Abstract
This paper describes the development of a new research project on trauma and posttraumatic growth with a (cross-) cultural psychology focus. Leaving quantitative psychology behind and moving toward a metaphor-analytic methodology presents new opportunities and risks. We are aware that quantitative methodologies and case descriptions are highly prevalent and useful in psychology and related disciplines such as global mental health, social work and mental health nursing. For instance, quantitative psychology has developed elaborate methods for effectively measuring invariance across cultures (Milfont & Fischer, 2010). However, we believe that additional perspectives from anthropology and ethnology—or the thoughts and principles developed by C. G. Jung—must be considered to adequately comprehend the as yet uncharted experiences of individuals in other cultures and of those individuals arriving in Europe from other cultures if we are to live together in dignity.
Maercker, Andreas