Ethnocultural resistance to multicultural training: Students and faculty.

LC Jackson - Cultural diversity and ethnic minority psychology, 1999 - psycnet.apa.org
LC Jackson
Cultural diversity and ethnic minority psychology, 1999psycnet.apa.org
Teaching diversity courses in mental health programs presents a unique set of issues for the
faculty. These courses generate various forms of emotional reactions in students that could
take the form of anger, silence, avoidance, and passivity. The purpose of this article is to
specifically focus on the experience of students of color who find themselves in these
courses and the various ways they respond. This learning process is often impeded by
resistance because of the personal experiences of all students, but students of color …
Abstract
Teaching diversity courses in mental health programs presents a unique set of issues for the faculty. These courses generate various forms of emotional reactions in students that could take the form of anger, silence, avoidance, and passivity. The purpose of this article is to specifically focus on the experience of students of color who find themselves in these courses and the various ways they respond. This learning process is often impeded by resistance because of the personal experiences of all students, but students of color experience a unique set of resistances in each stage of this process, either because of their own experience or because of a lack of experience with racism, racial and biracial identity development, cultural and bicultural identity, or acculturation issues. Resistance in the classroom interferes with the reciprocal communication between instructors and students and interferes with learning and the development of trust between instructors and students of color. Suggestions are made to help faculty to understand these resistances and to develop appropriate responses for working through the process.
American Psychological Association