How xenophobic is Australian psychology? A comment on the education and training of Australian psychologists

Abstract

The article draws attention to a lack of regard in Australian psychology for knowledge about the cultural context of psychological practice and for attendant skills which might be expected of psychologists in a multicultural society. Specific knowledge perspectives and applications provided by cultural and crosscultural psychology are surveyed with a view to incorporating these in psychology curricula and continuing professional education.The articles that appear in the preceding section on Training and Credentials for Professional Psychologists raise a number of interesting issues about basic education and training leading to registration of Australian psychologists. The issues in various ways relate to the question of how the scientist-practitioner model might be applied in a fashion that allows for an appropriate balance between training psychologists as a scientist and as a practitioner. There appears to be consensus amongst the authors that, if the scientist-practitioner model is to be implemented, there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on skills training at the undergraduate and 4th-year levels. There is some divergence of opinion, however, about the role and the magnitude of the research thesis in the 4th-year of study.Contained within the articles is a strong case for undergraduate psychology being more focussed on skills training. What remains at issue is the question of what skills should be taught and the adequacy of the assumed knowledge base to which such skills are linked. The following comments concern the apparent, complete lack of regard for knowledge about the cultural context of professional practice and the attendant skills that might be expected of a professional psychologist who aims to work effectively and efficiently in an increasingly multicultural community such as Australia has become. It is suggested, furthermore, that psychology in Australia demonstrates an unreasonable level of anxiety about any enterprise which involves identifying and servicing the needs of those from minority cultures (or cultural strangers) and about research and practice that is not grounded centrally within the general experimental tradition (Shweder, 1990). The latter might be termed "strange psychologies" whilst the whole syndrome represents a kind of cultural xenophobia.Because it is not my intention here to be critical of any one of the preceding articles in particular, I will briefly summarise those professional skills which, according to the articles, should be part of basic training. There is general agreement on skills and knowledge relating to assessment, research and evaluation, and counselling and interventions. Interpersonal communication skills are considered to be important by some of the authors. Added to the list are consulting and teaching skills and management and supervision skills (O'Gorman, 1993). This list is consistent with the list of skills which Richards (1992) considers to be central to education and training in health psychology and in which he includes research, assessment, int...

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