Week 6: Disorders and Application of Cross-Cultural Psychology

Imagine you are walking down a street and you see a stranger who appears to be talking to himself and gesturing aggressively. Is this person suffering from a psychological disorder? Is he practicing a ritual to rid himself of evil spirits? Or is he connected to his cell phone and trying to negotiate with a challenging client, friend, or family member? Depending on the answer, the individual may benefit from medication, counseling, successful completion of his ritual, or a more agreeable caller.

It would help to know the cultural context of his behavior. Different cultures provide different contexts not only for intelligence, emotions, social behavior, and other concepts you have studied in prior weeks, but also for psychological disorders. Different cultures may understand and relate to conditions such as anxiety, schizophrenia, and substance abuse differently.

In this final week, you will read about culture-specific syndromes, such as mal de ojo, or “evil eye.” You will examine the relationship between psychological disorders and culture shock or acculturative stress. As you wrap up the course, you will also consider how what you have learned applies to your everyday life, both now and in the future.

Note: Watch for “Just in Time” links for the Learning Resources, Discussion, and/or Assignment this week. When you see a “Just in Time” link, hover to get helpful tips or other guidance for completing your best coursework.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Apply principles of cross-cultural psychology in everyday life
• Analyze perspectives on psychological disorders across cultures
• Reflect on personal learning in cross-cultural psychology

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Shiraev, E. B., & Levy, D. A. (2017). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis
Chapter 9, “Psychological Disorders” (pp. 252–284)
Chapter 12, “Applied Cross-Cultural Psychology: Some Highlights” (pp. 346–368)

These chapters discuss cultural views on psychopathology, psychotherapy, and culture-bound syndromes, as well as various avenues in which cross-cultural psychology can be applied, including in health practices, business decisions, immigration policy, human rights, and working abroad. There is no Test for Understanding in Week 6..

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, is the primary diagnostic resource used by health professionals to evaluate, diagnose, and treat psychological disorders.

These two articles, from Section III and the Appendix, include discussions of how to take cultural issues into account in considering disorders and examples of cultural-bound syndromes and their overlap with DSM disorders. In addition, explore the DSM-V to familiarize yourself with the various psychological disorders and their diagnostic criteria.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, is the primary diagnostic resource used by health professionals to evaluate, diagnose, and treat psychological disorders.

Discussion : Applied Cross-Cultural Psychology: Immigration Policies and Practice

Psychology as an applied social and behavioral science is uniquely positioned to address some of the most prevalent issues in society. One area of application is immigration.  In recent years, economic and political upheaval across the globe has resulted in enormous numbers of people seeking new homes.  Almost every stable country has had to deal with this issue.  America has long been a destination for hopeful immigrants, but now we also have refugees displaced by war who are also seeking a safe place to live.  Unfortunately, this has become a prominent issue in the political realm.

All too often, we respond to the idea of immigration through the lens of inflammatory news stories and political soundbites, resulting in a lot of people being upset and a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding going around.   Are all these people really wanting to come here to steal our jobs, take services away from citizens, and undermine our society?  Are they really a bunch of terrorists and criminals?  Remember that psychologists rely on trustworthy studies and data, not what we are blindly told.

As scholars and social change agents, members of the psychological community can advance scientific research into the immigrant experience and develop culturally appropriate services for mental health and acculturative stress. Through research and advocacy, we can inform public policies and practices that encourage optimal outcomes for the individual, family, and society.  As we have seen repeatedly throughout this course, it is always necessary to see past stereotypes and assumptions and deal with the real person.  In this case, we need to be able to help refugees and immigrants themselves but also help our society deal with the issue in a constructive and positive way.

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 12 in your course text, focusing on the varied applications of cross-cultural psychology.
• Explore other related Week 6 Learning Resources on the topic of immigration. In particular, read the reports and review the website from the American Psychological Association.
• Consider how cross-cultural psychology can positively influence policies and practices regarding immigration. Formulate a list of strategies to recommend to your colleagues.
• Consider high-stress factors on immigrants, particularly the effects of prejudice, which impact immigrants’ mental health and specific ways that psychologists can respond.

Just like last week, our goal is to generate conversation. Post one question to the discussion and respond to at least two questions (or responses) posed by your peers. 

By Day 3

Post your one question with background to the discussion board.

Put your question in the subject line of your post and put your supporting text in the message area of the post.

Discussion Tips:

• Questions published earlier in the week get more responses.
• Support your question with at least one reference (textbook or other scholarly, empirical resources) in the message body.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two peers’ main questions (or their response). Colleague replies do not need to be supported by a reference. 

Submission and Grading Information