&NamingNurturingSpring

2005#2

The e-newsletter of the Positive Psychology Section of The American Psychological Association’s Counseling Psychology Division 17.

Greetings from the Chair— Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., The University of Kansas, sjlopez@ku.eduChair, Positive Psychology Section

My grandfather was known in our little part of town for having healing pow-ers. When little kids played outside too long and got sunburned, or workingCajun men and women could not shake the headache and fatigue that camefrom toiling ten- to twelve-hours a day in the Louisiana heat, they came tomy Pop-pop’s house for some “treatment.” He would sit very close to them,place his hands gently on their heads, bow slowly, and pray. These “treat-ments” for sunburn and sunstroke worked every time. Pop-pop has had thisgift all of his life; he still shares it today.

As a young boy I was riveted to the scene of my grandfather healing thesuffering. As a psychologist, I grew to understand that all suffering and allflourishing, and the myths that help us move from one psychological state tothe next, are culturally based. Now, as positive psychologists, my colleagues(the section officers and contributors to this newsletter) and I are committedto highlighting how culture-centered research, practice, and training willhelp us discover what is good in the lives of the people who ask for our help.

The Positive Psychology Section has dedicated this issue of the newsletterto the discussion of the interface between positive psychology and multicul-turalism to encourage the scientific and practical pursuit of optimal func-tioning of all people, not just a select few.

This biannual electronic newsletter puts a pubic face on the positive psychology section. It is designed to serve as a means of communicatingamong the members and to the broad external readership that includescounseling psychologists and other professionals committed to promotingthe positive in people. I hope that the articles, ranging from formal descrip-tions of research programs to musings on positive psychology, stimulatethinking about how you can incorporate a focus on strength and positivefunctioning into your daily work.

I believe you will find this thematic issue of Naming & Nurturing quitethought-provoking. Thanks to this issue’s contributors. Be well.

Upcoming +ψ Events

+ψ Research: SituatingPositive Psychology

+ψ Practice: Multi-cultural Guidelines

+ψ Training: Strategiesfor Infusing Multicultur-alism into Teaching

Member Musings:What needs to happento put positive psych-ology in a multicultur-al context?

Student Commentary:Don’t Jump toConclusions!

Member Kudos & References

Join us!

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In this issue...

Positive Psychology SectionBusiness Meeting at APAThurs, Aug 18 • 10 amDivision 17 Hospitality Suite A The Renaissance HotelIf you are not yet a section member, youcan join at the meeting.

2005 International Positive Psychology SummitThurs, Sept 29 - Sun, Oct 2 The Gallup Organization’s D.C. headquarters. Registration and scholarship information:www.gallupippi.com

Naming & Nurturingis the biannual e-newsletter of thePositive Psychology Section of TheAmerican Psychological Association’sCounseling Psychology Division 17.Recipients include all section membersand other interested professionals whowant to learn about the practice and sci-ence of positive psychology. Recipientsshould feel free to forward this e-newsletter to interested colleagues andfriends. There is no cost to subscribe tothis newsletter.

Editor is Shane J. Lopez. Designer isAllison Rose Lopez. Contributors for this issue include John ChambersChristopher, Michael D’Andrea, AllenIvey,Jeffrey Mio, Jennifer TeramotoPedrotti, Ayse Uruk, and Shawn Utsey.

Questions and subscription requestsshould be sent to sjlopez@ku.edu. Phone: 785.864.9653.

Naming & Nurturing 22 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Gratitude to the Section Officers

A core group of counseling psychol-ogists has committed their creativity and vision to the PositivePsychology section. Thanks toJennifer Teramoto Pedrotti (CalPoly) and Lisa Edwards (Universityof Notre Dame) communicationsofficers, Ayse Uruk (University ofMemphis) graduate student repre-sentative, Jeff Daniels (Universityof Indiana) listserv manager andmembership coordinator, andDaniel Singley (University ofMaryland) webmaster.

