Synopsis It is now widely accepted that any understanding of the processes of human and social development is incomplete without taking into account the ecological and cultural features of groups and societies. This important volume takes the cultural embedded ness of behavior as its central theme. This relatively recent development in the field of psychology was inspired by the contributions of scholars such as Durganand Sinha and the emergence of cross-cultural psychology as a distinct field of inquiry. As a result, culture has come to be regarded as the context or system and human behavior as adaptive to this context. This theme is elaborated in a variety of cultural contexts including India, China and Mexico. Besides theoretical issues, the distinguished contributors cover a wide range of important topics in the areas of developmental psychology, community mental health, the psychology of language, organizational behavior and school psychology. Specific chapters are devoted to a comparative understanding of human behavior, child development, family patterns, personality, leadership and managerial practice, and the role of culture in community interventions. Examining issues of human and social development primarily from indigenous and multidisciplinary perspectives, this volume will interest all those engaged in an understanding of the relationship between culture and human behavior. It will be of particular interest to psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists, psychiatrists, educationists, and those engaged in cultural studies and the behavioral sciences.