The variety of culturally-constituted conceptions of self are investigated in this essay. A history of ethnopsychology is given which includes an examination of evolutionist and sociological theories of the self in relation to culture and society. Various approaches to ethnopsychology are considered, and different facets of the self are explored. A discussion of the nature of the self-concept in different cultural settings is organized by focal issues, such as the boundaries of the self, its relation to the body, feelings, the group, and other issues. Cases which illustrate the variety of cultural conceptions of the self are cited from studies done in Japan, Melanesia, Bali, Santa Isobel, Eastern Nepal, and India, and with the Northern Cheyenne, the Maori, Eskimos, and the Tswana of Southern Africa. Ethno-theories of development are explored using cases which suggest variability among indigenous models of psychological development. Cases in this section are illustrated in greater depth and include examples from Hindu India, the Marquesas Islands, and the Northern Cheyenne culture. It is noted that the self has ties to a society's kinship structure, culturally salient role assignments, history, conceptions of time, religious beliefs, economic factors, and characteristic cognitive styles. Implications for future research are discussed. A nine-page bibliography is appended. (NRB)