The impact of multicultural in psychology
Introduction
The doctrine of multiculturalism impacts the behaviors of different people across the world. Multicultural ideologies make people peculiarly uninterested in regards to feelings as well as ideas which come from people of varying culture which are not their own. Understanding different cultures similarly affect psychologists. This discussion will provide the impacts of multiculturalism in psychology.
Impact of multicultural in psychology
There are various ways through which psychologists are affected by multiculturalism.
Self-awareness in psychologist
Self-reflection is a crucial component required in multicultural counseling. Through understanding multicultural, the psychologist can identify their values as well as the ability to value the cultures of other people (Eskici, & Çayak, 2018). Through the appreciation of multiculturism, the psychologist can eliminate stereotypes besides pre-judgments.
Better understanding and strong relationships
Through understanding multi-cultures, a psychologist can understand various cultural differences and use the knowledge in creating stronger relationships with his/her client. For instance, people from Western culture ask direct questions and prefer maintenance of eye contact. This may be different in other religions, such as African, where direct contact may indicate rudeness. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Power distance knowledge
Different societies and cultures view power in different perspectives. Large power distance culture’ people believe that people in power are different people from the rest of the community. In low power-distance organizations, people want to be consulted on anything that happens. Hofstede argues that large power distance cultures have political conflicts as compared to those cultures with low power-distance. On the same note, countries with large-power distances prefer older adults in power positions as compared to low power-distances where young people are found in the top of power positions. Through understanding multiculturism, these differences are understood and make the counselor able to approach their client, which knowledge on how power is conceived.
Culture and behavior
Julien, in his video, explains how cultural differences may affect how people view emotional expression. Using an example of a woman who took his friend and shook him, asking why he did not understand her. This was because he was not used to the emotional expression used by Julian’s friend and thus was misinterpreted the emotions. Cultural diversity is essential in problem-solving and better inclusive communication. In some cultures, such as South Korea, children are taught to work in a team as opposed to the western cultures where children are taught to independence. In some cultures, people rely heavily on friendship while in others people value friendship less. Therefore, understanding multiculturalism plays a significant role in breaking social classes.
Flashbulb memory
These are memories created by extraordinary events. The memory consistently reappears in the mind of a person who experienced the event. Cultures affect flashbulb memories. In some cultures, flashbulb memories are discouraged since the cultures discourage negative emotions. This makes the person keep the mind to themselves, which results in the diminishing of the mind. However, in individualist cultures, flashbulb memories are encouraged, which makes people share their memories with their friends to limit their emotional memory.
Conclusion
Understanding of multiculturalism impacts the way psychologist work. Different cultures have different ways of doing things that may be wrongly interpreted and are not well understood. Emotional interpretations, power, and distance, as well as cultural cognition, all play a part in multicultural understanding. These aspects require a multicultural perspective to work better with different cultures.