PYD818 Multiculturalism and Diversity (3 cr.)

This course focuses on how cultural premises and differences in history, life experiences, and world views influence understanding and communication. Emphasis is placed on the perspectives and experiences of underrepresented populations. This course also focuses on roles of the psychologist as educator, researcher, clinician, organizational change agent and policy developer, and the application of the constructs of multiculturalism and diversity to various professional settings.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Explain the processes that underlie the range of attitudes and beliefs that influence perceptions of and interactions with individuals and systems.
2. Identify personal cultural contexts, biases, and values from a multi-systemic and ecological perspective.
3. Evaluate professional practices with regards to multicultural responsiveness to and knowledge and understanding of individuals and systems.
4. Critically evaluate research and theory regarding evidenced based practices from a multicultural psychological perspective, and identify cultural assumptions underlying all research in psychology.
5. Demonstrate the ability to conceptualize, analyze, and evaluate individual and group behavior within and across multiple cultural contexts.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of how one might integrate culturally appropriate skills into clinical and other applied psychological practices.