Psychological Practice with Girls

and Women: Global Perspectives

Our Task

Consider the potential implications, applications, and/or modifications of the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Girls and Women (APA, 2007) for use in international contexts

Working Group Members

Kimberly Berardo Pam Remer Pei-Yi Lin Fiona Vajk Carrie Giebel Jennifer Moss Yi-Jiun Lin David Tager Lisa Drogosz Rachel Gali Cinamon Sayaka Machizawa Kelly McDonnell Amy Nitza

Shoshanna Hellman Deborah Gerrity Jamie Funderburk Sandy Grissom Erin Schwartz Stephanie Clouse Kara Wolff Kayoko Hayashi Tamiko Mogami Samantha Strife Carolyn Zerbe Enns Sarah Sanders

Our starting point

The discussion of our own social identities and “positionalities” as we prepare to consider guidelines relevant to the complex and intersecting identities and privileges/oppressions of girls and women in global context

Discussion: Social Identities of Group Members & How They Inform our Task Concepts of multiple identities become even more

complex when considering international contexts Cultural contexts affect the salience of specific

identities Power/privilege dynamics: Despite our diversity,

we are relatively privileged overall Our ages (lifespan issues) & work settings affect

how we approach gender in international context Language and audibility (e.g. accent) shape

perceptions of being American or being “foreign” Visibility/appearance affect perceptions that we

are “international” or likely to be “Americans” Multiple layers of identity are present among us

Questions That Guided our Work In what ways are US psychological

approaches to women & girls ethnocentric and/or limiting?

To what degree are the Guidelines consistent with the Resolution on Culture and Gender Awareness in Psychology? (APA, 2004) Areas of strength and limitations?

What culture-specific and country-specific issues need to be addressed to enhance the relevance of the guidelines beyond US and Canadian borders?

Major Issues Discussed

Language issues are key. We need to be especially attentive to language, and question how we use language, including the specific meaning of words when they are translated. Exact counterparts of words are frequently unavailable in languages other than our own. Connotations of words vary, and nonverbal delivery often changes meaning.

Why are North American texts translated and used in other countries without any consideration of cultural relevance?

General Conclusions

The 11 guidelines hold relevance in a range of cultural contexts. However, concepts embedded in individualist perspectives are present in the guidelines and need redefinition/modification. Even when relevant cross-culturally, meanings of words vary and need clarification in specific cultural contexts. In addition, applications and interventions need to vary substantially to be relevant to specific cultural contexts.

General Conclusions

We may not be inclusive enough or diverse enough as a group to identify gaps in these guidelines. Thus, it is important for group members to take these guidelines home and engage in dialogue within their feminist communities who are able to test these guidelines in specific cultural contexts. We need to seek out the creativity and expertise of our colleagues in many other parts of the globe.

Immediate Goals/Outcomes for Future Take the guidelines home (whatever the

country) and use them to start conversations as well as to educate and inform others. Test the guidelines with feminist organizations in other countries.

Continue meeting together and working at future conferences (informal and formal conversation hours)

Form a listserve or blog to continue our conversations

Goals/Outcomes for the Future For each of the guidelines, create examples of

girls’/women’s issues that describe issues as they emerge in other cultures.

Create a casebook in which authors use several relatively general descriptions relevant to gender issues and then describe the specific cultural issues and interventions of relevance to specific countries.

Create original products (e.g., articles) in languages other than English. THEN perhaps translate these products into English (turn the usual process “on its head”)

Contact Information for Getting Involved Carolyn Zerbe Enns Cornell College, Mt. Vernon Iowa 52314 cenns@cornellcollege.edu