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Stress, Trauma, and Coping Strategies: Cross-Cultural Variations

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International Journal of Group Tensions

Abstract

This article examines three major issues. First, it considers the nature of trauma, its cognitive and emotional appraisal, and the cultural variations in its appraisal. In this context, it also distinguishes between “universal” traumas and culture-specific traumas with pertinent examples. In addition, the conceptual, epistemological, and methodological problems of investigating trauma across cultures are highlighted. Second, the article critically examines the controversies surrounding the nature, theoretical formulations, and methodologies currently adopted in stress research both in Western and non-Western cultures, with special emphasis being placed on the situation prevailing in Indian stress research. Third, it focuses on therapeutic issues and highlights some of the culture-specific healing techniques used by some people in Indian cultures to cope with stress and trauma. Finally, it suggests ways by which one might achieve a rapprochement between Western approaches and non-Western approaches to the study of stress and trauma.

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    Pittu Laungani

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Laungani, P. Stress, Trauma, and Coping Strategies: Cross-Cultural Variations. International Journal of Group Tensions 31, 127–154 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015219216092

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