A provocative analysis of the complex relationship between people and their environments from a cross-cultural perspective. Drawing on work in anthropology, psychology, sociology, geography, architecture and urban planning, Altman and Chemers show that different societies and cultures have different senses of the ways in which their physical environments should look and function. The book covers such topics as privacy, territory and crowding; home design; orientation to physical space; and cities and communities. A wide professional and student audience will find it stimulating and helpful in research and practice.