Culture and Psychology Flashcards

Multiculturalism

• Definition: The existence of multiple cultures within a single country.
• Prevalence: Common in Western countries like Australia, Singapore, the US, the UK, Europe, and Malaysia.
• Impact: While it brings numerous positives through cultural diversity, it can also contribute to racism and prejudice.

Cultural Identity

• Definition: An integral part of personal identity shaping one's worldview and sense of place.
• Components: Includes ethnicity and ethnic identity.

Critical Race Theory

• Core Idea: Race is a social construct, not a biological reality.
• Implication: Racism is embedded within society, making it difficult to identify and address.
• Impact: Affects mental and physical health, as well as social wellbeing outcomes, supported by extensive research.

Racism Definition (Australian Human Rights Commission)

• Source: Defined clearly by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), with resources available via provided link.
• Initiative: AHRC initiative to combat racism in Australia is termed "It Stops With Me."
• Definition:
  • Racism is a process where inequitable opportunities and outcomes are created based on race through systems, policies, actions, and attitudes.
  • It goes beyond prejudice by incorporating the power to discriminate, oppress, or limit the rights of others.
• Impact:
  • Racism limits access to employment and affects health outcomes.

Types of Racism

• Individual Racism:
  • Definition: Racism that occurs on a one-to-one basis.
  • Example: An employer discriminating against an employee due to their race by not offering promotions or high-level roles.
• Institutionalized Racism:
  • Definition: Discrimination embedded in laws against a particular cultural or racial group.
  • Historical Context: Evident in laws against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Contemporary Racism:
  • Characteristics: Often subtle and covert, making it harder to detect.
  • Denial: Individuals may consciously deny racist views or discriminatory behavior.

Implicit Bias

• Concept: Unconscious racist attitudes or ideas about other racial groups that may influence decision-making.
• Assessment: Researchers use implicit measures to assess implicit racial bias.
• Implicit Association Test: Available online to test for implicit biases.

Intersectional Theory

• Core Idea: Different identities interact to create unique experiences of prejudice and discrimination.
• Factors: Age, ethnicity, and sexuality can combine to increase or decrease disadvantage.
• Example: The cumulative impact of country of birth, gender, age, geographical location, and health status on stigma and discrimination.
• Mental Health: Individuals with schizophrenia may experience enhanced discrimination based on their culture, country of origin, and gender.

Dominant Cultures & Whiteness

• Shift in Research: Contemporary psychology increasingly focuses on dominant cultures, like researching "whiteness".
• Focus: Unpacking the concept of white privilege and understanding its expression.
• Application to Psychology: Investigating whiteness within clinical psychology due to its disproportionate representation by white individuals.
• Example : 88% of UK clinical psychologists identify as white.
• Importance of Self-Reflexivity: Critical for psychologists to have a self-critical lens around whiteness, especially when working in multicultural settings.

Strategies for Reducing Prejudice and Discrimination

• Legislative Action: Enacting laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals.
• Cooperative Tasks: Encouraging collaboration between different cultures on various projects to reduce discrimination.
• Contact Hypothesis: Suggests that interacting with people from different cultures can decrease racism, prejudice, and discrimination.
• Delivery Methods: Important consideration to optimizing interventions.

Racism in Psychology

• Historical Context: Psychology has a history of racist testing, such as IQ tests designed for non-representative populations.