Racial/ethnic diversity in doctoral programs of psychology: Challenges for the twenty-first century

Abstract

Changing demographics and accompanying cultural pluralism pose challenges to psychology departments in terms of multicultural curriculum, generation of culturally sensitive research and theory, and representation of racial/ethnic minority students and faculty. The impact of the European-American worldview as the foundation of the dominant culture is explored as it relates to psychology. Implicit and explicit examples of ethnocentrism are offered, which reflect the imposition of the dominant culture on other cultures. Universal psychology is challenged as culture-bound and subsequently viewed as nonexistent. Organizational and individual multicultural development models are advanced, along with specific strategies for how departments can embrace diversity through commitment to structural change and inclusion of paradigms that reflect alternate worldviews.