Discussion: Alternative Psychologies Thus far in your experience as a psychology student, you have been introduced to the field of psychology in terms of the mind and its functions in relationship to human behavior. Most introductory psychology textbooks and resources for other psychology classes emphasize a cause-and-effect scientific model, which typifies traditional psychology in the United States and the Western hemisphere in general. Throughout this course and in your course text, you read about Western psychology, which is representative of the practice of psychology in the United States. Alternative psychologies evolved independently of Western psychology because they are suitable for the needs of non-Western cultures. One notable difference is that alternative psychologies prioritize collective or group processes over isolated individual processes. Alternative psychologies view individuals as reflections of the larger culture or society. While the various alternative psychologies do have differences, they also have common themes such as those outlined in your course text: meaning-making, collective construction of psychological reality, time-dependent processes, and normative explanations. Liberation psychology, which is one type of alternative psychology, has been used to address the needs of the poor and the oppressed in Latin America. With liberation psychology, the focus is on social change. Social change is possible when attempts are made to improve the conditions of the entire community rather than to only address the needs of one specific individual within the group. Additionally, this type of alternative psychology makes a difference by addressing challenges of the native people where they live, in their professions, and in the world around them. Liberation psychology also helps people understand what they need in order to facilitate change. To prepare for this Discussion: · Review Chapter 6 in your textbook, Toward a Global Psychology: Theory, Research, Intervention, and Pedagogy. Pay particular attention to the sections about alternative psychologies and liberation psychology. · Referring to the video clips located in this week’s Optional Resources as examples, utilize the internet to identify one video that illustrates how liberation psychology empowers individuals to address their challenges. · After viewing your selected video, identify the issues that were particularly challenging for the individuals in the video. Focus on two issues of particular interest to you. · Reflect on how the common themes of alternative psychologies are evidenced in liberation psychology. · Consider Walden University’s Mission for Social Change, which is to create scholar-practitioners who can effect positive social change. With these thoughts in mind: By Day 3 Post a description of the video you selected. Specify two issues that were particularly challenging for the individuals in the video. Explain how liberation psychology could be or was.

1. Discussion: Alternative Psychologies
Thus far in your experience as a psychology student, you have
been introduced to the field of psychology in terms of the mind
and its functions in relationship to human behavior. Most
introductory psychology textbooks and resources for other
psychology classes emphasize a cause-and-effect scientific
model, which typifies traditional psychology in the United
States and the Western hemisphere in general. Throughout this
course and in your course text, you read about Western
psychology, which is representative of the practice of
psychology in the United States.
Alternative psychologies evolved independently of Western
psychology because they are suitable for the needs of non-
Western cultures. One notable difference is that alternative
psychologies prioritize collective or group processes over
isolated individual processes. Alternative psychologies view
individuals as reflections of the larger culture or society. While
the various alternative psychologies do have differences, they
also have common themes such as those outlined in your course
text: meaning-making, collective construction of psychological
reality, time-dependent processes, and normative explanations.
Liberation psychology, which is one type of alternative
psychology, has been used to address the needs of the poor and
the oppressed in Latin America. With liberation psychology, the
focus is on social change. Social change is possible when
attempts are made to improve the conditions of the entire
community rather than to only address the needs of one specific
individual within the group. Additionally, this type of
alternative psychology makes a difference by addressing
challenges of the native people where they live, in their
professions, and in the world around them. Liberation
psychology also helps people understand what they need in
order to facilitate change.
To prepare for this Discussion:

2. · Review Chapter 6 in your textbook, Toward a Global
Psychology: Theory, Research, Intervention, and Pedagogy. Pay
particular attention to the sections about alternative
psychologies and liberation psychology.
· Referring to the video clips located in this week’s Optional
Resources as examples, utilize the internet to identify one video
that illustrates how liberation psychology empowers individuals
to address their challenges.
· After viewing your selected video, identify the issues that
were particularly challenging for the individuals in the video.
Focus on two issues of particular interest to you.
· Reflect on how the common themes of alternative
psychologies are evidenced in liberation psychology.
· Consider Walden University’s Mission for Social Change,
which is to create scholar-practitioners who can effect positive
social change.
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 3
Post a description of the video you selected. Specify two issues
that were particularly challenging for the individuals in the
video. Explain how liberation psychology could be or was
applied to address the two issues you identified. Discuss how
liberation psychology reflects at least two of the themes
common to alternative psychologies. Describe how you, as a
Walden University scholar-practitioner, might utilize liberation
psychology as a means to effect positive social change.
Please read and view (where applicable) the following Learning
Resources before you complete this week's assignments.
Course Text: Stevens, M. J., & Gielen, U. P. (2007). Toward a
glob al psychology: Theory, research, intervention, and
pedagogy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
· Chapter 6, "Toward a Conceptual Foundation for a Global
Psychology"
· Chapter 7, "Qualitative Research Methods for a Global
Psychology" Website

