1
, UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
DIVERSITY AS PART OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY (WEEKS 1, 2, 7) . 7
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION VS MAINSTREAM PSYCHOLOGY ................................................................................................... 8
PERSONAL VS SOCIAL IDENTITY .................................................................................................................................. 8
SENSE OF SELF ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
SELF V. WORLD ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
TAJFEL’S MINIMAL GROUP STUDY ............................................................................................................................... 9
GROUPS AND SOCIAL COMPARISON ............................................................................................................................ 9
IN GROUP/ OUT GROUP ........................................................................................................................................... 9
COLLECTIVIST V INDIVIDUALIST CULTURES .................................................................................................................. 10
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED : PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION AND
STIGMA (WEEKS 2,3,4, 7,8,9,11) ........................................................................................................... 12
THREATENED IDENTITY ........................................................................................................................................... 12
STIGMA .............................................................................................................................................................. 12
THE DISCREDITED VERSUS THE DISCREDITABLE ............................................................................................................. 12
MULTI-LEVEL: STRUCTURAL STIGMA ......................................................................................................................... 13
HATE CRIME ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
• MINIMAL GROUP THEORY ............................................................................................................................. 13
• INTERGROUP CONFLICT ................................................................................................................................. 14
SOCIAL SOURCES OF PREJUDICE ............................................................................................................................... 14
MOTIVATIONAL SOURCES OF PREJUDICE ................................................................................................................... 15
COGNITIVE SOURCES OF PREJUDICE .......................................................................................................................... 15
CONSEQUENCES OF PREJUDICE ................................................................................................................................ 16
THREATENED SOCIAL IDENTITY ................................................................................................................................. 18
WHAT INFLUENCES DIFFERENT STRATEGIES?............................................................................................................... 19
DIVERSITY AS PART OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: ATTACHMENT DIMENSIONS, VALUES AND BELIEFS
(WEEKS 3 & 4) ...................................................................................................................................... 22
SECONDARY ATTACHMENT STRATEGIES ..................................................................................................................... 22
CULTURE & ATTACHMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 24
DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSITY OF VALUES................................................................................................................... 26
DIVERSITY OF VALUES ............................................................................................................................................ 26
THE EXAMPLE OF POLITICAL VALUES .......................................................................................................................... 27
THE DEVELOPMENT OF VALUES ............................................................................................................................... 27
STABILITY OF VALUES OVER TIME .............................................................................................................................. 27
VALUES ARE SHAPED IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS .................................................................................................................. 27
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED: RACE, ETHNICITY AND RELIGION (WEEKS
4,7,9,11) .............................................................................................................................................. 29
ACCENTISM & OTHER ............................................................................................................................................ 30
DEFINING ‘RACE’ & ETHNICITY ................................................................................................................................. 31
HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 32
ISLAM & HJIAB..................................................................................................................................................... 34
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED:GENDER/ LBGTQ ISSUES (WEEKS 5,9, 11) 35
GENDER AND GENDER ISSUES .................................................................................................................................. 35
GENDER AND GENDER INEQUALITIES ......................................................................................................................... 35
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND GENDER ........................................................................................................................ 35
BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM:.................................................................................................................................... 35
ROLE OF FEMINIST THEORY ..................................................................................................................................... 36
GENDER DISCRIMINATION ...................................................................................................................................... 37
