Write a respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts with an additional way cross-cultural research can inform policy change to improve society.
Note: Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Use proper APA format and citations.
Elyssa
Week 11: Discussion 1
The social issue that I have dedicated the last eight years to and hope to continue to work in until the end of my career is countering terrorism. Cross-cultural research in terrorism can make significant contributions to positive social change by informing mental health practitioners about best practices in treatment for those impacted by violent terrorist acts. “Disaster mental health (DMH) refers to psychological support provided by mental health professionals in preparation for, response to, and recovery from disasters” (Jacobs et al., 2016, p. 1307). DMH includes services for those directly and indirectly effected by disasters, whether man-made or natural (Jacobs et al., 2016). DMH practitioners may be trained in how to treat those effected by disasters, in addition to their normal mental health practices. DMH practitioners may be part of their state’s Disaster Resources Network (DRN), which deploys practitioners to large-scale disastrous events (Jacobs et al., 2016). Cross-cultural research in terrorism can help DMH practitioners understand the cultural nuances within their communities to be better prepared to treat all community members impacted by disaster.
Cross-cultural research in terrorism can also make significant contributions to positive social change by informing members of the community how to recover from disastrous events. The community-based model of psychological first aid’s (CBPFA) general goal “is to train members of the community (not mental health professionals) to provide basic psychological support to their families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers and manage their own stress (Jacobs & Meyer, 2005; Reyes, 2006; Simonsen & Reyes, 2003; as cited in Jacobs et al., 2016, p. 1308). CBPFA can be used to identify stressors in community members overall, amongst friends and family members, and amongst people one typically associates with. Identification of stressors does not necessarily have to be in the aftermath of a disaster. Cross-cultural research can help people understand and identify signs of radicalization, extremism, and escalation and to alert others to those changes.
Cross-cultural research in terrorism can also help policy makers and mental health practitioners be aware of cultural differences by interacting with other cross-cultural researchers and practitioners internationally. There are several programs similar to the DRN, but on an international level. By working with first responders, mental health practitioners, and policy makers in other countries that have also experienced disastrous events, the United States can learn best practices and ways to prepare and respond to terrorism in the United States. Furthermore, by conducting quantitative and qualitative research cross-culturally, we can learn more intimately about the culture itself. That knowledge can be used in community plans to better understand how people from certain cultures respond to disasters and to provide better treatment. The knowledge can also be used to educate other community members about the cultural differences to help eliminate the fear and knee-jerk reactions toward certain cultural community members following a terrorist attack.
Sabrea
Discussion – Week 11
The social issue I want to discuss is gender inequality. Gender inequality is the idea that men and women are not equal. The inequalities arise from several different aspects such as biological, psychological, and even cultural. Women, in many cultures, face a large aspect of discrimination and gender inequality. According to Nardone (2018), “the disadvantages facing women and girls are a major source of inequality. All too often women and girls are discriminated against in health, education, political representation, employment, wages, etc.—with negative consequences for the development of their capabilities and their freedom of choice”. The issue is found in many cultures. For example, in the U.S. gender inequality is seen when a woman doesn’t earn the same amount of money a man does for doing the same job. In the middle east, inequality is seen when women aren’t allowed to drive cars, but men can. Gender inequality is an issue that some cultures are trying to decrease, but it’s still an issue that will be seen in many societies for years to come.
One way that cross-cultural research can inform policy change to improve society is to improve outcomes for educational programs. Every culture views education and how educational programs are implemented differently. Having a successful educational program is important in every culture but not every culture can achieve that the same way. Helleve, Flisher, Onya, Kaaya, Mukoma, Swai, & Klepp (2009), states, “reviews of school-based programs conclude that there are large differences between interventions in terms of effects on outcomes of interest”.
Another way cross-cultural research can improve society is by providing the right type of psychological support. According to Jacobs, “psychological support refers to strategies for helping meet the psychological needs of ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary events” (2007). In some cultures, mental health is looked at differently. For example, in China, the term depression is looked down on because it is associated with a mental health disorder. Hwang, Myers, & Abe-Kim state, “there continues to be controversy about whether neurasthenia is merely major depression with a cultural label or whether it is a distinct diagnostic entity” (2008). Knowing how a culture perceives a psychological disorder will allow a psychologist the ability to provide the right type of treatment and improve society as a whole.
The last way cross-cultural research can improve society is by learning to understand other cultural norms. Many people view their culture as the right one. In the Chinese culture they may think that they have the best educational programs, and, in the U.K., they think they have the best educational programs. Cross-cultural research will allow researchers to study both educational programs and discover the positive and negative aspects of both programs. Having the ability to look at both cultures gives people a chance to understand where the other people are coming from and will reduce stigma and bias for one particular country over another.
Helleve, A., Flisher, A., Onya, H., Kaaya, S., Mukoma, W., Swai, C., & Kleep, K.I. (2009). Teachers’ confidence in teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality in South African and Tanzanian schools. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 37. 55-64.
Hwang, W., Myers, H. F., Abe-Kim, J., & Ting, J. Y. (2008). A conceptual paradigm for understanding culture’s impact on mental health: The cultural influences on mental health (CIMH) model. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(2), 211–227.
Jacobs, G. A. (2007). The development and maturation of humanitarian psychology. American Psychologist, 62(8), 932–941
Nardone, M. (2018). The Powerful and Covert Role of Culture in Gender Discrimination and Inequality. Contemp