3. International Psychology APA Division 52. (n.d.). International
psychology bulletin. Retrieved January 31, from
https://div52.org/images/PDF/D52-IPB/ipb_2017-21-1-
winter.pdf The International Psychology Bulletin is a
publication of the American Psychological Association's
International Psychology Division. This link will lead you to
past issues of the newsletter.
Optional Resources
Online Video: Adelante Foundation. (2015, December 10). Sun
showers of hope with Adelante [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGzRkSjm8P4
The Adelante Foundation's program applies liberation
psychology to challenging situations. The foundation also offers
financial support to Honduran women.
Online Video: Adelante Foundation. (2016, July 5). Meet Maria
Reaños - Adelante entrepreneur [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRS_5jcQaXQ
Through microfinance and education Adelante is able to impact
thousands of women and their families. Maria Reaños is one of
these women. Listen to her story of how microfinance has
changed her life and the life of her children.
Assignment: Culturally Appropriate Research Methods
In order to understand research methods that are suitable for
global psychology, it is important to state what is meant by
“global psychology.” Marsella (1998) refers to global
psychology as “concerned with understanding, assessing, and
addressing, the individual and collective psychological
consequences of global events and forces by encouraging and

4. using multicultural, multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and
multinational knowledge, methods, and interventions” (p. 1284).
Culturally sensitive research methods employed by
psychologists with a global perspective usually are qualitative,
while Western psychologists often employ quantitative
approaches. Quantitative approaches emphasize cause and effect
and reflect a traditional scientific method. Quantitative methods
also are objective and value statistical analyses. Qualitative
methods allow more subjectivity and often involve observation
and interviews that are harder to quantify. Recently, many
Western psychologists have increased their acceptance of
qualitative methods or blending quantitative and qualitative
methods (mixed methods). However, even in the realm of
qualitative methods, psychologists have identified some
methods that are more appropriate than others in satisfying the
needs of their discipline. Your course text explains four
specific, culturally appropriate research methods: action theory,
discourse analysis, grounded theory, and focus groups.
Despite global psychology's preference for culturally
appropriate qualitative methods, most peer review committees
of professional journals publish studies that use traditional
quantitative methods. Thus, psychologists who work
internationally or globally continue to encourage researchers to
apply culturally appropriate quantitative and qualitative
methods.
To prepare for this Assignment:
· Review Chapter 7 in your course text.
· Think about culturally appropriate research methods, such as
action theory, discourse analysis, grounded theory, and focus
groups.
· Use the link provided in this week’s learning resources to
review several past issues of the International Psychology
Bulletin.
· Within the past issue of your choice, select one peer-reviewed
article which is of interest to you that does not use action
theory, discourse analysis, grounded theory, or focus groups.

5. · Think about whether the research used in the article is
quantitative or qualitative.
· Consider how you might use action theory, discourse analysis,
grounded theory, or focus groups to conduct a study about this
same topic.
· Think about why the research method you selected could
benefit a study of this topic.
The Assignment (3–4 pages):
· Summarize the study in the research article you selected,
including a description of the type of research method that was
used.
· Is the study qualitative or quantitative? Discuss how you
know.
· Pick two culturally appropriate research methods (action
theory, discourse analysis, grounded theory, or focus groups)
and explain how you could apply each method to conduct a
study about the same topic described in the research article you
selected.
· Explain why the research methods you selected could benefit a
study about this topic and describe how they compare to the
type of research methods originally used.
Please read and view (where applicable) the following Learning
Resources before you complete this week's assignments.
Course Text: Stevens, M. J., & Gielen, U. P. (2007). Toward a
glob al psychology: Theory, research, intervention, and
pedagogy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
· Chapter 6, "Toward a Conceptual Foundation for a Global
Psychology"
· Chapter 7, "Qualitative Research Methods for a Global
Psychology" Website
International Psychology APA Division 52. (n.d.). International
psychology bulletin. Retrieved January 31, from
https://div52.org/images/PDF/D52-IPB/ipb_2017-21-1-
winter.pdf The International Psychology Bulletin is a
publication of the American Psychological Association's

6. International Psychology Division. This link will lead you to
past issues of the newsletter.
Optional Resources
Online Video: Adelante Foundation. (2015, December 10). Sun
showers of hope with Adelante [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGzRkSjm8P4
The Adelante Foundation's program applies liberation
psychology to challenging situations. The foundation also offers
financial support to Honduran women.
Online Video: Adelante Foundation. (2016, July 5). Meet Maria
Reaños - Adelante entrepreneur [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRS_5jcQaXQ
Through microfinance and education Adelante is able to impact
thousands of women and their families. Maria Reaños is one of
these women. Listen to her story of how microfinance has
changed her life and the life of her children.