Incorporating indigenous and crosscultural issues into an undergraduate psychology course: Experience at curtin university of technology

Abstract

There has been a clear expression of the need to incorporate Indigenous and crosscultural issues into psychology curricula and to develop models to guide the process. This paper outlines the process of developing an Indigenous and crosscultural psychology unit at Curtin University of Technology. A conceptual framework that includes foundational, professional, and socially responsive knowledge, which has guided the development and implementation of the unit, is presented. A description of the course content and processes of delivery follow this. Observations based on informal evaluation of the unit and our perceptions of what it is achieving and where it may need to be modified are offered. For example, the ways in which the unit helped to validate the experiences of members of different social and cultural groups are highlighted. Finally, some recommendations are made, and challenges in dealing with increasing cultural diversification in tertiary education are discussed.