TY - JOUR
T1 - A social dominance theory perspective on multicultural competence
AU - Lantz, Melanie M.
AU - Pieterse, Alex L.
AU - Taylor, Terrill O.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded in part by the University at Albany Dissertation Research Fellowship Award, 2013?2014. This study was funded in part by the University at Albany Dissertation Research Fellowship Award, 2013?2014. The first author would like to thank Dr. Micki Friedlander, Dr. Tania Israel, Dr. Mike Ellis, and Dr. Lisa Spanierman for their support, guidance, and feedback.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020/4/2
Y1 - 2020/4/2
N2 - We describe and test a new perspective on understanding multicultural competencies (MCCs), namely the application of Social Dominance Theory (SDT). We argue that the process of developing MCCs is not only about learning but also unlearning; that is, unlearning beliefs developed through socialization by the dominant culture, such as the meritocracy myth, and coming to understand the role of privilege in systemic oppression. The present study examined the relationship between self-reported MCCs and three SDT-derived factors: social dominance orientation, awareness of privilege, and multicultural training environment. In a sample of counselor and mental health trainees (N = 362), awareness of privilege was significantly related to multicultural knowledge and awareness; multicultural training environment was related only to multicultural knowledge, and social dominance orientation only to multicultural awareness. Importantly, the ceiling effect observed highlights concerns about what self-report MCCs measures are measuring. Implications, and recommendations for training, research methodology, and research instrumentation are discussed.
AB - We describe and test a new perspective on understanding multicultural competencies (MCCs), namely the application of Social Dominance Theory (SDT). We argue that the process of developing MCCs is not only about learning but also unlearning; that is, unlearning beliefs developed through socialization by the dominant culture, such as the meritocracy myth, and coming to understand the role of privilege in systemic oppression. The present study examined the relationship between self-reported MCCs and three SDT-derived factors: social dominance orientation, awareness of privilege, and multicultural training environment. In a sample of counselor and mental health trainees (N = 362), awareness of privilege was significantly related to multicultural knowledge and awareness; multicultural training environment was related only to multicultural knowledge, and social dominance orientation only to multicultural awareness. Importantly, the ceiling effect observed highlights concerns about what self-report MCCs measures are measuring. Implications, and recommendations for training, research methodology, and research instrumentation are discussed.
KW - Multicultural competence
KW - multicultural counseling
KW - multicultural training
KW - privilege
KW - social dominance
KW - training
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U2 - 10.1080/09515070.2018.1500352
DO - 10.1080/09515070.2018.1500352
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85052052395
SN - 0951-5070
VL - 33
SP - 142
EP - 162
JO - Counselling Psychology Quarterly
JF - Counselling Psychology Quarterly
IS - 2
ER -