HOMOPHOBIA ..................................................................................................................................................... 38
HEGEMONIC MASCULINITIES ................................................................................................................................... 42
2
, DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED:MENTAL HEALTH, ILLNESS,
NEURODIVERSITY (WEEKS 5,8 &10)...................................................................................................... 45
HEALTH AND ILLNESS AS SOCIO-CULTURAL CONSTRUCTS ............................................................................................... 45
CONSTRUCTION OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS ......................................................................................................... 45
BIOPOWER AND MEDICINE ...................................................................................................................................... 46
POWER OF THE EXPERT .......................................................................................................................................... 46
ERVIN GOFFMAN ON MENTAL ILLNESS ...................................................................................................................... 46
ETHNOCENT RACISM IN MEDICINE ............................................................................................................................ 47
CONSTRUCTION OF DISABILITY ................................................................................................................................. 47
PREJUDICE .......................................................................................................................................................... 48
NEURODIVERSITY .................................................................................................................................................. 48
AUTISM .............................................................................................................................................................. 50
CONSEQUENCES OF LABELLING ................................................................................................................................ 51
AUTISTIC VULNERABILITY ........................................................................................................................................ 51
SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY .................................................................................................................................. 52
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED: SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTS (WEEK 8) ........... 59
BODY IMAGE AND BODY DISSATISFACTION ................................................................................................................. 59
SOCIAL MEDIA- WHO’S REALLY IN CONTROL? .............................................................................................................. 59
SOCIAL MEDIA AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................................................. 59
SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY ................................................................................................................................. 60
CYBERBULLING ..................................................................................................................................................... 61
EATING DISORDERS ............................................................................................................................................... 61
DIVERSITY AS A POLITICAL CONCERN: INTERSECTIONALITY (WEEKS 9 &11) .......................................... 64
DIVERSITY AS A POLITICAL CONCERN : SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM (WEEKS 5, 9,11) ........... 70
LGBTQ AND POLITICS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION .................................................................................................... 70
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLITICS.......................................................................................................................... 71
3
, Why study diversity?
Our world, countries, work and educational places consist of diverse groups. Was a bit of a catch word for
integration and bringing people into a mix. If you look around everywhere we have diverse groups. It is a
big field for psychologists to investigate. Focusing on diversity in different context can change the world
• Diversity offers many opportunities to create stronger institutions and a wide range of social
and emotional connections.
• Psychologists want to know about human differences, but increasingly also about the
reasons for and psycho-social effects of social categorisation, prejudice and discrimination.
• Some of this burden is attributable to past oppression and injustice.
Diversity means more than a ’melting pot’
• Diversity can imply a system in people accept the values and lifestyle of the majority group
i.e. the melting pot ideal.
• But reality is that minority groups in society are frequently disadvantaged from an early
stage.
• Module focuses on diversity issues from a critical psychological perspective
• Today, people in the US enjoy similar rights, yet black people and Hispanics are less likely to
achieve a high school diploma or get health insurance, and twice as likely to be arrested for
crimes.
Diversity from three major perspectives:
1. Diversity as part of human development- theories around attachment, values individual and
social identity (building on Individual Differences)
2. Difference as socially and culturally constructed
(builds on Social Psychology)
3. Diversity as a political concern- intersectionality, social activism, social justice
Kenneth Clark (1914-2005) and Mamie Clark (1917-1983)
• Famous for “Clark Doll Test” which played a role in the Supreme Court decision in outlawing
segregation.
• Black children 3-7 years were shown black dolls and while dolls otherwise identical, and
questioned to determine racial perception and preference.
• Those as young as 3 showed preference for white dolls, 50% identified with the white doll.
Thesis- Segregation is psychologically damaging
• Result: The experiment proved that “separate but equal” schools for blacks and whites were
anything but equal in practice and therefore against the law.
• Found that many African American children informed they had a learning disability or
disabled were diagnosed incorrectly due to biased psychological testing.
• Despite her important investigations into self-concept among minorities, Clarks’
contributions have often been overlooked, with psychology history courses and textbooks
mentioning her only in passing.
