What is Diversity Emic Vs Etic Approaches

The presence (perceived or otherwise) of people Emics-

of different social categories (perceived or
otherwise) in a given social context Behavior patterns unique to a a specific
- Those categories may include: group or ethnicity
ethnicity/race attractiveness Etics-
gender/sex weight Invariant behavior patterns
age physically challenged
Culture-
SES / Class
group membership of any kind Unique Emic and Etic Combinations

Etic Approaches: #1 Universalism Etic Approaches: #1 Universalism

Weaknesses Cont. (At its worst)

-Single set of Ubiquitous Weaknesses - Universalism promotes Ethnocentric
principles That apply (At its Best) Monoculturalism
to all people -bad science - View other groups through own groups perspective
-Ignores ethnically specific beh.
-One group tells us - Uses our own group for assessing the goodness or
-Obscures unique aspects of
about all groups culture adequacy of other groups beh.
-Needs to be validated, -Treats diversity as - Views Differences as Deficits
but rarely adequately measurement error
-Ignores within group variation - Maintains a sense of superiority
done
- Is an overtly oppressive basis for pseudo-scientific
Strength -Class Mantra rationale for racism, sexism, and genocide.
economical/parsimonious There are more differences
Theories within groups than there are
between groups

Etic Approaches: #2 Cross Cultural Approach Emic Approaches: #1 Cultural Psychologies

Comparing two Cultures -- Focus on personal

experience w/in cultural
To test universal Weaknesses perspective of target Weakness
principles In practice it has been group --Limited scientific
ethnocentric usefulness
-- Complete Rejection of -- Same types of
Strengths Studies rarely include Universalism
non-Ero-Am. issues as
May expand Ero-Am Psy. universalism (at its
Begins to show us Perspectives Strength best)
cultural variation Focuses on universal -- Recognition of cultural i.e. assumptions of
etics uniqueness
uniqueness need to
-- Non-ethnocentric
(culturally relative) be validated, but
rarely are.

1
 Emic Approaches: #2 Ethnic Psychologies Emic Approaches: #3 Multi-Cultural Psychology

-- Focus on questions Strength --Focus on the effects of -- Takes an Activist

important to the -- applied humanistic multiple cultures perspective aimed at
ethnic/cultural group of perspective is useful & interacting in a single change; at the individual,
interest beneficial to the target context organizational, and social
-- Research with culturally group -- Addresses level
appropriate theory and Weaknesses Bicultural/Multicultural
methods -- Cultural specific focus identities
-- Agenda is independent of limits ability to inform -- Looks at culture and Criticisms
all other psychologies other psyc. Perspectives. sociopolitical issues of -- ?
-- Proving universalism or -- Ignores the influence of power and oppression
uniqueness is not multiple cultures living in -- Includes issues of Class,
important. a single context. Gender, and Hegemony