Social Change and Psychological Change in Rural Mali. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schooler, Carmi; Caplan, Leslie J; Mounkoro, Pakuy Pierre; Diakité, Chiaka
• Is Part Of: Journal of Asian and African studies. Volume 52:Number 7(2017)
• Page Start: 965
• Page End: 981
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: Africa -- Mali -- social change -- cross-national -- social psychology; Social change -- Africa -- Periodicals; Social change -- Asia -- Periodicals; Economic development -- Africa -- Periodicals; Economic development -- Asia -- Periodicals; Africa -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; Asia -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; Africa -- Periodicals; Asia -- Periodicals; 950
• DOI: 10.1177/0021909616632278
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9096

Abstract

We examine the effects of socio-environmental change on personality in Mali in three ways, using data from a longitudinal two-wave (1994, 2004) survey conducted in rural Mali. Firstly, we compare the between-wave personality stability of Anxiety, Self-confidence, Mastery/Fatalism, and Authoritarianism with that in USA, Japan, Poland, and Ukraine. Secondly, we examine socio-economic hardship and political instability in pre-industrial Mali. Thirdly, we examine patterns of psychological reaction to political and social change during the study period. Our findings have implications for comparisons and generalizations across times and cultures about the contribution of socio-environmental conditions to over-time change in personality.