Cultural Psychology: Current Event, Article Review Example

The current issue on culture as revealed by the New York Times is the element of race identity raised by the Latinos in America. Many of the Latin Americans have questioned the element of identification in the census document. There are concerns by the Latinos over their identity as a particular race. Unlike other groups of people in America that are identified by race, the Latinos prefer to be identified by variables of culture such as ethnicity, customs and language. Current literature on the issue of culture posits that Latinos are difficult to categorize under a particular race. The reporter of the issue according to New York Times reveals the census bureau in America has experienced many problems with the census questionnaire when it comes to the issue of Latinos.

The above issue relates to what has been discussed in class about culture as an element of identity. Culture determines the behavior of individuals or groups of people that share common beliefs, practices and values. The interaction between culture and psychology enables individuals to understand issues such as personality variables, group behavior, and cognition and most importantly the identity of a group or individuals (Steven Heine, p 460).

In the story of the Latinos culture has played the role of identifying the group of people according to various elements that they share in common. The distinction between Latinos as a particular group of people is based on the element of culture as the article reveals that they desire to be censured on the issue of their culture and not race. The Latinos as a group of people share particular elements that are used to determine the group behavior among them.

Work sited

Steven J., Heine.   Cultural Psychology:  W. W. Norton & Company; Second Edition Ed. ISBN 0393912833. P 458-460 2011.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/us/for-many-latinos-race-is-more-culture-than-color.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, retrieved August 3, 2013.