Profile of psychology students is growing ever more diverse
• Christine Ladd-Franklin completed PhD studies in 1882; “allowed” to lecture from 1904; PhD
awarded in 1926 (aged 78)
• Mamie and Kenneth Clark the first African-Americans to obtain PhDs from
Columbia University in 1943 and 1940 respectively
• Margaret Dudley first Maori with permanent FT lectureship on clinical psychology
programme at Auckland University, 2016
4
, UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
DIVERSITY AS PART OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY (WEEKS 1, 2, 7) . 7
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION VS MAINSTREAM PSYCHOLOGY ................................................................................................... 8
PERSONAL VS SOCIAL IDENTITY .................................................................................................................................. 8
SENSE OF SELF ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
SELF V. WORLD ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
TAJFEL’S MINIMAL GROUP STUDY ............................................................................................................................... 9
GROUPS AND SOCIAL COMPARISON ............................................................................................................................ 9
IN GROUP/ OUT GROUP ........................................................................................................................................... 9
COLLECTIVIST V INDIVIDUALIST CULTURES .................................................................................................................. 10
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED : PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION AND
STIGMA (WEEKS 2,3,4, 7,8,9,11) ........................................................................................................... 12
THREATENED IDENTITY ........................................................................................................................................... 12
STIGMA .............................................................................................................................................................. 12
THE DISCREDITED VERSUS THE DISCREDITABLE ............................................................................................................. 12
MULTI-LEVEL: STRUCTURAL STIGMA ......................................................................................................................... 13
HATE CRIME ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
• MINIMAL GROUP THEORY ............................................................................................................................. 13
• INTERGROUP CONFLICT ................................................................................................................................. 14
SOCIAL SOURCES OF PREJUDICE ............................................................................................................................... 14
MOTIVATIONAL SOURCES OF PREJUDICE ................................................................................................................... 15
COGNITIVE SOURCES OF PREJUDICE .......................................................................................................................... 15
CONSEQUENCES OF PREJUDICE ................................................................................................................................ 16
THREATENED SOCIAL IDENTITY ................................................................................................................................. 18
WHAT INFLUENCES DIFFERENT STRATEGIES?............................................................................................................... 19
DIVERSITY AS PART OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: ATTACHMENT DIMENSIONS, VALUES AND BELIEFS
(WEEKS 3 & 4) ...................................................................................................................................... 22
SECONDARY ATTACHMENT STRATEGIES ..................................................................................................................... 22
CULTURE & ATTACHMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 24
DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSITY OF VALUES................................................................................................................... 26
DIVERSITY OF VALUES ............................................................................................................................................ 26
THE EXAMPLE OF POLITICAL VALUES .......................................................................................................................... 27
THE DEVELOPMENT OF VALUES ............................................................................................................................... 27
STABILITY OF VALUES OVER TIME .............................................................................................................................. 27
VALUES ARE SHAPED IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS .................................................................................................................. 27
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED: RACE, ETHNICITY AND RELIGION (WEEKS
4,7,9,11) .............................................................................................................................................. 29
ACCENTISM & OTHER ............................................................................................................................................ 30
DEFINING ‘RACE’ & ETHNICITY ................................................................................................................................. 31
HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 32
ISLAM & HJIAB..................................................................................................................................................... 34
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED:GENDER/ LBGTQ ISSUES (WEEKS 5,9, 11) 35
GENDER AND GENDER ISSUES .................................................................................................................................. 35
GENDER AND GENDER INEQUALITIES ......................................................................................................................... 35
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND GENDER ........................................................................................................................ 35
BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM:.................................................................................................................................... 35
ROLE OF FEMINIST THEORY ..................................................................................................................................... 36
GENDER DISCRIMINATION ...................................................................................................................................... 37
