"Positive psychology has become a vibrant, well-regarded field of study, and a powerful tool for clinicians. But, for many years, the research in areas relevant to positive psychology, such as happiness, subjective well-being, and emotional intelligence, has been based on findings from largely White samples and has rarely taken the concerns of the ethnic community into consideration. Now, for the first time, leaders in the field have come together to provide a comprehensive reference that focuses specifically on how a culturally-informed approach to positive psychology can help capitalize on the strengths of racial minority groups and have a greater potential to positively impact their psychological well-being. Taking into account the rich and diverse cultural histories of ethnic groups, the information presented in this volume can help clinicians use positive psychology to inspire minorities to be effective agents in their environments and communities. Acting as a bridge between positive psychology theory and research--largely based on an essentialist view of human behavior--and the realities of practice and assessment in diverse groups, Positive Psychology in Racial and Ethnic Groups focuses on four main ethnic groups: Asian Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans, and American Indians. Broken into five major sections--an introduction to the field, theory and research, assessment, clinical interventions, and a discussion of what the future may hold--this is a unique volume in the field, and a call to action for researchers and clinicians everywhere"--Résumé de l'éditeur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Positive psychology has become a vibrant, well-regarded field of study, and a powerful tool for clinicians. But, for many years, the research in areas relevant to positive psychology, such as happiness, subjective well-being, and emotional intelligence, has been based on findings from largely White samples and has rarely taken the concerns of the ethnic community into consideration. Now, for the first time, leaders in the field have come together to provide a comprehensive reference that focuses specifically on how a culturally-informed approach to positive psychology can help capitalize on the strengths of racial minority groups and have a greater potential to positively impact their psychological well-being. Taking into account the rich and diverse cultural histories of ethnic groups, the information presented in this volume can help clinicians use positive psychology to inspire minorities to be effective agents in their environments and communities. Acting as a bridge between positive psychology theory and research -- largely based on an essentialist view of human behavior -- and the realities of practice and assessment in diverse groups, Positive Psychology in Racial and Ethnic Groups focuses on four main ethnic groups: Asian Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans, and American Indians. Broken into five major sections -- an introduction to the field, theory and research, assessment, clinical interventions, and a discussion of what the future may hold -- this is a unique volume in the field, and a call to action for researchers and clinicians everywhere.

This innovative text is the first to examine the contemporary psychological experience of African Americans through the lens of a positive, strengths-based model. It combats the deficit perspective that has permeated the psychological literature about African Americans by focusing on the strengths that have facilitated their growth and resilience—while also considering existing challenges and struggles. The author examines in depth the major areas of psychological research across family, peer, and romantic relationships, education, work, ethnic-racial socialization and identity, prosocial behavior and civic engagement, and the mental and physical health of African Americans today. With a focus on real life applications, the text includes pedagogical elements introducing topics in Current Events, Interventions in Practice, Individual Issues, African Cultural Values, and Media and Technology. Additional features include learning objectives in each chapter, discussion questions, a closing summary, an extensive trove of additional resources, and PowerPoints and a sample syllabus for instructors. Print version of book includes free, searchable, digital access to the entire contents. Key Features: Serves as the first text to examine African American psychology from a strengths-based perspective Grounded in a lifespan perspective Focuses on ethnic-racial socialization and ethnic-racial identity Addresses mental and physical health Demonstrates how communities have used strength-based techniques to achieve positive outcomes Integrate values common to Western Africa Includes learning objectives, discussion questions, closing summary, and boldfaced key terms Provides PowerPoints and a sample syllabus

The volume will be a collection of chapters about current theory, research, and practice related to multiculturalism and positive psychology. This book will serve as a reference to any who are interested in the intersection of positive psychology and multicultural context. While many in the field of positive psychology have begun to move more strongly towards a culturally-embedded approach that recognizes the importance of context in discussing, viewing and cultivating strengths in individuals from different backgrounds, there is still a dearth of research in this area compared with studies that take a cross-cultural approach (comparing people from different countries) or one that is purported to be “culture-free” or universal in its application. While it is becoming more common to see various articles or chapters published on these topics, there is still no comprehensive text aimed at discussion of the collection of these topics presented in a cohesive and structured way. This book aims to fill this gap in the literature. In this book, a broad definition of culture is utilized that includes such facets as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic or social class status, disability, religion, sexual orientation and gender. This book is intended to present research, theory and suggestions for practice that are grounded in diverse cultural contexts and current scholarship. It will assist researchers, students and practitioners who are studying and working within diverse populations. Currently there exists no comprehensive text that addresses the intersection of positive psychology and multiculturalism. Several edited volumes address positive psychology constructs (e.g., well-being, optimal experience, autonomy) across cultures, but they do not focus on multicultural populations within the United States. Other books focus more specifically on mental health applications and stress and coping among multicultural populations, however these books do not provide a broad perspective on psychology beyond this application piece. The proposed book will review current theory and research about constructs in addition to applications across contexts. Finally, other published books have focused on youth within multicultural society; this volume is more broad in its address of issues of positive psychology across the lifespan and across various aspects of identity including disability, gender, social class and sexual orientation.

Where do our prejudices come from? Why are some people more biased than others? Is it possible for individuals, and society as a whole, to truly defeat prejudice? In these pages, leading scientists, psychologists, educators, activists, and many others offer answers, drawing from new scientific discoveries that shed light on why and how our brains form prejudices, how racism hurts our health, steps we can take to mitigate prejudiced instincts, and what a post-prejudice society might actually look like. Bringing a diverse range of disciplines into conversation for the first time, Are We Born Racist? offers a straightforward overview of the new science of prejudice, and showcases the abundant practical, research-based steps that can be taken in all areas of our lives to overcome prejudice.

This project is unique in the field for a number of reasons, both in structure and in content. Specifically, it will have leading experts on specific age groups (Childhood to Adolescence, Young Adulthood to Middle Age, and The Elderly) within the cultural groups of interest (European-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans) contribute a chapter covering current research on both positive and negative functioning for each population. Each chapter will present basic demographic information, strengths that contribute to resilience, and three significant challenges each group faces to maintaining mental health. Each chapter will then include an integrative section, where ideas are advanced about how the strengths of each group can be harnessed to address the challenges that group faces. To conclude, each chapter will propose future directions for research which addresses integrative approaches to mental health for each group, and the implications that such approaches could have for future treatment. The main points of each section of each chapter will be visually summarized in a concluding table.