Batja Mesquita is a social psychologist, an affective scientist, and a pioneer of cultural psychology. She is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and director of the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology at the University of Leuven.
Batja Mesquita's work on culture and emotion is highly original and highly important and has been influential in shaping the science of emotion. It's no surprise that Between Us is a groundbreaking book. -- Carol Dweck, author of Mindset If you want to understand how the patterns of your emotional life emerge from the sociocultural context of your life, there is no better book to read than Between Us. It's a profound book. Yet, at its core, it is also a powerful humility, a humility that is an actual methodology for understanding and navigating cultural differences in emotion. It should be read by everyone from kindergarten teachers to corporate CEOs. And blessedly, it's a great read-accessible, delightful, and inspiring. -- Claude Steele, author of Whistling Vivaldi Emotions are cultural tools for surviving, thriving in, and even shaping the world we live in. Between Us is a vibrant tour de force from the preeminent scholar on cultural variation in emotions. Prepare to be astounded. -- Lisa Feldman Barrett, author of How Emotions Are Made and Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain Stemming from over three decades of scientific study and immigrant experiences, Between Us presents engaging stories and evidence-based insights that both satisfy and fascinate. You'll come away understanding how and why emotion scientists got answers to the culture question so wrong for so long, as well as how Batja Mesquita and others ventured to get it right. Between Us is a must-read. -- Barbara L. Fredrickson, author of Positivity and Love 2.0 Between Us takes you on a grand tour of the world and the mind, led by one of the world's leading experts on emotion and culture. The journey is a joy, full of puzzles, insights, and empathy, and by the end you'll understand yourself, your culture, and our common yet variable humanity better. -- Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind and coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind In Between Us, acclaimed affective scientist Batja Mesquita compellingly shows that understanding people across cultural and racial divides requires immersing yourself in their diverse emotional realities. The book is a must-read for everyone working towards justice and inclusion -- from law enforcement to schools to the workplace. -- Jennifer Eberhardt, Morris M. Doyle Centennial Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, author of Biased The bounty of case studies captivates and makes a strong argument that social conditions have the power to dictate how one expresses and experiences emotions. The result is a bracing and bold appraisal of how feelings develop. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) An astute psychological study of emotions around the world. -- Kirkus