Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology

Yolanda Kaye Jackson

Language: English

Published: Apr 23, 2007

Description:

During the past 30 years, the study of racial and ethnic minority issues in psychology has evolved to what can be considered a significant and rapidly growing subfield within American psychology. The field encompasses a wide range of subdisciplines within psychology and includes a multitude of populations both within and outside of the United States.

The Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology is the first authoritative guide to synthesize the dynamic field of multicultural psychology. This volume includes entries on a broad array of issues and covers the breadth of psychology viewed through the lens of the racial and ethnic minority experience. The Encyclopedia addresses culture across a broad spectrum of psychological perspectives and includes topics that are relevant to social psychology, cognitive psychology, environmental psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and clinical psychology.

Key Features

  • Supports the notion that culture, and not race, is the best way to understand differences among individuals;therefore this volume focuses on culture to provide an index to the terms, concepts, and issues in the mainstream for the field
  • Presents a thorough overview of the psychology of racial, ethnic, and minority issues and covers all of the major ethnic groups and subgroups the United States
  • Includes topics on sociological issues as well as conceptual issues relevant to the field of multicultural psychology
  • Addresses topics as diverse as academic achievement, acculturation, affirmative action, community interventions, education, health, immigrants, prejudice, racial identity development, social ecology, stereotyping, teaching multiculturalism, tokenism, values, violence, worldviews, and more!

Key Themes

  • Conceptual Issues
  • Cultural Concerns
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Indigenous Concerns
  • Measurement
  • Professional Organizations
  • Psychopathology
  • Sociological Issues
  • Treatment

The Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology is an excellent resource for those interested in improving their awareness and comprehension of cultural practices prevalent among and between all people. It is a must-have reference for any academic library or psychology collection.

From Booklist

We live in a multicultural world, and professionals from a variety of fields are faced with challenges brought by differences that are in some cases only recently recognized or accommodated. The Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology is a welcome addition to the literature that attempts to define these differences. According to its introduction, this volume, the work of almost 200 academic contributors, is intended for "laypersons, students, and professionals new to the field with an interest in the role of culture in psychology."

Among the A-Z entries are articles for ethnic groups, for example, Alaska natives, Cuban Americans, and Vietnamese Americans . Each of these articles gives background for the group, a history of its immigration, information about acculturation, and more. Major areas of concern, such as Depression, Posttraumatic stress disorder, and Stress are defined and discussed in general, and then with respect to various groups. Topics such as Bilingual education, Intelligence tests, Racism and discrimination, Religion , and Transracial adoption are discussed with an emphasis on the differences that culture brings to these issues. Series of entries cover culture-specific syndromes, indigenous healing, and religious and spiritual beliefs.

The articles are for the most part at least one page in length. Many are much longer, and most include bibliographies. There is good use of see also references. An alphabetical list of articles and a thematic guide can be found at the beginning of the volume. The index is sufficiently detailed.

This is a timely and useful volume that has value for students and professionals alike. It would fit well in the collections of academic and large public libraries where multiculturalism is a topic of concern. Danise Hoover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

"This is a timely and useful volume that has value for students and professionals alike. It would fit well in the collections of academic and large public libraries where multiculturalism is a topic of concern." -- Danise Hoover Published On: 2006-12-19

"Useful statistics are included for many entries. The presentation and writing format are clear. This will be a valuable book for a wide variety of readers interested in multicultural psychology. Comprehensive index. Highly recommended." -- V. Viator Published On: 2007-03-15

"Those working in a counseling relationship with members of various underrepresented cultural groups in the United States will find the encyclopedia particularly useful. There are numerous entries that either directly or indirectly address issues of clinical relevance. For example, some of the topics covered in the Psychopathology and Treatment categories include depression, anxiety, alcohol/substance use and abuse, help-seeking behavior, family therapy, indigenous treatments and healers, psychopharmacology, and multicultural competencies. The text also attends to psychopathology or psychological distress as it is understood, experienced, and measured from different cultural perspectives. This encyclopedia is a meaningful contribution to the field of multicultural psychology. Jackson and her colleagues offer an authoritative synthesis of the important work that has been done to advance sensitivity and understanding of the rich cultural diversity that characterizes the United States." -- Mary C. Burke Published On: 2007-09-10 --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Yolanda Jackson is Associate Professor at the University of Kansas with a joint appointment in the Departments of Psychology and Human Development & Family Life. She is one of four core faculty members in the APA-accredited Clinical Child Psychology Program and is responsible for teaching the graduate-level diversity course requirement in both the Clinical Child Program and the General Clinical Program. For the past decade, she has taught Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology. She does research on ethnic minority psychology and multicultural issues and is involved in several projects addressing the mental health needs of children of color and has recently published a paper on doing research with ethnic minority populations. In addition, she supervises several undergraduate research projects focused on diversity issues, including projects on self-perceptions of African American girls that have won research awards. In addition to this research, she publishes regularly in the top journals of her field and frequently presents at conferences throughout the country. She is often invited to speak to professional groups on diversity and multicultural topics. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.