Multicultural Initiatives Across Educational Contexts in Psychology: Becoming Diverse in Our Approach

Abstract

Educational context plays a role in promoting and maintaining multicultural competence. Whereas in the past decade psychology has considered the impact of multiculturalism in educational training; however, less attention has been paid to the institutional contexts that house these efforts. In this paper, four professional psychologists with expertise in multicultural education enumerate the barriers they encountered as they attempted to establish culture-centered educational contexts. Focusing on three specific educational contexts (a psychology department, a training clinic, and a medical setting), they provide insightful and compelling narratives that educators can relate to and apply to their own institutions. The article concludes with recommendations.