Perspectives on the Intersection of Multiculturalism and Positive Psychology

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.