The background of this chapter is an interest in how learning and development have been conceptualized in western research. The argument is that the methodological ideals and theoretical frameworks have resulted in a reductionistic, universalistic and (west) Eurocentric interpretation of human “growth”, to borrow Dewey’s (see below) expression. A consequence of this scholarly bias is that the individual mind (or brain) has been seen as the locus of learning and development; know-how is held to be localized in a culture-free mental space that is universal. The argument is that our learning and development must be understood as embedded in cultural practices, and that we as individuals are shaped by participating in those practices, which are historically and culturally very diverse. An ambition of research should thus be to connect local diversity with global trends and developmental patterns.