Discussion: Cross-Cultural Psychology Research for Positive Social Change

Psychological research is more than an intellectual exercise. Data and evidence from cross-cultural work can be utilized to implement positive social change. For example, psychologists have worked on such social issues as global poverty, health disparities, and equality among groups. Other examples for positive social change one can consider how such research can be utilized to improve treatments and interventions for psychological disorders or for educational programs. For example, if research was only conducted in one culture, psychologists would not know whether the educational or therapy intervention that worked well in one culture works well or even works at all in another culture. Thus, conducting cross-cultural research can really lead to improved outcomes in many domains of relevance, such as in schools and in the counseling center.

For this Discussion, you will examine a social issue and explore ways that cross-cultural research can impact positive social change.

To Prepare:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources and other resources from this course and select a social issue for which you think cross-cultural psychology research can play a role for social change.

Post and briefly describe the social issue you selected and explain at least three ways that cross-cultural psychology research can inform policy change to improve society.

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Barnett, L. (2007). Psychosocial effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Medicine, Conflict, And Survival, 23(1), 46–57.

Sunil Bhatia: International Humanitarian Award (2015). American Psychologist, 70(8), 81–818.

Carr, S. C. (2018). How can living wages save our generation for a better world? In G. Rich, A. Padilla-Lopez, L. K.  de Souza, L. Zinkiewicz, J. Taylor, & J. L. Jaafar (Eds.), Teaching psychology around the world (Vol 4, pp. 400–406). Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Credit Line: Teaching Psychology Around the World, 1st Edition by Alfredo Padilla Lopez, L.; Karine de Souza, L.; Zinkiewicz, L.; Taylor, J.; Rich, G. Copyright 2018 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Reprinted by permission of Cambridge Scholars Publishing via the Copyright Clearance Center. 

Jacobs, G. A. (2007). The development and maturation of humanitarian psychology. American Psychologist, 62(8), 932–941

Jacobs, G. A., Gray, B. L., Erickson, S. E., Gonzalez, E. D., & Quevillon, R. P. (2016). Disaster mental health and community‐based psychological first aid: Concepts and education/training. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(12), 1307–1317

Stout, C. (2004). Global initiatives. American Psychologist, 59(8), 844–853.

Wessells, M. G. (2009). Do no harm: Toward contextually appropriate psychosocial support in international emergencies. American Psychologist, 64(8), 842–854.