HOMOPHOBIA ..................................................................................................................................................... 38
HEGEMONIC MASCULINITIES ................................................................................................................................... 42
2
, DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED:MENTAL HEALTH, ILLNESS,
NEURODIVERSITY (WEEKS 5,8 &10)...................................................................................................... 45
HEALTH AND ILLNESS AS SOCIO-CULTURAL CONSTRUCTS ............................................................................................... 45
CONSTRUCTION OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS ......................................................................................................... 45
BIOPOWER AND MEDICINE ...................................................................................................................................... 46
POWER OF THE EXPERT .......................................................................................................................................... 46
ERVIN GOFFMAN ON MENTAL ILLNESS ...................................................................................................................... 46
ETHNOCENT RACISM IN MEDICINE ............................................................................................................................ 47
CONSTRUCTION OF DISABILITY ................................................................................................................................. 47
PREJUDICE .......................................................................................................................................................... 48
NEURODIVERSITY .................................................................................................................................................. 48
AUTISM .............................................................................................................................................................. 50
CONSEQUENCES OF LABELLING ................................................................................................................................ 51
AUTISTIC VULNERABILITY ........................................................................................................................................ 51
SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY .................................................................................................................................. 52
DIFFERENCE AS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY CONSTRUCTED: SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTS (WEEK 8) ........... 59
BODY IMAGE AND BODY DISSATISFACTION ................................................................................................................. 59
SOCIAL MEDIA- WHO’S REALLY IN CONTROL? .............................................................................................................. 59
SOCIAL MEDIA AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................................................. 59
SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY ................................................................................................................................. 60
CYBERBULLING ..................................................................................................................................................... 61
EATING DISORDERS ............................................................................................................................................... 61
DIVERSITY AS A POLITICAL CONCERN: INTERSECTIONALITY (WEEKS 9 &11) .......................................... 64
DIVERSITY AS A POLITICAL CONCERN : SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM (WEEKS 5, 9,11) ........... 70
LGBTQ AND POLITICS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION .................................................................................................... 70
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLITICS.......................................................................................................................... 71
3
, Why study diversity?
Our world, countries, work and educational places consist of diverse groups. Was a bit of a catch word for
integration and bringing people into a mix. If you look around everywhere we have diverse groups. It is a
big field for psychologists to investigate. Focusing on diversity in different context can change the world
• Diversity offers many opportunities to create stronger institutions and a wide range of social
and emotional connections.
• Psychologists want to know about human differences, but increasingly also about the
reasons for and psycho-social effects of social categorisation, prejudice and discrimination.
• Some of this burden is attributable to past oppression and injustice.
Diversity means more than a ’melting pot’
• Diversity can imply a system in people accept the values and lifestyle of the majority group
i.e. the melting pot ideal.
• But reality is that minority groups in society are frequently disadvantaged from an early
stage.
• Module focuses on diversity issues from a critical psychological perspective
• Today, people in the US enjoy similar rights, yet black people and Hispanics are less likely to
achieve a high school diploma or get health insurance, and twice as likely to be arrested for
crimes.
Diversity from three major perspectives:
1. Diversity as part of human development- theories around attachment, values individual and
social identity (building on Individual Differences)
2. Difference as socially and culturally constructed
(builds on Social Psychology)
3. Diversity as a political concern- intersectionality, social activism, social justice
Kenneth Clark (1914-2005) and Mamie Clark (1917-1983)
• Famous for “Clark Doll Test” which played a role in the Supreme Court decision in outlawing
segregation.
• Black children 3-7 years were shown black dolls and while dolls otherwise identical, and
questioned to determine racial perception and preference.
• Those as young as 3 showed preference for white dolls, 50% identified with the white doll.
Thesis- Segregation is psychologically damaging
• Result: The experiment proved that “separate but equal” schools for blacks and whites were
anything but equal in practice and therefore against the law.
• Found that many African American children informed they had a learning disability or
disabled were diagnosed incorrectly due to biased psychological testing.
• Despite her important investigations into self-concept among minorities, Clarks’
contributions have often been overlooked, with psychology history courses and textbooks
mentioning her only in passing.
Profile of psychology students is growing ever more diverse
• Christine Ladd-Franklin completed PhD studies in 1882; “allowed” to lecture from 1904; PhD
awarded in 1926 (aged 78)
• Mamie and Kenneth Clark the first African-Americans to obtain PhDs from
Columbia University in 1943 and 1940 respectively
• Margaret Dudley first Maori with permanent FT lectureship on clinical psychology
programme at Auckland University, 2016
4
