriateness and effectiveness of psychoanalysis in these cultures. The author works from the premise that the Western emphasis on autonomy is not intrinsic to the psychoanalytic discipline; modifications are allowed in order to harmonize therapy with the relational expectations of the culture--a significant step in moving the field to a comparative perspective. Of particular value is Roland's sensitive treatment of the evolving identity of women in the two cultures, as well as his exploration of the deeply significant spiritual self, a topic that is largely neglected in Western theory and practice. A glossary, references, and comprehensive index greatly enhance the work's value. Recommended for public, college, and university libraries. -L. M. C. Abbott, formerly California School of Professional Psychology--Fresno
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
