Multiculturalism, the need for cultural diversity, and cultural sensitivity have become important topics of research in contemporary psychology

Cultural Paper Instructions

Multiculturalism, the need for cultural diversity, and cultural sensitivity have become important topics of research in contemporary psychology. You are to write a paper about a culturally relevant topic in contemporary abnormal psychology. Some examples of themes are, treatments designed/modified for specific cultural groups, culture-bound syndromes, a perceived discrepancy between how the DSM-5 defines a disorder and how that disorder manifests in a particular culture, and evidence-based ways as to how therapists can incorporate cultural sensitivity in their work.

Culture is not bound to race or ethnicity. You can choose any cultural group; for example, Latino culture, blind culture, transgender culture, catholic culture, etc. You are encouraged to explore different, culture- related ideas from those presented above. Specifically:

(1) Identify & describe your topic & cultural group – pick a topic that is directly tied to abnormal psychology & culture. Define the terms you are using and provide a rationale for why you think this is an important topic in the field of abnormal psychology. Also, objectively note whether there has been much research conducted regarding this topic and cultural group.

(2) Tie your topic to 3 peer-reviewed sources. What do your sources say about your topic? If any of your sources are an empirical study, describe the population, methods & results.

(3) Provide a conclusion that succinctly summarizes your ideas and explain the implications based on the literature. What insights have you gained? Where does the psychology field go from here/what is the bigger picture?

The paper will be 4 to 5 double-spaced pages (not including title page or references), with 1-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font and will include a minimum of 3 references from peer-reviewed sources. In-text citations and the references section must be in APA format. You may not use direct quotes when referencing your article. All information must be paraphrased and cited appropriately. Links to an online APA style guide can be found here: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines Aim to develop a clear, concise thesis that draws support from information given by your sources (i.e., peer-reviewed journal articles or scholarly books – no popular press references or web pages, please!). Resist the urge to support your ideas with opinions and personal experiences. Stick to the scientific facts.

The topic of your paper and the three sources you will be using are due by August 30, 2023. If you’d like, you may turn in a draft by September 6 to get my feedback. Your final paper must be submitted on Blackboard by 11:59pm, Eastern time on September 20, 2023. This assignment must be submitted in Word or Pages format (not PDF).

GRADING RUBRIC

Description Below Expectations Needs Improvement Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Points

Topic identification and description

Identifies an inappropriate topic. Terms not defined. No rationale given for why this topic is important. 0 – 5

Identifies a topic that is too broadly focused and/or is not appropriate/relevant to abnormal psychology & culture. Either no or poor rationale for why this topic is important. 6 – 10

Identifies a focused and manageable topic. Gives brief rationale for why this topic is important. 11 – 15

Identifies focused topic related to abnormal psych & culture. Thoroughly explains why topic is important in context of culture. 16 – 20

20

Use of sources to support observation

Information is fragmented and/or used inappropriately (misquoted, taken out of context, etc.) and/or uses 1 to no source. Does not describe the articles. 0 – 6

Communicates and organizes information from sources 1-2 sources and/or info is not yet synthesized, so purpose is not fully achieved. May not describe the population, method, etc. of empirical studies. 7 – 13

Communicates, organizes and synthesizes information from 3 sources. Purpose is achieved and describes empirical studies. 14 – 20

Communicates, organizes, and synthesizes info. from 3 sources with clarity and depth. Describes sources/empirical studies using relevant details. 21 – 25

25

Conclusions

States an ambiguous, illogical, or unsupportable conclusion. Does not provide implications or connect to bigger picture, no suggestions for where the field should go next. 0 – 3

States a general conclusion that inappropriately applies beyond the scope of the topic and/or lacks connection to the “bigger picture” and lack of suggestions. 4 – 7

States a conclusion noting some implications of “bigger picture” and future directions. 8 – 11

States logical conclusion based on topic and highlights importance/implications of the topic, “bigger picture” and future directions. 12 – 15

15

Organization & Mechanics

Not well-organized; weak transitions; argument confusing to follow. Many (10+) grammatical punctuation, & spelling errors. Basic sentence structure is poor. 0 – 2

Somewhat well-organized or good transitions (not both); argument somewhat confusing. Several (5 – 10) errors, but overall they do not detract too much from reading the paper. Sentence structure is acceptable. 3 – 5

Mostly well-organized with good transitions; argument easily followed. Few (less than 5) errors. Basic sentence structure is acceptable. 6 – 8

Very well organized with solid transitions; argument easily followed. Mechanical errors are rare. Good sentence structure. 8 – 10

10

APA Style

Missing/incorrect (3 or more): Cover page, headers, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, APA citations and references. 0 – 2

Missing/incorrect (2): Cover page, headers, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, APA citations and references. 3 – 5

Missing/incorrect (1): Cover page, headers, double-spaced, 1- inch margins, 12-point TNR, APA citations and references. 6 – 8

All included: Cover page, headers, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point TNR font, APA citations and references. 8 – 10

10

Total Possible Points 100