shegstrom
Mar 20 2008, 2:02 PM EDT

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In the article titled, “Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race in American Psychology,” authors Hector Betancourt and Steven Lopez go in to great detail defining exactly what culture, race and ethnicity really mean as it pertains to psychology. It is explained in the first page how these three major factors of psychology are to explain the psychological differences between certain groups. I believe that the authors used American Psychology specifically in their study because this country is so diverse that we are able to see psychological differences between different groups when they are all generally living in the same environment with the same opportunities.

It appears that it is common practice for people to think that culture, ethnicity, and race as closely related. However in this article, the authors go to great lengths to try and explain how each of these different factors in psychology are quite different. First, they take each term (culture, race, and ethnicity) and defines them the best way that they can as it relates to psychology. This task is easier said than done; after reading their explanation for each of the definitions we see that some of the words are quite ambiguous and have numerous connotations. The words culture, race and ethnicity are all used to explain differences between groups which limit our understanding of the specific factors that contribute to group differences. It also stimulates or reinforces concepts of racist concepts. (p. 6) This can cause too much generalization about a particular segment of society. They further explain, "differences between the same tribe or nation account for more variance (84%) than do racial groupings (10%)" (p. 7). Culture is a perfect example of a difficult definition. On page five, the authors say that “A number of psychologists interested in the study of culture agree that the confusion concerning its definition has been an obstacle for progress.” How can psychologists really make strides studying culture when they have a difficult time defining it? Due to the vagueness of definitions, there is not a clear understanding of the variables responsible for the differences of groups classified as race.

As educators, we need researchers to uncover the specific cultural variables that create differences in individuals. Because of changing demographics in the nation as well as in the student population, there is an important social and ethical responsibility of faculty members to promote their student understanding of gender race ethnicity culture and class issues in psychological theory research and practice. As stated on page 4:
“What is most important is that we need accurate studies in each area in order to be more effective educators.”

In order to conceptualize culture we must consider it as highly variable system of meanings which are learned and shared by people or an identifiable segment of the population. It represents designs and ways of life that are normally transmitted from one generation to another. This definition is psychologically relevant and includes elements such as roles and values which can be measured.According to this definition, culture is not necessarily a beliefs and customs of a country or specific ethnic group; rather it is traits and values that are picked up during life and passed along. A quick, fictional example of culture (not in the “classical” sense”) could be a collection of homeless people in Boston whose families have been on the streets for generations. These people, over time, have probably developed their own type of culture which has been passed along. Regardless whether this culture is seen as “normal” it is still an example of culture

The main concern in the study of culture is that mainstream investigators do not consider culture in their research and theories, while cross cultural researches who study cultural differences frequently fail to indentify the specific aspects of culture and related variables that are thought to influence that behavior. The limited specificity limits our understanding of the behavior of a group. By incorporating the conceptualization and measurement of specific cultural elements, the comparative study of national ethic or cultural groups is more likely to contribute to the understanding of the role of culture than are the typical comparative studies.

The actual definition of race is a little more solid and easier to grasp, but in terms of a psychological definition, it is somewhat incomplete. The author says on page six that race can generally be defined as “physical and characteristics, such as skin color, facial features, and hair type, which are common to an inbred, geographically isolated population.” Psychologists will argue that this definition is inaccurate because studies have shown that there more in group differences than between group differences in characteristics used to define race (Betancourt/Lopez, 7).

Lopez and Betancourt define ethnicity as a characteristic used to reference groups that are characterized in terms of a common nationality, culture, or language. The word itself stems from the Greek word ethos, which refers to the people of a nation or tribe (Betancourt/Lopez, 7-8). Though the authors claim that ethnicity and culture have two completely different meanings, they are closely related. “Ethnicity becomes a way by which culture is transmitted (Betancourt/Lopez, 8).”

Later in the article, Lopez and Betancourt examine the affects of depression on three different cultures, races, and ethnicity. The study which was presented in the article examined how likely Anglos, Afro-Americans, and Latinos were to develop depression when the socioeconomic variable was not controlled. The study found that Latinos had higher levels of depressive symptoms than the other groups. However, they authors also looked at how depression affected the three groups when the socioeconomic levels were controlled (employment, income, etc). This study showed that there was no significantly higher levels of depression in any of the three groups; suggesting that the economic status of a person affects their depression rather than the “group” they belong to.

Psychologists must measure the specific proximal variables thought to underlie a given behavioral phenomenon. Their analysis should be targeted to a specific area. By doing so, comparative study of social as a well as cultural groups will be able to better identify the specific social variables as well as cultural elements (values, beliefs) that are relevant to the behavior of interest.

Question for article 1
1. What do you think the difference is between culture, race and ethnicity?
2. Why do you think that studying the social psychology of race, culture and ethnicity is important to education?
3. How important of role do you think religion plays in differences between cultures?