Mental level is an extremely interesting layer of the human psyche, even human nature itself, which contains our images, ideas, fantasies, dreams. The word that yields the vector of our cognitive abilities and is able to awaken the valuable resources in each person.
When we talk about the mental level, it also implied not only an individual mental activity, but also the fundamental system and stereotypes of public consciousness, transmitted from generation to generation.
In historical psychology as an independent field of psychology often used the term mentality and the related concept of mentality.
Are these concepts synonyms?
In the scientific world, unfortunately, is also faced with the imperfections and incompetence of experts, and often mentality, and mentality are identical to each other. Sometimes even in the dictionary, you can see the double interpretation of the term mentality (mentality).
However, the difference is very significant.
For those interested more in the philosophical and historical aspect, you can find a lot of valuable scientific information on the Internet.
We consider in the framework of psychological knowledge.
Mentality and the mentality we have, of course, a common root:
from the Latin
mensmind,
thinking, thinking, soul
But mentality , according to the New philosophical encyclopedia (In 4 vols. M., 2001).
this deep level of collective and individual consciousness
including unconscious;
a relatively stable set of attitudes and dispositions
of the individual or social group to perceive the world in a certain way
the Mentality is formed depending on traditions, culture,
social structures and the entire environment of human life, herself
turn their forms as generating the beginning
as hard to determine the source of the cultural and historical dynamics.
Mentality, according to the cultural concept of it
a relatively stable set of specific way of thinking and feelings, values and attitudes, beliefs about the world and about yourself, beliefs, opinions and prejudices. Mentality, on the one hand, acts as a kind of prism through which people see the world, and on the other hand, he plays an active role in the life of an individual determines his social orientation.
Thus, mentality there is a certain picture of the world, born of a certain historical period, that is quite dynamic. Compare, for example, when we consider the phenomena of psycho-cultural development and talking about the mentality of the middle Ages or modernity, the formation of the mentality of modern society. While mentality is a spiritual constant of a particular community (ethnic group, religious group, etc.).
Mental level the individual and society depends on the mentality of the era, and mentality, which reflects his ethnic and cultural background.
to avoid dryness of the theoretical presentation, let us consider some examples:
for Example, Peter the Great, aka Peter the great, decided "to open a window to Europe." What is literally meant? It was the intention of the king and later the Emperor to change the mentality, to Europeanize Russian society (including many faces, multi-ethnic in composition), thereby to disrupt the views. In particular, the indignation of the king, who brought the potatoes produced in the environment of some of staroobryadtsev wave of fear of Peter, considering that this king is the Antichrist, that potatoes - the food of the devil.
the Other, more well-known historical fact connected with the change of society was the so-called wedding rebellion, when in Astrakhan heard rumors that the new monarch decided to give all the ladies married to Germans. And then in a few days was played an unprecedented number of weddings.
these facts speak of the intransigence of the mentality, even his aggressive component that can change or transform the public consciousness. It also revealed resistance mechanisms and resistance of people to change.
However, the picture of the modern mentality is such that it is now potatoes aren't scary, from the point of view of the mentality of the Russian people and other peoples of the country, potato dishes are very popular and mnogovershinny.
Well, the mixed marriages act that is an indication that love knows no boundaries, but respect, understanding, and nepotism are essential values for any individual, regardless of nationality.
Changing conditions, perceptions and views and commit them to specific historical, chronological framework - a lot of the mentality. While maintaining a sort of conservation values or stereotypes, are often, unfortunately, lead person in excessive dogmatism and rigidity of thinking, it is the properties of mentality.