Research+ψ

Naming & Nurturing 33 Spring 2005, Issue #2

The positive psychology movement resonates withcounseling psychology’s historical emphasis on

growth and development. Oneimportant contribution thatcounseling psychology canmake to positive psychology isto advocate for an ongoingcommitment to diversity andmulticulturalism. To post-mod-ern thinkers of a variety ofstripes, ontological and moralcommitments are increasinglyrecognized to be inescapable inthe social sciences. This poses

problems for positive psychology if it is pursuedas if it were a “descriptive” or objective sciencethat can “transcend particular cultures and poli-tics and approach universality” (Seligman &Csikszentmihalyi, 2000, p. 5). Prior initiatives inthe field of psychology that claimed to be objec-tive, value-free, culture-free, ahistorical and uni-versal were shown by critical psychologists to pre-suppose individualistic cultural values andassumptions. Preliminary inquiry suggests thattheory and research in positive psychology is like-wise influenced by Western cultural outlooks(Christopher, 1999, 2003; Guignon, 2002;Woolfolk, 2002). One implication is that positivepsychology requires a philosophy of social sciencethat is robust enough to handle ontological, epis-temological, and ethical/moral issues and movebeyond both objectivism and relativism.

I believe conceptual resources for positive psy-chology can be found in the philosophicalhermeneutics of Charles Taylor and MartinHeidegger and in Mark Bickhard’s interactivism.These metatheories provide (a) conceptual toolsfor critiquing how cultural values and assump-tions shape psychological theory, research, andpractice, (b) an alternative non-individualisticand non-dualistic metatheory regarding thenature of the self and how the self is related to

culture, and (c) ways of thinking interpretivelyabout cultural meanings and discerning their spe-cific manifestations (Campbell, Christopher, &Bickhard, 2002; Christopher, 2001; Christopher,2004). A useful way of thinking about culturecomes from considering how human beingsalways and necessarily exist within moral visions.Moral visions entail a set of ontological presuppo-sitions about the nature of the person or self anda set of moral or ethical assumptions about whatthe person should be or become. I believe thatany positive psychology, whether in the currentmovement or in the indigenous psychologies ofother cultures, is based on moral visions.

From this moral visions framework positivepsychology will need to be able to address howthe self varies across culture. To promote subjec-tive well-being, psychological well-being, or char-acter we need to have a clear understanding of theself that is at stake. Failing to do this can poten-tially pathologize individuals whose sense of selfis not the “bounded, masterful self” of Westernpsychology (Cushman, 1990). In addition, posi-tive psychology will need to address what role thevarious configurations of the self have for positivepsychology. For example, positive psychologyencourages the development and enhancement ofthe self. Yet for many non-Western indigenouspsychologies such as Buddhism and classicalyoga, identification with this notion of the self isthe source of suffering and the true stumblingblock to growth. Or as Alfred Adler suggested,mental health and well-being may in part requirea sense of identification with the larger communi-ties of which one is a part. Dialogue and debateregarding these types of underlying assumptionswill be essential to help positive psychology notbecome culture-bound.

The second aspect of moral visions that posi-tive psychology will need to contend with arethose assumptions regarding how we should be orbecome (or what

John ChambersChristopher

Situating Positive Psychology—John Chambers Christopher, Ph.D., Montana State University, jcc@montana.edu

(continued on page 4)

Naming & Nurturing 44 Spring 2005, Issue #2

the good person and the good life are). Psychologytends to define its virtues, like autonomy, related-ness, and personal growth in abstract and decon-textualized ways that tend to obscure the localand specific interpretations with which thesevirtues are actually lived out (Campbell &Christopher, 1996a; Christopher, 1999;Christopher, Nelson, & Nelson, 2004). This is apoint that applies to various aspects of positivepsychology including Peterson and Seligman’s(2004) VIA project, character education, andwell-being (Christopher et al., 2004). I contendthat positive psychology will need to more fullyconsider how interpretation plays a central role inunderstanding those characteristics and qualitiesthat define the good person and the good life. Tothe extent that certain virtues can be found to bepresent across most cultures, there are huge andgenerally unexplored ways that the meaning ofthese virtues can be radically different for thosewho hold them. The virtue of caring, for instance,is generally interpreted within Western culturesto mean caring about other people—yet there aretraditions for whom caring about the environmentand about the self are also moral imperatives(Campbell & Christopher, 1996a). Moreover, evenwhen there is consensus about the object ordomain of caring, there are frequently consider-able differences across and within cultures aroundwhat it means to care in a particular situation,such as with the elderly. A hasty attempt todeclare that certain virtues are universallyendorsed can obscure how these common virtuesare often prioritized in very different ways.Respect, for example, is an important virtue inmost cultures. Yet while Turkish and Micronesiancollege students consider respect the most impor-tant attribute of the good person, American stu-dents ranked it 35th (Smith, Türk-Smith, &Christopher, 1998, August).

Comprehending how culture shapes peoples’understanding of virtues, values, and well-beingwill indeed complicate research endeavors. Ourcommitment to cultural pluralism demands moreof us than the inclusion of other countries in stan-dard research relying on self-report measures.One implication of the moral visions perspective

is that people already live out positive folk psy-chologies: the structure of their lives provide ananswer to the question of the good person andgood life. These implicit and embodied outlooksneed to be juxtaposed with notions of the goodthat are consciously accessible and espoused bylay persons, as well as with indigenous profes-sional theories of well-being. To fully address howpositive psychologies exist at a variety of levels ofawareness requires the addition of interpretivemethods. This will initially result in a kind ofmessiness, as some moral development theoristsnow acknowledge is necessary (Campbell &Christopher, 1996b; Walker & Hennig, 2004;Walker & Pitts, 1998), but this is offset by thepotential to capture more of the richness anddiversity of human experience.

Positive psychology is critical to the well-beingof 21st century psychology. It will require vigi-lance to ensure that positive psychology does notbecome yet another form of a disguised individu-alistic ideology that perpetuates the socio-politicalstatus quo and fails to do justice to the moralvisions of those outside the reigning outlook. Ibelieve that by paying attention to our underlyingmoral visions, learning about the moral visions ofthose across cultures and across time, and learn-ing to think culturally, we can avoid prematurelyrushing to ethnocentric conclusions that fail totake full measure of the wisdom of non-Westerncultural traditions.

Research (continued from page 3)+ψ

Positive Psychology

Onlinewww.div17.org/positivepsychology

Thank you Singleys!

Practice+ψ

Counseling psychology has, since its inception,been focused on a positive developmental view.

Traditionally, we have sought toavoid thinking about and work-ing with our clients in a frame-work of pathology. Counselingpsychology also has been at theforefront of the multiculturalmovement. This brief article is tosummarize the importance of themulticultural guidelines for posi-tive psychology.

The first versions of what wenow know as the “Multicultural Guidelines:Education, Research, and Practice” (APA, 2003)were born the Professional Affairs Committee of

Division 17 in 1980. DeraldWing Sue was head of thatgroup, during Allen Ivey’s presi-dency. The efforts to promote aculture-centered perspective oncounseling and therapy wereconsistent with strength-basedcounseling psychology and afocus on recognizing individualand group uniqueness. It tookover twenty years, but what

was started in Division 17 eventually reached fullfruition when APA Council unanimouslyendorsed the Guidelines. Throughout that longprocess, our members were central in writing,teaching, and establishing political contacts tochange the status quo.

Positive psychology has at best a mixed recordwhen it comes to multicultural issues. A carefulreview of major works written on positive psy-chology reveals very little when one searches forterms such as “multicultural, racism, sexism, cul-ture, and cross-cultural.” The one major excep-tion to this is the chapter in the Handbook of

Positive Psychology (Snyder & Lopez, 2002).Given the relative prominence of multiculturalissues in Chapter 3 of this book, it is a bit disturb-ing to see no significant discussion of multicultur-al issues in one of the most central books of posi-tive psychology, Character Strengths and Virtues(Peterson & Seligman, 2004). In short, positivepsychology does not have a strong record when itcomes to addressing multicultural issues.

One route to bring positive psychology more inconcert with today’s issues would be to examinehow the APA Multicultural Guidelines speak topositive psychology. We will quote each guidelineand speak to specific things that positive psychol-ogy might do to become more relevant to socialissues.

Guideline 1. Psychologists are encouragedto recognize that, as cultural beings, theymay hold attitudes and beliefs that candetrimentally influence their perceptionsand interactions with individuals who areethnically and racially different fromthemselves.

Positive psychology is based on a Westernphilosophical view that when it does discuss cul-ture, it does so from a Western view. Positive psy-chology tends to be color blind rather than coloraware. APA Guidelines strongly suggest that weneed to be aware that our premises are shaped bycultural influences. And, an underlying bias ofmuch of Western thought it is that it is superiorto other frames of reference. And, when thissuperiority is coupled with the power to imposebeliefs, those with less power (People of Color,women, gays, and others) may not receive equi-table treatment.

The first guideline asks psychologists to knowthemselves as cultural beings. If we are to have apositive psychology, it becomes necessary (partic-

The Multicultural View and Positive Psychology—Allen E. Ivey, University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and University of South Florida, Tampa,ivey@srnet.com, and Jeffery Scott Mio, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona,jsmio@CSUPOMONA.edu

Allen E.Ivey

Jeffrey Scott Mio

Naming & Nurturing 55 Spring 2005, Issue #2

ularly for White psychologists) to examine our-selves, our socio-cultural history, to discover insti-tutional racism, and seek to reduce the impact ofracist history and practice. Although we can nevereliminate racism due to cultural conditioning, wecan work to reduce it and its effects.

As an example of how a color blind approachcan impose the dominant view inappropriatelyupon nondominant populations, Western viewssuggest that people should be independent fromone another. This is evidenced in psychoanalytictheory that discusses the separation–individua-tion process that children undergo when separat-ing from their parents, cognitive behavioral theo-ry that discusses rational emotive therapy thatrejects what others feel and focuses upon one’sown feelings as independent from others, andhumanistic theory that discussesself-actualization. People of Colorgrow up in environments thatemphasize collectivism and inter-dependence. This worldview is indirect opposition to the forms oftherapy suggested by the domi-nant Western view.

Guideline 2: Psychologistsare encouraged to recognizethe importance of multicul-tural sensitivity/responsiveness to, knowl-edge of, and understanding about ethnical-ly and racially different individuals.

The United States is already multicultural andwe can look forward to 2050 when People ofColor will have larger numbers than Whites. Aforward looking positive psychology needs to putracial and ethnic diversity at the center. Culturalpride supports individual personal worth. A posi-tive psychology includes a positive cultural identi-ty and respect for others.

For example, for decades ethnic minority psy-chologists have emphasized the importance ofidentifying their clients’ strengths. Western psy-chotherapeutic theories have been dominated bythe medical model which emphasizes illness ordeviance. Hence, ethnic minority therapists’ pre-

cursors to the positive psychology movement werelargely ignored. However, psychologists such asThomas Parham—who refers to mental healthspecialists as “healers” instead of “therapists”—have discussed the importance of using theclients’ personal strengths and the strengths oftheir ancestors and political/social heroes toassist in therapy. Certainly, the racial/culturalidentity movement that has dominated multicul-tural psychology since the early 1970s can be con-sidered to be an indigenous form of positive psy-chology.

Guideline 3: As educators, psychologistsare encouraged to employ the constructs ofmulticulturalism and diversity in psycho-logical education.

Our classroom interactionsare embedded in multicultural-ism, but they are all-too-oftenignored. Positive psychologycan make an important contri-bution by encouraging a reviewof all past psychological litera-ture for its failure to considerthese issues. Furthermore,those who are charged with themulticultural courses tend to bePeople of Color (Mio &

Awakuni, 2000). Multiculturalism is a full-timepractice for all psychologists. Thus, rather thantransmitting the sense that multiculturalism is animpediment or obstacle that must be overcome,positive psychology can transmit a sense thatmulticulturalism underscores part of our unique-ness. Triandis (1989) discussed how there werethree aspects of the self (private, public, and col-lective), and that Western psychology tends toonly look at our private and public selves.However, a collective sense of self is an importantaspect that can be a dominant part of our identitydepending upon the context.

Guideline 4: Culturally sensitive psycho-logical researchers are encouraged to rec-ognize the importance of conducting cul-

Practice (continued from page 5)+ψ

Naming & Nurturing 66 Spring 2005, Issue #2

What is positive and “works” withone cultural group

may not bestrength-producing

in another.

ture-centered and ethical psychologicalresearch among persons from ethnic, lin-guistic, and racial minority backgrounds.

Positive psychology’s brief history is very weakhere. There has been a tendency to place theWestern view as the “right” way of thinking.Rather than recognizing and celebrating differ-ence, positive psychology has chosen to ignore theissue. Research in the past has tended to befocused from a White middle-class perspectiveand this frame of reference has done damage tothose who do not fit this paradigm. The consciousand unconscious bias of past and present theory,research, and practice needs a total review.Psychology’s history is based on a narrow frameof reference. A very different positive psychologywill have to emerge if it is to be relevant in thefuture. For example, rather than treating ethnic,linguistic, and racial minority backgrounds as“nuisance” variables that can be addressed by sta-tistical techniques such as an analysis of covari-ance, these variables can be treated as primaryfactors of interest to be understood.

Guideline 5: Psychologists are encouragedto apply culturally appropriate skills inclinical and other applied psychologicalpractices.

What is positive and “works” with one culturalgroup may not be strength-producing in another.There is a uniformity in positive psychology thatappears to miss cultural difference and diversity.The narrow philosophical emphasis of positivepsychology does not encourage broadening outand sensing variation. When proponents of posi-tive psychology become more aware of multicul-tural issues and begin to integrate these issuesinto their conceptual frames, a more powerfulmovement can sweep the field.

Beyond this is the matter of social justice andaction. We do not just live in community, we havethe responsibility to work to change that commu-nity in positive ways. Talk therapy is just oneroute toward this change. Prevention and psy-choeducation, group and family interventions,and community psychological approaches are alsoessential. And, each of these group settings, issuesof cultural differences need attention and respect.

Guideline 6: Psychologists are encouragedto use organizational change processes tosupport culturally informed organizational(policy) development and practice.

People live and die in organizations of oneform or another—hospitals, schools, government,banks, industries—and all of these institutionsparticipate in some way in institutional racism.This is because the embedded favoritism to thosewho are entitled, those with money, and predomi-nantly, those of the White race, has been inten-tionally or unintentionally racist. There is a needfor examination of positive psychology’s role inorganizational change. Arredondo (2003) hassuggested ways in which multiculturalism can beapplied to organizational change that can be prov-idently applied by positive psychologists.

SummaryPositive psychology has the potential to have sig-nificant positive impact on research, education,and practice. But this will happen only if itupdates itself to full awareness of the multicultur-al guidelines. If positive psychology continues onits present path of ignoring multicultural issues, itwill be seen as a negative influence on the devel-opment of psychology.

This article has been rather gentle and onlypresented limited criticism of positive psychology.It is well known, within the multicultural commu-nity, that positive psychology has many problemsand needs serious revamping. However, followingthe strength and positive tradition of multicultur-al psychology, we have preferred to present themulticultural guidelines as a way to suggest majorchanges that need to occur within the positivepsychology movement. Failure to change and rec-ognize multicultural issues will only lead positivepsychology to failure.

We hope this small contribution helps openthe dialogue between positive psychology and themulticultural movement.

What is positive and “works” with one cul-tural group may not be strength-producingin another.

Practice (continued from page 6)+ψ

Naming & Nurturing 77 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Naming & Nurturing 88 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Training+ψFive Strategies for Infusing Multiculturalism into anUndergraduate Positive Psychology Course—Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Ph.D., Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, jpedrott@calpoly.edu

Counseling psychology researchers and educatorsrecognize the importance of looking at the psycho-

logical functioning of all indi-viduals, not just members of themajority culture. As positivepsychologists, we have aresponsibility to look at thestrengths of all people. Thequestion often is “How do wedo this?” Below, I offer fivestrategies that I use to infusemulticulturalism into theundergraduate positive psychol-

ogy course I teach at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

1. Emphasize cultural context from the begin-ning of the course. I discuss the importance of cul-tural context on the first day of class to emphasizethat this is a primary component of our study. Toooften, multicultural issues are tacked on to the end ofclasses as a “special topic.” By contextualizing humanbehavior on the first day, students are prepared topoint out the relevance of certain strengths as viewedthrough the necessary lens of context as we studyvarious positive psychology constructs.

2. Challenge students to read critically forethnocentrism. After discussing the importanceof a multicultural perspective, I challenge studentsto read critically to determine whether a theorycomes from an ethnocentric view. This encouragesstudents to be more aware in their consumptionand production of literature and also to becomemore multiculturally competent across other areasof the field.

3. Present studies and theories from thegrowing body of literature that does incor-porate multiculturalism. Though there is stillmuch work to be done, researchers are beginningto look at strengths from within a cultural context.Chang (2001), for example, provides an excellent

look at optimism from both western and eastern-oriented points of view. As Chang illustrates, opti-mism is linked to more negative outcomes in theChinese individuals in his studies and therefore isnot an inherently positive construct across all cul-tures. Including this type of study and highlightingthe different functions of a construct, such as opti-mism, within different cultures, help students tounderstand that values cannot be assigned tostrengths without considering cultural context.

4. Discuss culturally-relevant strengths. AsSue and Constantine (2003) discuss, concepts suchas collectivism may be inherent strengths in certaincultures. Helping students to recognize thatstrengths can come from groups other than themajority culture prepares them to be more culturallysensitive in their practice and research.

5. Explain culture as a multifaceted concept.Though race and ethnicity are important core facetsin multiculturalism discussions, I try to help studentsunderstand other cultural factors as well. I encouragethem to consider theories, interventions, and ideasfrom the perspective of someone unlike them –someone from a different socioeconomic status, forexample, or of the opposite gender. In this way, allstudents can relate to the topic’s importance.

As a final thought, we must recognize that whilethese strategies may be a starting place, the truetask lies with professors. As educators, we must bemodels for our students. The key to incorporatingmulticulturalism into any area of the field is to beaware of our own biases and to develop knowledgeabout other cultures to present a comprehensiveview. As positive psychologists, we know the impor-tance of a balanced view of psychological function-ing. Taking this one step further to incorporatemulticulturalism is essential to the future success ofresearch and teaching in positive psychology.

Jennifer TeramotoPedrotti

Naming & Nurturing 99 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Member News & Notes+ψ

“What needs to happen to put positive psychology in a multicultural context?” This question was posed to multicultural scholars via email. Here are two responses.

I am currently engaged in research that examines therole of cultural factors in the resilience of African

Americans. Consequently, I havebeen trying to define positive psy-chological outcomes for people ofAfrican descent. I have found thatthe concept of resilience is itselfculturally encapsulated in aEuropean epistemology and con-ceptual frame of reference. Forexample, the focus is on how well

the individual fares in relation toadversity. I am toying with the idea that there may betimes when individuals sacrifice self for the benefit ofthe group. In my mind this is resilient behavior, morespecifically collectivistic resilience.

—Shawn O. Utsey, Ph.D., Virginia CommonwealthUniversity, Editor of the Journal of BlackPsychology, soutsey@mail1.vcu.edu

One of my areas of expertise is in multiculturalcounseling with particular research commitments

directed to the study of howWhite racism is manifested inour society. Having what Ithink is a fairly good handle onthe writings and research thathave emerged in the multicul-turalism literature over thepast 35 years, I have foundwhat is referenced as the “newpsychology” in recent publica-

tions to be problematic from professional, multi-cultural, ethical, and social justice perspectives.

From a professional vantage point I am dis-mayed at the ways many leading authors in thisarea overgeneralize “scientific findings and evi-dence” for many of the conclusions they promote.The serious threats to both the external and the

internal validity of the grossly overgeneralizedconstructs in this area would not be acceptable ina master’s level student thesis. This is disconcert-ing from a scientific and professional perspective.

From a social justice-multicultural perspective,the vast majority of leaders in the “new psycholo-gy” movement give no acknowledgement of thewell-documented articles, chapters, and booksthat have been published by leading persons ofcolor in the field over the past 35 years that clear-ly explicate the need and content of a “new psy-chology” that intentionally addresses the mono-culture ethnocentric psychological frameworksthat have dominated the fields of counseling andpsychology in the past—thinking that is againreflected in the recent publications of mainlyWhite persons in the “new psychology move-ment.”

I presented my professional and social justice-multicultural critique of the “new psychologymovement” at this year’s National MulticulturalSummit in California. I plan to continue to workon articles that I will submit for publication inpsychology/counseling journals that clarify thevarious ways that institutional, cultural, and sci-entific racism are manifested in this new “move-ment” in psychology. I do see some useful ele-ments of the positive psychology movement thatcould complement what has been documentedfrom a multicultural perspective. These comple-mentary constructs could strengthen the multicul-tural perspective and help ameliorate the waysracism and ethnocentric thinking permeates the“new psychology” movement at the present time.

—Michael D'Andrea, Ph.D., University ofHawaii, Executive Director of the NationalInstitute for Multicultural Competence,michael@hawaii.edu

Michael D’Andrea

Member Musings

Shawn O. Utsey

Member News & Notes+ψStudent Commentary

Don’t Jump to Conclusions: Using a MulticulturalContext to Honor and Understand DifferingPerspectives— Ayse Ciftci Uruk, M.S., The University of Memphis, ayseuruk@memphis.edu, Student Representative

Multiculturalism and positivepsychology … how do they inter-

act? From myperspective asboth an inter-national per-son and as acounselingpsychologystudent, Ipositively say,“very well,very good.”

Before moving to the U.S., Ihad a discussion with one of myTurkish psychology professorswho was trained in England. Iwas being trained according tothe traditional Western psychol-ogy models. The discussion wehad was about coping strategiesin different cultures. She saidthat in the Turkish culture, peo-ple use an external locus of con-trol and this externalization oftheir problems helped them tocope with stress effectively inmost cases. Of course, I waslearning that this was anunhealthy strategy. It did notmatter whether it worked or not,it was not right. The same argu-ment was made for dependence.Individuals tend to be moredependent on their families in

Turkey and this is healthy in ourculture. However, if a singleindividual in her late twentieswho earns her own money liveswith her family in the U.S., thisis considered unhealthy. Even inpsychology we are often taught:independent equals healthy.

Although I was exposed todifferent approaches after mov-ing to the U.S., I still found itvery difficult to shift my perspec-tive. For my dissertation, I inter-viewed Turkish people living inthe U.S. and asked about theirexperiences. Although the dataanalysis is stillpremature, mostof my partici-pants expressedthe feeling ofbeing “inbetween” andhaving conflictsabout staying inthe U.S. andreturning toTurkey. When I asked themabout their ways of coping, theysimply said “I don’t think aboutit, I keep myself busy.” Initially,it was very interesting to me tosee them using unhealthy copingmechanisms and to use “notthinking” as a way to cope. Then

I realized—maybe this is whatworks for them.

I believe there are two impor-tant issues in conceptualizingpositive psychology in multicul-turalism. The first one is the def-inition of multiculturalism. Ibelieve that it does not onlymean ethnicity/race, but it alsomeans GLBT, individuals withdisabilities, and individuals fromdifferent cultures. The secondimportant point is, why do we aspsychologists try to label “theright way” to do psychology?Maybe we should just acknowl-

edge that the"good life" forone might notbe the goodlife for every-body.

If you havenot read thestory of theAmericanbusinessman

trying to talk the Mexican fisher-man into being a millionaire inLopez et al. (2002), you shouldread it. It gives an excellentexample of how one views the“good life” differently fromanother. Believe me—it is the“right” thing to do.

Ayse Ciftci Uruk

Naming & Nurturing 1100 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Maybe we shouldjust acknowledgethat the “good life”for one might not be the good life for everybody.

Many members of our section havecreated positive psychology coursesdesigned to augment the typicalofferings in undergraduate andgraduate programs. Members alsohave published scholarly papers thathave extended the discussion ofoptimal human functioning. Wewould like to hear about yourteaching and research efforts so wecan highlight them in future“Member KUDOS.”

Jeana Magyar-Moe, assistant profes-sor at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has developed andlaunched two positive psychologycourses to be offered on a yearlybasis. A positive psychology seminaris a writing intense course withexperiential components that servesas an elective for psychology majorsand minors. A positive psychologylecture course has been approved asan elective for the psychology pro-gram and other health service-relat-ed majors.

Robert Lent, professor at theUniversity of Maryland, published aprovocative article titled “Toward aunifying theoretical and practicalperspective on well-being and psy-chological adjustment” in theOctober 2004 issue of the Journal ofCounseling Psychology. This article

provides an overview and cri-tique of approaches to

studyingwell-

being, its cor-relates, and its caus-

es. It is a “must read” foranyone interested in positivelife outcomes.

Email “Member KUDOS” tosjlopez@ku.edu.

