Mulitculural
Multicultural Psychology Paper
Janell Berry-Larkin
Psych/535
December 17, 2012
Dr. Gretchen Brandhorst
Multicultural Psychology Paper
The term multicultural means numerous ways of knowing or various worldviews. The study of the effects of several cultures in a lone social context on human behavior defines multicultural psychology. The notion in multicultural psychology is that there are worldwide and culture-specific phenomena but importance is placed on the latter of the two (Hall & Barongan, 2010). Multicultural psychology includes observing the influence of culture on the way individual’s actions, thoughts, and feelings. Culture is an outside factor since it influences the events that transpire around people and their interactions with others and it also influences our inner processes like how they understand the events that happen around them. Multicultural psychology is the systematic study of all facets of human behavior as it happens in environments where individuals of different backgrounds come across each another (Mio, Baker, & Tumambing, 2009).
The information provided about the history of multicultural is vague. The scientific field of psychology began in 1879 when William Wundt, a German native, opened the first psychological lab. Individuals who had a desire to become psychologist study in Wundt’s laboratory. The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of the field of psychology. The APA’s status amid minority groups is that the APA has to be pushed into acknowledging and addressing the needs of minorities. In 1979 the APA opened up the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs (OEMA) where issues associated to cultural diversity would be handled. In 1987, Division 45, The Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority was founded. This division is for psychologists who are interested in multiculturalism. In the 1960s and 1970s attention was drawn to the fact that psychology failed
Janell Berry-Larkin
Psych/535
December 17, 2012
Dr. Gretchen Brandhorst
Multicultural Psychology Paper
The term multicultural means numerous ways of knowing or various worldviews. The study of the effects of several cultures in a lone social context on human behavior defines multicultural psychology. The notion in multicultural psychology is that there are worldwide and culture-specific phenomena but importance is placed on the latter of the two (Hall & Barongan, 2010). Multicultural psychology includes observing the influence of culture on the way individual’s actions, thoughts, and feelings. Culture is an outside factor since it influences the events that transpire around people and their interactions with others and it also influences our inner processes like how they understand the events that happen around them. Multicultural psychology is the systematic study of all facets of human behavior as it happens in environments where individuals of different backgrounds come across each another (Mio, Baker, & Tumambing, 2009).
The information provided about the history of multicultural is vague. The scientific field of psychology began in 1879 when William Wundt, a German native, opened the first psychological lab. Individuals who had a desire to become psychologist study in Wundt’s laboratory. The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of the field of psychology. The APA’s status amid minority groups is that the APA has to be pushed into acknowledging and addressing the needs of minorities. In 1979 the APA opened up the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs (OEMA) where issues associated to cultural diversity would be handled. In 1987, Division 45, The Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority was founded. This division is for psychologists who are interested in multiculturalism. In the 1960s and 1970s attention was drawn to the fact that psychology failed
References: Flowers, B., & Richardson, F. (1996). Why is multiculturalism good? American Psychologist, 51(6), 609-621. Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and orgnizational change for psychologists. (2003). American Psychologist, 58(5), , 377. Hall, C., & Barongan, C. (2010). Multicultural Psychology (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Mio, J., Baker, L., & Tumambing, J. (2009). Multicultural Psychology. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill.