Questions regarding social justice and multiculturalism in psychology

[deathbyrockyroad]

I've been spending quite a bit of time pondering where my research interests might lie and I was hoping to get some feedback on some of the thoughts that I've been having. They're somewhat jumbled thoughts, but I've tried my best to string them together in a way that makes some sort of sense.

Background-wise, I've had no exposure beyond an Intro to Psychology course to this discipline so I don't really have much of a framework to work with. As far as graduate studies are concerned, I very briefly flirted with the idea of pursuing a PhD in anthropology (one of my undergraduate majors) given my interests in cultural/social theory and social justice. I could absolutely see myself studying cultural theory and conducting ethnographic research for the seven or so years it would take to obtain a PhD in anthropology.

My biggest concern, however, is the inability of an anthropology PhD to translate into applied work outside of academia. Yes, there are certainly anthropologist-activists out there doing great things, but it's not necessarily work that I think I would find (personally, to each their own) meaningful.

I've done a bit of research online and it certainly appears as though multiculturalism has a place in psychology (particularly in counseling programs). I really love the idea of being able to work in academia/conduct research while also having the option to do clinical work (which is why I ultimately decided to scrap the LCSW/other clinically-orientated M.A routes), a way to apply theory in a practical way that I do think would be meaningful for me (working with under-served communities, minority populations, just generally working with a cross-cultural framework in mind). Can social justice have a prevalent role in the practice of psychology?

I was also wondering if qualitative/humanism driven research has a place in psychology, particularly methods like ethnography. Conducting such research as an anthropology major was a really enjoyable experience and I was wondering if it would be possible to somehow integrate these methodologies into my future studies as a psychologist.

I suppose this is more of a request for feedback than it is anything else--are my assumptions misguided? Given my lack of exposure to psychology, part of me wonders whether or not this is the right fit for me: and I'd rather have a better idea of that before I really start preparing for graduate school applications. Are these interests ultimately compatible with the discipline?

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[deleted343839]

There is a (small) corner of the field that is primarily concerned with ethnographic and other qualitative approaches, and not coincidentally this is also a corner that is often aligned with critical and social justice perspectives. However, you will find professionals in other subfields who incorporate social justice and/or multiculturalism into empirical work.

Given your interests, you might also consider a Ph.D. in social work.

 

[MCParent]

I suppose this is more of a request for feedback than it is anything else--are my assumptions misguided? Given my lack of exposure to psychology, part of me wonders whether or not this is the right fit for me: and I'd rather have a better idea of that before I really start preparing for graduate school applications. Are these interests ultimately compatible with the discipline?

Do a google scholar search for the topics you're interested in, and restrict the journals to ones named psych* and papers published in the last 5 years. See if what's being put out is in line with what you're into. The people publishing it are the ones you'd want to work with.

I can think of a few people who might fall within your interests, but better to read the papers yourself to see if they are a match.

 

[Ollie123]

As noted above, it's a relatively small but definitely present segment of the field. There are pros and cons to going that direction with regards to career development.

If you are interested, I would also strongly encourage looking into community psychology. Could be a great fit with your interests and there are several programs that should also provide opportunities for licensure.

 

[SLB-CO]

Welcome! Certainly if your work is multiculturalism and social justice in service to emotional and behavioral health, psychology has a place for you. These are all excellent suggestions. I'll add a few more thoughts for you to ponder since this is my broad focus:

- You will find many clinical and counseling psychology PhD programs speak about social justice and multiculturalism. Many are simply giving lip service, though most psychologists and psychology programs recognize the impact historical and current marginalization play in emotional and behavioral health. As increasing attention is given to context, it seems this focus is growing.

- Yes, there certainly are psychologists who use primarily qualitative methods in their work. There are many pros and cons to being a purely qualitative researcher, as you certainly bring something unique to the research team/department/field, but funding is still primarily targeted at quantitative research and publishing can be more challenging for qualitative methods. There is stigma around qualitative methods in psychology, rightfully earned - as there are people who will say they do qualitative methods, but don't know the first thing about it - they slapped an open-ended question at the end of their survey and "content coded" it. It's really unfortunate, as there isn't strong qualitative training in many doctoral programs. If you want to go the qualitative route, I urge you to seek out a program with a tenured mentor who largely or exclusively uses qualitative methods, get strong training, learn how to land grants, learn how to publish qualitative data in short journal articles, and learn how to bill yourself and the value qualitative lends on its own and in addition to quantitative. While you're at it, I recommend you don't shy away from quantitative methods. Take some advanced courses above requirements and learn how to do mixed methods. Whether you do mixed methods on your own or serve as the qualitative member of a mixed methods research team, you need to understand the methods that undergird the work. The field and the agencies that fund our work find great value in mixed methods. Publish in content journals, not methods ones, as only qualitative researchers read qualitative journals and you want your work to reach the content audience. Write well and you will find people will seek you out for your qualitative expertise - many collaborations to be developed!

- Historically counseling psychology PhD programs have a more critical-cultural lens than clinical ones, though you need to look at specific programs.

-Ollie's suggestion to look into community psychology is excellent, and there are a number of strong clinical-community programs that put you on the path towards licensure as a psychologist while providing strong training in community research and intervention through a critical-cultural lens. Check out the Society for Community Research & Action (scra27.org) for more details; they have a list of community and clinical-community programs on their site. You might also consider APPLIED social psychology (not experimental) or liberation psychology (not usually paired with clinical or counseling psych, but a relatively strong tradition in the southwest and west coast) if you decide clinical/counseling aren't right for you. If you can swing it, perhaps attend the Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology (SQIP)'s annual conference this year and ask a lot of questions, find a mentor! Check out SQIP (qualpsy.org), the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice (bhjustice.org), and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (spssi.org). Take a look at the cultural conferences, but I have found the need to bring a healthy skepticism to them and the work presented at them. Some work truly embodies social justice and other work feels like exploitation - a bunch of white people getting together to talk about how they've peeped into other cultures.

- Anecdotally, I have found the career opportunities to be great for someone with clinical-community training who largely does qualitative work around issues of multiculturalism. I have received state and APA division funding for community-based participatory research that was largely qualitative. I landed my first choice for my APA clinical internship. It's my first time on the job market (I'm going into academia), and I've been invited for interviews everywhere I applied (tenure-track, applying during internship year so no post-doc). Obviously this in n=1, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the interest in my social justice-oriented program of cultural research that primarily invokes community-based qualitative methods. You have a unique ingredient as a clinical-community psychologist - you just need to find the place that fits for you.

Best of luck to you! Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. And again, welcome to the field!

 

[smalltownpsych]

Program development could also be something that might interest you. Designing interventions for target communities and being able to measure outcomes both quantitatively and qualitatively in an effective manner is of vital importance. When I taught undergrad research methods I would use the example of a suicide prevention program in a small rural community. Much of the time public policy and these programs are not done scientifically and we (psychologists) can bring a lot to the table for very important policy questions. Literacy, gang violence, HIV, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, the list could go on and on. These are complex and often interwoven problems for any community and each community requires varying strategies to address and culturally competent psychologists are the ones who have the research chops to answer some of the questions.

 

[bcliff]

look into joint clinical-community psych programs -- ala GSU:

http://psychology.gsu.edu/graduate/...trations/clinical-program/clinical-community/