What is culture?
Culture is a very important concept that has been defined in many different ways. Some refer to culture when they think about group differences, while others think of culture as values and practices. I proposed a definition of culture as a system of people, places, practices, and power. Read this article
What is the role of culture on mental health?
Culture can shape our well-being and mental health in multiple ways, such as promoting positive adaptation and protecting us against adversity. I proposed a roadmap for the integration of culture in research on mental health. Check it out here. Understanding the role of culture on the development of mental health is an exciting field of theory and research (read more here).
How Latinx culture promotes positive adaptation?
One way to understand the role of culture on mental health is by focusing on Latinx people in the United States. Evidence suggest that familism, cultural values centered on the importance of the family, plays an important role in the well-being of Latinx people. Learn more from this study. Participation in funerals can help Latinx youth deal with loss during the COVID-19 pandemic (read more here).
What was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinx youth and families?
Evidence suggest that the pandemic disproportionally affected the mental health of Latinx children, youth, and families in the U.S. (read more here). However, we need to be hopeful and imagine a future of wellbeing and positive mental health for our families (read here).
Promoting innovation in theory and research on culture, mental health, and Latinx children, youth, and families.
How do we study culture?
The implicit and explicit ways we define and study culture have a direct impact on our understanding of its role in human behavior and cognition. Research on culture has historically been shaped by colonialism, racism, and capitalism.
Can culture be used to exaggerate differences?
Evidence suggest that research on culture can be used to overemphasize its importance among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, minimizing their individuality and uniqueness. This may be a problem in psychology in the United States, across fields and in developmental psychology. Read more here and here.
Why we need research about research on culture?
Research on culture is often fueled by assumptions, and shaped by policies and practices that reinforced views of minoritized groups as deviant and pathological. We need more research about how research on culture is conducted and interpreted to document and overcome these problems. Check out our paper about this issue.
Why we should learn from Black and Brown scholars?
Black and Brown scholars who make the Global Majority often see their work neglected, erased, or appropriated without proper recognition. To promote anti-racist research on fields such as attachment theory, it is crucial to learn from a rich tradition of work pioneered by Black and Brown scholars. Read more here.
Interested in research opportunities?
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