Stanford Psychology Podcast

03 - Thomas Talhelm: Is Our Understanding of Collectivism Wrong? A New Theory of Responsibilism

July 15, 2021 Stanford Psychology
Stanford Psychology Podcast
03 - Thomas Talhelm: Is Our Understanding of Collectivism Wrong? A New Theory of Responsibilism
Show Notes

Eric chats with Thomas Talhelm, Professor of Behavioral Science at UChicago's Booth School of Business. Thomas is a cultural psychologist who has written extensively about how culture affects how we think, feel, and behave. Thomas has spent several years living in China. His work has been covered in outlets all across the globe including National Geographic, Time Magazine, BBC Future, and the New York Times.

In this episode, Eric and Thomas chat about how both academics and non-academics might have a somewhat mistaken view of what collectivistic cultures (such as China) are really like. As they share travel stories and discuss research on the topic, Thomas introduces his theory of Responsibilism as an alternative to Collectivism: the focus in many cultures is not on positive feelings towards the collective - but on duties and responsibilities.

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Links:

Thomas' op-ed
Thomas' Twitter @ThomasTalhelm

Eric's website
Eric's Twitter @EricNeumannPsy

Podcast Twitter @StanfordPsyPod

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