ReferencesAmerican Psychological Association (2003). Guidelines on multicultural edu-cation, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psycholo-gists. American Psychologist, 58, 377-402.Arredondo, P. (2003). Manifestations of resistance to diversity and multicul-turalism in organizations. In J. S. Mio & G. Y. Iwamasa (eds.), Culturallydiverse mental health: The challenges of research and resistance (pp.83–104). New York: Brunner-Routledge.Campbell, R. L., & Christopher, J. C. (1996a). Moral development theory: Acritique of its Kantian presuppositions. Developmental Review, 16, 1-47.Campbell, R. L., & Christopher, J. C. (1996b). Beyond formalism and altru-ism: The prospects for moral personality. Developmental Review, 16, 108-123.Campbell, R. L., Christopher, J. C., & Bickhard, M. H. (2002). Self and val-ues: An interactivist foundation for moral development. Theory &Psychology, 12, 795-822.Chang, E. C. (2001). A look at the coping strategies and styles of AsianAmericans: Similar and different? In C. R. Snyder (Ed). Coping with stress:Effective people and processes. (pp. 222-239). London: Oxford UniversityPress.Christopher, J. C. (1999). Situating psychological well-being: Exploring thecultural roots of its theory and research. Journal of Counseling &Development, 77, 141-152.Christopher, J. C. (2001). Culture and psychotherapy: Toward a hermeneuticapproach. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, and Training, 38, 115-128.Christopher, J. C. (2003, October). The good in positive psychology. Paperpresented at the International Positive Psychology Summit, Washington, D. C.Christopher, J. C. (2004). Moral visions of developmental psychology. In B.Slife, F. C. Richardson & J. Reber (Eds.), Critical thinking about psychology:Hidden assumptions and plausible alternatives. Washington, D. C.: APA Press.Christopher, J. C., Nelson, T., & Nelson, M. D. (2004). Culture and charactereducation: Problems of interpretation in a multicultural society. Journal ofTheoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 23, 81-101.Cushman, P. (1990). Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situatedpsychology. American Psychologist, 45, 599-611.Guignon, C. (2002). Hermeneutics, authenticity and the aims of psychology.Journal of Theoretical & Philosophical Psychology, 22, 83-102.Lopez, S. J., Prosser, E. C., Edwards, L. M., Magyar-Moe, J. L., Neufeld, J.E., & Rasmussen, H. N. (2002). Putting positive psychology in a multiculturalperspective. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), The handbook of positivepsychology (pp. 700-714). New York: Oxford University Press.Mio, J., & Awakuni, G. (2000). Resistance to multiculturalism: Issues andinterventions. Philadelphia: Brunner/Mazel.Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). A classification of humanstrengths. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: Anintroduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5-14.Smith, K. D., Türk-Smith, S., & Christopher, J. C. (1998, August). Prototypesof the ideal person in seven cultures. Paper presented at the InternationalCongress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychologists,Bellingham, WA.Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Eds.). (2002). Handbook of positive psychology.New York: Oxford University Press.Sue, D. W., & Constantine, M. G. (2003). Optimal human functioning in peo-ple of color in the United States. In W. B. Walsh (Ed.). Counseling psychologyand optimal human functioning. (pp. 151-169). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Triandis, H. (1989). The self and social behavior in differing cultural con-texts. Psychological Review, 96, 506–520.Walker, L. J., & Hennig, K. H. (2004). Differing Conceptions of MoralExemplarity: Just, Brave, and Caring. Journal of Personality & SocialPsychology, 86, 629-647.Walker, L. J., & Pitts, R. C. (1998). Naturalistic conceptions of moral maturi-ty. Developmental Psychology, 34, 403-419.Woolfolk, R. L. (2002). The power of negative thinking: Truth, melancholia,and the tragic sense of life. Journal of Theoretical & PhilosophicalPsychology, 22, 19-27.

Naming & Nurturing 1111 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Naming & Nurturing 1122 Spring 2005, Issue #2

Membership Application+ψPositive Psychology Section of the Society ofCounseling Psychology (17) of the AmericanPsychological Association

Positive psychology involves anattempt to move toward a morepositive and appreciative per-spective regarding motives,capacities, and human poten-tials. Counseling psychology his-torically and presently continuesto be one of the few disciplinesthat highlights the values of fos-tering human capacities, satis-faction, and well-being. In someform counseling psychologyalways has been a vital part ofpromoting good health and pre-venting disease, including men-tal, physical, and social disordersfor individuals and communities.The aim of the this group is tofocus on how counseling psychol-ogy fosters and builds humanstrength and well-being and inpursuing this endeavor, furthersthe development of positive psy-chological science and practice.

please print clearly or typeMail to: Shane J. Lopez, The University of Kansas, Psychology and Research in Education, 619 Joseph R. Pearson Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045

For more general Division 17 membership information, contact:

Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., Chair,Positive Psychology Section ofDivision 17

sjlopez@ku.edu • 785.864.9653

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revised 11.04.03NO FEE TO JOIN