The Master's Tools Still Cannot Dismantle the Master's House: Critical Shortcomings in the Training of Multiculturally Competent Psychologists
Date of Award
7-10-2009
Document Type
Undergraduate Capstone Project
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Lupe-Rebeka Samaniego
Second Advisor
Ragnar Storaasli
Third Advisor
Carolee Nimmer
Keywords
Psychology, Multicultural education
Abstract
Many questions remain regarding how to train psychologists in multicultural competence. The lack of consistently operationalized terms, a unifying theoretical foundation, measurable objectives, and proven training strategies in this arena leaves students vulnerable to ineffective and even harmful interventions. Graduate programs sometimes utilize exercises designed to give students the experience of being oppressed, assuming that participants will then be less likely to oppress others. Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise is used as an exemplar of such an approach. The exercise is critiqued with respect to its lack of proven efficacy, potential to cause harm, ethical challenges, and theoretical inadequacies. This critique is used to generate recommendations regarding ways to provide more effective training for psychologists in multicultural competence.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Recommended Citation
Eastcott, Tara, "The Master's Tools Still Cannot Dismantle the Master's House: Critical Shortcomings in the Training of Multiculturally Competent Psychologists" (2009). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 249.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/249