Transcript Document

Multicultural Applications of
Positive Psychology
Shane J. Lopez
[email protected]
University of Kansas
Presented at the 2005 Convention of the American
Psychological Association.
Presentation Objectives
Describe multicultural applications of positive psychology.
Demonstrate how the multicultural guidelines provide the
necessary direction for positive psychology researchers
and practitioners.
Assess positive psychology efforts at culture sensitive
research and practice.
Recommend multicultural applications of positive
psychology that would benefit all people.
Backstory
My grandfather was known in our little part of town for
having healing powers. When little kids played outside
too long and got sunburned, or working men and women
could not shake the headache and fatigue that came from
working a ten- to twelve-hour day in Louisiana heat, they
came to my pop-pop’s house for some “treatment.” He
would sit very close to them, place his hands gently on
their heads, bow slowly, and pray. These“treatments” for
sunburn and sunstroke worked every time. Pop-pop has
had this gift all of his life; he still shares it today.
As a young boy I was riveted to the scene of my grandfather healing the suffering. As a
psychologist, I grew to understand that all suffering and all flourishing, and the myths that
help us move from one psychological state to the next, are culturally based. Now, as a
positive psychologist, I am committed to highlighting how culture centered research,
practice, and training will help us discover what is good in the lives of the people who ask
for our help.
Influences
United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(2001). Mental health: Culture, race and ethnicity,
supplement to Mental health: Report of the surgeon
general. Rockville, MD: Author.
American Psychological Association (2003). Guidelines on
multicultural education, training, research, practice, and
organizational change for psychologists. American
Psychologist, 58, 377-402.
Ivey, A. E., & Mio, J. S. (2005). The multicultural view and
positive psychology. Naming and Nurturing: An ENewsletter of Division 17’s Section on Positive Psychology,
5-7.
Multicultural Guidelines
Multicultural Guideline 1. Psychologists are encouraged to recognize that, as cultural beings, they
may hold attitudes and beliefs that can detrimentally influence their perceptions and interactions
with individuals who are ethnically and racially different from themselves.
Multicultural Guideline 2: Psychologists are encouraged to recognize the importance of
multicultural sensitivity/responsiveness to, knowledge of, and understanding about ethnically and
racially different individuals.
Multicultural Guideline 3: As educators, psychologists are encouraged to employ the constructs of
multiculturalism and diversity in psychological education.
Multicultural Guideline 4: Culturally sensitive psychological researchers are encouraged to
recognize the importance of conducting culture-centered and ethical psychological research among
persons from ethnic, linguistic, and racial minority backgrounds.
Multicultural Guideline 5: Psychologists are encouraged to apply culturally appropriate skills in
clinical and other applied psychological practices.
Multicultural Guideline 6: Psychologists are encouraged to use organizational change processes
to support culturally informed organizational (policy) development and practice.
Commitment to Cultural Awareness and Knowledge of Self and Others – Guidelines #1 and #2,
Education – Guideline #3, Research – Guideline #4, Practice – Guideline #5, Organizational Change
and Policy Development – Guideline #6
Multicultural Guideline 1. Psychologists are encouraged to
recognize that, as cultural beings, they may hold attitudes and
beliefs that can detrimentally influence their perceptions and
interactions with individuals who are ethnically and racially
different from themselves.
Since 1998, the debate about cultural influences on positive psychology research and
practice has been conducted formally at conventions and informally on positive psychology
listservs and in classrooms. Most professionals probably hold a somewhat nuanced position
that allows them to have confidence in the objectivity of their methods, and at the same time
to acknowledge the need to make sense of the amazing diversity in human beings. Some
professionals adopt more extreme positions. That is to say, there are those who hold that
positive psychology IS culture-free and IS NOT culturally embedded. Or, positive
psychology IS culturally embedded and IS NOT culture-free and defend them with great
vigor. Having observed many of these debates, and having participated in a few, I believe
that there are three main issues about which these two camps are arguing: (1) the effects of
a professional’s cultural values on research and practice: (2) the universality of human
strengths; and, (3) the universality of the pursuit of happiness. Table 1 presents these two
extreme positions.
Table 1
Culture-Free and Culturally Embedded Positions in Positive Psychology
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Culture-Free
Issue
Culturally Embedded
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NO Cultural values of the researcher and practitioner affect their daily work.
YES
YES
There are numerous human strengths valued universally.
NO
YES
The pursuit of happiness is common across all cultures.
NO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Multicultural Guideline 2: Psychologists are encouraged to
recognize the importance of multicultural sensitivity/
responsiveness to, knowledge of, and understanding about
ethnically and racially different individuals.
