Week 3 - Culture Community Flashcards
Culture and Identity
Culture may be defined to include many different facets
ADDRESSING
A – Age
Youngest person in a part-time job
Age in relation to others
D ‐ Disability, developmental
Born deaf - born with it
D – Disability, acquired
Accident, TBI
R – Religion
E – Ethnicity
S – Socioeconomic status
Income, class
S – Sexual orientation
I – Indigenous heritage
N – Nation of origin
G – Gender identity
Culture and Identity
These aspects of culture may be more or less salient for any individual.
The areas of greatest saliency are often those where we differ from others.
Some facets that we do not find salient may still be important.
An individual who has privilege or power as a result of a facet (e.g., being part of a majority race) may not consider this aspect salient
Culture and Psychology - Dr. David Satcher
US Surgeon General 1998‐2002 - tell gov and people in healthcare to focus on healthcare as an important ingredient
Summary of Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity (2001)
Two take‐home messages:
- “Culture counts” in consideration of etiology, effects, and treatment of educational and psychological problems
- Psychologists need to incorporate cultural issues into conceptualizations of psychological problems and treatments
How we define and treat - bring culture in to allow people to flourish
Today, we have started to build a discussion of the ways that “culture counts”
Culture should be viewed in broad sense
The field of psychology has had a history of pathologizing:
People of colour, women, and other groups -
Positive psychology failed to address culture
Was supposed to be a “balanced” view, but there were few discussions of culture
Culture should be viewed in broad sense
Include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, disability, and nation of origin
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, anthropologists and psychologists referred to race and culture as determinants of positive and negative personal characteristics and behaviours
GSPE.
Genetically deficient perspective – highlighting the inferiority of certain racial and cultural groups - research was being conducted by old white men
Strong belief in genetic superiority (e.g., Phillipe Rushton) - based on brain size and penis size
Pseudoscience (e.g., craniometry - capacity of our skulls - fill skull with different things after death and count how many fit = large = smart) and
eugenics (e.g., Ellis Island screening - IQ test in ENGLISH - youre all dumb)
Mid 20th Century: Culturally deficient perspective
Factors that affect physical and psychological growth - people were not successful/intelligent because they were resources like white american values and customs
Environmental, nutritional, linguistic, interpersonal
Hypothesis in 1950s:
people in other cultures were lacking in psychological resources because they had limited exposure to White American values and customs (the prevailing culture)
Deviations from normative culture were labelled “deficient
1970s and beyond: Culturally different perspective
pluralistic vs. relativistic
Culturally pluralistic – recognizing distinct cultural entities and adopting some values of the majority group
Culturally relativistic – interpreting behaviours within the context of the cultures
These two paradigms help explain diversity in positive and negative human behaviour.
Positive Psychology: Culture Is Everywhere
Culturally Embedded Positive Psychology Research and Practice
Culture‐sensitive recommendations
Some strengths are universal
Certain characteristics/virtues present as positive facets in many cultures
Love may be a universal strength
But group harmony and cohesion may not be
Difference in manifestation of positive traits
Textbook example of forgiveness among the Hmong Americans ◦
Forgiveness for Hmong group focuses on restoration of respect and relational repair - decide that you’re going to respect them again, a spiritual component facilitated by a third person - element of spirituality - necessary for forgiveness in this culture
Happiness may be a by‐product of life, rather than a desire
Happiness in Eastern and Western cultures
Western: personal achievement leads to happiness
Eastern: interpersonal harmony
Situating Positive Psychology
Positive Psychology can’t be pursued as if it transcends culture – it is not value‐free, culture‐free, ahistorical, or universal.
Psychology can’t be an “objective” science, because it is so heavily influenced by Western perspectives.
Need to learn how the self varies across cultures.
Need to learn how different cultures understand virtues, values, well‐being
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
1. Examining the Equivalence of the “Positives” to Determine What Works
Cross‐cultural and multicultural research
Look between groups (cross‐cultural)
Look within groups (heterogeneity within diverse nations)
Just because you are part of the same group doesnt mean you have the same values
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
1. Examining the Equivalence of the “Positives” to Determine What Works
Quantitative and qualitative studies
Qualitative may give us info on how culture contributes to development and manifestation of strengths
Quantitative may give us info on how strengths can lead to particular outcomes in various cultures
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
1. Examining the Equivalence of the “Positives” to Determine What Works
Optimism and pessimism studies
Asian Americans and White Americans
Asian Americans were significantly more pessimistic, but n.s. optimistic ◦
Findings might suggest that Asian Americans have more negative affect, BUT no sig. differences in reported depressive symptoms in both groups
In White Americans, pessimism was negatively correlated with problem-solving; however, in Asian Americans, pessimism was positively correlated with problem-solving
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
1. Examining the Equivalence of the “Positives” to Determine What Works
Cultural facets can provide strengths
Cultural identities may provide strengths (activity at the beginning of class)
Low SES might be associated with creative problem‐solving strategies
Being a member of a collectivist group might be associated with being good at networking
Differences in benefits from coping strategies
Coping strategies of caregivers:
Taking action; using social support; cognitively reappraising life situations; denying the health problem/avoidance
The strategies were used by different groups, but not all strategies were helpful
“Greater levels of coping were associated with greater distress in the U.S. sample, while greater levels of coping were not associated with distress in the Shanghai sample.” Shaw et al., 1997
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
2. Determining the Foundations of the Good Life
Culture influences views of the good life
Happiness? Life Satisfaction?
What about socioeconomic differences?
Experiences help form worldviews
Ways of describing the universe, the world
What is, and what ought to be
“The Wise Man of the Gulf” - american talks to mexican fisherman - net is big - catch more if it was smaller
Says he only catches what he needs
American - need to be more successful now so you can retire
Mexican fisherman would end up doing the same things he’s doing now when he retires
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
3. Using Caution in Measuring “Universal” Strengths
Traits and characteristics defined differently
The same words may have different meanings
Similarities are not what they appear to be
Linguistic equivalence is not a substitute for conceptual equivalence
Must be aware of biases
Check in with members of the community that we are studying
Bringing awareness to our biases allows for more competent research
Putting Positive Psychology in a Cultural Context
4. Multicultural Mindset as a Strength
Multicultural personality – “a strength‐based cluster of personality dispositions or traits that…is hypothesized to predict cultural adjustment and quality of life outcomes in culturally heterogenous societies” (Ponterotto, et al., 2008, p. 95)
Better at understanding different cultures - cultural sensitivity
Multicultural Personality Questionnaire—five factors
Cultural empathy
Open‐mindedness
Emotional stability
Initiative
Flexibility
Final Thoughts on the Complexity of Cultural Influences
Must continue to study cultural influences
Examine the strengths of marginalized groups
Increasing diversity in North America
Increasing capacity for communication (i.e., internet)
Discussions of strengths particularly important because of early damaging pseudoscience
Non‐assimilation is not pathology!
These groups may have ideas for coping, community building, etc.
Lack of non‐Western research
Existing research focuses on happiness, hope, optimism
Need more research on Eastern values (harmony, compassion, altruism)
Psychological strength is universal
There are no universal strengths
Context and culture matter
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris
Pediatrician - serving low SES
HIgh number had experience childhood trauma - studied how it affects brain development and health as an adult
Changes neural pathways
Affects ability to cope with stress, obesity, founded the centre for youth wellness
Help treat trauma and build resilience
