Book Description

"How can psychology professors in the USA and other nations make their courses more international?" This question is addressed in this indispensable new sourcebook, co-authored by 73 contributors and editors from 21 countries. In recent decades psychology has evolved from an American-dominated discipline to a much more global discipline. Preliminary estimates by Zoma and Gielen (2015) suggest that approximately 76%-78% of the world’s one million or so psychologists reside outside the U.S. However, most textbooks in the field continue to rely predominantly on research conducted in North America and Europe. Our book is intended to introduce psychology instructors to a variety of broad perspectives as well as specific suggestions that can support their efforts to internationalize their course offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In this way they can prepare their students to become more culturally sensitive and function more effectively as citizens and psychologists in the evolving globalized world. To achieve these ambitious goals the editors have assembled an international group of 73 distinguished contributors who, taken together, have taught and conducted research in all regions of the world. The chapters in the book include both core areas of psychology and subdisciplines that represent rapidly expanding and internationally important areas such as cross-cultural psychology and the psychology of gender. The chapters cover key topics and areas included in the course offerings of psychology departments both in the United States and in other countries. In addition to a discussion of international perspectives relevant to a given area, all chapters include an annotated bibliography of pertinent books, articles, web-related materials, films, videos, and so on. Based on this information, both highly experienced and less experienced psychology instructors can add globally and culturally oriented dimensions to their respective courses. This is important because universities, departments, and accrediting agencies increasingly put pressure on instructors to broaden and internationalize their courses. "As a long-time international psychologist myself, I see this bold new volume as a great leap forward for international psychology. The 73 distinguished contributors and editors from 21 countries have carefully crafted a handbook that will be the go-to resource on the topic for years to come. For psychology to continue to be relevant in the 21st century it must become more international; I am grateful this book will help us accomplish this challenging but rewarding goal." ~ Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D Past-President American Psychological Association "What could be more important than understanding human behavior and the thoughts and emotions that underlie it? By teaching psychology to the world, we offer the possibility of using our discipline to create a better future for all of us. The chapters in this excellent book help teachers of psychology move from an ethnocentric perspective to a global way of thinking about and telling about a truly international psychology." ~ Diane F. Halpern, Ph.D Past-President of the American Psychological Association and Professor of Psychology "This is a brilliant, unprecedented collection of international scholarship that every psychology professor and student should read. The 21st century in the teaching of psychology has truly arrived with this book, creating a thoroughly needed international focus for our pedagogy." ~ Frank Farley, Ph.D, L. H. Carnell Professor, Temple University; Former President, American Psychological Association (APA), International Council of Psychologists, American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the Society for International Psychology (Division 52 of APA) "Internationalizing Teaching of Psychology contains chapters authored by eminent psychologists of diverse cultural background, inclusive of different cultural perspectives on range of topics of contemporary importance. Thus, the volume integrates research emanating from varied cultural contexts facilitating development of a truly universal psychological science. The volume is a major resource for teaching courses on Cultural/Cross-cultural /Global psychology and in enhancing internationalization of psychology." ~ Prof. Janak Pandey, University of Allahabad, India, Editor, Psychology in India: The State-of-the-Art "All involved in the training of psychologists will want to recommend this book, which thoroughly presents an international perspective on the teaching of psychology. Rich, Gielen and Takooshian consider the basic nature of psychology, at the same time emphasizing cultural differences and relating it all to real life. As expert, cross-cultural researchers, the contributors provide a much needed resource and up-to-date reference for psychologists and students, as well as for any scholar interested in our discipline around the globe." ~ Laura Hernández-Guzmán, Ph. D. Professor of Psychology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Past-President of the Mexican Psychological Society "Since the mid-twentieth century the world has become an increasingly smaller place, at least in the figurative sense. And yet, Western psychology has been slow to grasp the culturally limited scope of much of our science. Although the movement toward a more culturally inclusive psychology had its roots at least as early as the 1960s, more recent meta-analyses have shown that a large percentage of the psychological literature has represented a small percentage of the world’s population. In Internationalizing the Teaching of Psychology, Grant Rich, Uwe Gielen, and Harold Takooshian are making a noteworthy effort to inform and support teachers who would move the field toward a psychology of all people. From advice about getting involved in international psychology, to stand-alone international psychology courses, to the problems of culture-bound specialized courses, these well-traveled and experienced editors have assembled a resource that psychology teachers will find both interesting and valuable." ~ Kenneth D. Keith, President, Society for the Teaching of Psychology, University of San Diego "This volume is a positive contribution to the internationalization of the psychology curriculum. Given the very large numbers of psychology undergraduate and graduate students across the world, such internationalization has significant potential to provide learners with opportunities to better understand the similarities and differences in the behavior of humans in different local, national and international contexts. Such understanding can lead to a greater appreciation of, and perhaps respect for and celebration of, these similarities and differences, thus potentially leading to actions that reduce global human suffering. This volume should become an indispensable tool for psychology educators interested in such outcomes." ~ Jacquelyn Cranney, Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Australia "This book is a necessity, given the increasing mobility of psychologists, use of technology in psychology practice, and need to regulate the psychology profession globally. The content in this book will go a long way to improve psychological literacy in our East and Central Africa region. I chaired the first ever East and Central African Regional Psychology Conference in Uganda in 2013 and am on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Applied Psychologists (IAAP), so am keenly aware that the internationalization of scientific psychology knowledge and skills is an imperative." ~ James Kagaari, Ph.D, President, Uganda Council of Psychologists "Teaching psychology in your own country—especially when it is a country as vast and diverse as the United States, where fewer than half its citizens hold a passport—makes it all too easy to give courses in which students come away with the impression that what psychological scientists have learned about behavior and mental processes at home applies equally in the rest of the world. That is not always the case, of course, and the chapters in this valuable volume serve not only to remind us of that fact, but to stimulate us to consider adjusting the content of our courses to make them, as they should be, more international in scope." ~ Douglas Bernstein, Courtesy Professor of Psychology, University of South Florida USA "Bravo to this all-star cast of international contributors for showing us how to help students appreciate both our cultural diversity and our human kinship—and for providing us with accessible articles, books, media, and online materials for teaching every area of psychology from a more international perspective." ~ David G. Myers, Hope College, co-author, Psychology 12th Edition and Social Psychology, 12th Edition "Imagine that you convened an invitation-only panel of 73 experts from around the world and asked that they guide the profession in internationalizing the teaching of psychology. This book would be the impressive result! Here’s the definitive, how-to guide on adding global and cross-cultural perspectives to courses throughout the psychology curricula." ~ John C. Norcross, Ph.D, ABPP, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at University of Scranton, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University "In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the ever-emerging importance and impact of integrating psychology into education is powerfully presented in this book. The editors – themselves outstanding experts in the field – have assembled an exceptionally impressive collection of 28 chapters by 73 expert contributors covering varied aspects of teaching psychology from an international and multicultural perspective. Educators, students, psychologists, as well as stakeholders in related disciplines will find the theories and practical guides as essential and useful resources." ~ Judy Kuriansky, PhD, United Nations NGO representative, the International Association of Applied Psychology; Department of Psychology, Columbia University Teachers College