A Rubric for Examining Cultural Appropriateness of Positive Programming
Cultural Context
A rich picture of the target community’s cultural context is developed
through the researchers’ direct contact with members of the community and
the fostering of trusting relationships among researchers and all community
stakeholders. The depth of this understanding of the community is
demonstrated in the text of the program protocol, the research plan and the
published manuscript.
A sketchy picture of the target community’s cultural context is developed
through the researchers’ review of the literature and limited contact with
community stakeholders. Stakeholders’ commitment to the work of the
positive psychology research is not assured. Some detail about the cultural
context is shared in the research plan or published manuscript.
Research information and description of the cultural context of the
community are quite limited.
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Multicultural Guideline 3: As educators, psychologists are
encouraged to employ the constructs of multiculturalism and
diversity in psychological education.
Pedrotti’s Five Strategies for Infusing Multiculturalism into an
Undergraduate Positive Psychology Course
1.
Emphasize cultural context from the beginning of the course. “I discuss the importance
of cultural context on the first day of class to emphasize that this is a primary
component of our study.”
2.
Challenge students to read critically for ethnocentrism. “After discussing the
importance of a multicultural perspective, I present my students with a challenge: to
read critically to determine the extent to which a theory comes from an ethnocentric
view.”
3.
Present studies and theories from the growing body of literature that does incorporate
multiculturalism. “Though there is still much work to be done, researchers are
beginning to look at strengths from within a cultural context. Chang (2001), for
example, provides an excellent look at optimism from both a western and easternoriented point of view. As Chang illustrates, optimism is linked to more negative
outcomes in the Chinese individuals in his studies and is therefore not an inherently
positive construct in all cultures.”
Multicultural Guideline 3: As educators, psychologists are
encouraged to employ the constructs of multiculturalism and
diversity in psychological education.
Pedrotti’s Five Strategies for Infusing Multiculturalism into an
Undergraduate Positive Psychology Course
4.
Discuss culturally-relevant strengths. “Helping students to recognize that strengths can
come from groups other than the majority culture allows them to be more culturally
sensitive in their practice and research.”
5.
Explain culture as a multifaceted concept. “Though race and ethnicity are important and
core facets of discussions of multiculturalism, I try to help my students to understand
other cultural factors as well. I encourage them to think about theories, interventions,
and ideas from the point of view of someone who is unlike them – someone from a
different socioeconomic status, for example, or of a different gender.”
Pedrotti, J. T. (2005). Five Strategies for Infusing Multiculturalism into our
Undergraduate Positive Psychology Course. Naming and Nurturing: An ENewsletter of Division 17’s Section on Positive Psychology, 8.
Multicultural Guideline 4: Culturally sensitive psychological
researchers are encouraged to recognize the importance of
conducting culture-centered and ethical psychological
research among persons from ethnic, linguistic, and racial
minority backgrounds.
Toward Indigenous Positive Psychology?
In Sandage, Hill, and Vang’s examination of the forgiveness process of Hmong
Americans, they discovered that Hmong forgiveness: (1) focuses on the restoration
of respect and relational repair; (2) has a spiritual component; and (3) is facilitated
by a third-party. While other conceptualizations of forgiveness emphasize
relationship repair, the spiritual components and need for third-party facilitation are
somewhat unique to the Hmong.
Sandage, S., Hill, P. C, & Vang, H. C. (2003). Toward a multicultural positive
psychology: Indigenous forgiveness and Hmong culture. The Counseling Psychologist,
31, 564-592.
Multicultural Guideline 5: Psychologists are encouraged to
apply culturally appropriate skills in clinical and other
applied psychological practices.
Allio’s Culture-Sensitive Strengths Mentoring
Jessica Allio of the University of Kansas modified a 3-session
strengths mentoring protocol to promote ethnic pride, collective selfesteem, and academic achievement in college freshmen.
Gallup’s Strengths Project with Thurgood Marshall Schools
Jim Clifton and The Gallup Organization are collaborating with
historically black colleges and universities in an effort to identify
strengths and enhance hope, self-efficacy, engagement, academic
achievement, and retention in students.
Multicultural Guideline 6: Psychologists are encouraged to
use organizational change processes to support culturally
informed organizational (policy) development and practice.
Baylor’s Campus-wide Efforts
Baylor students, faculty, and staff are committed to the identification and
promotion of strengths in all people.
Discovery Television’s Nationwide Efforts
Paz the “Positive Psychology Penguin” promotes hope, optimism, and
resilience through 7-minute television segments. The advisors and writers
for the show make a concerted effort to account for the role of culture in
the development of positive characteristics.
How are we doing?
A, B, C, D, or F
Commitment to Cultural Awareness and Knowledge of Self and Others –
Guidelines #1 and #2 -- C
Education – Guideline #3 -- C
Research – Guideline #4 -- C
Practice – Guideline #5 -- B
Organizational Change and Policy Development – Guideline #6 -- D
Summary and Recommendations