Indigenous Models of Career Development and Vocational Psychology

Abstract

Beginning with a review of the three approaches in cross-cultural psychology, namely traditional cross-cultural psychology, cultural psychology, and indigenous psychologies, in the current chapter we advocate for the development and utility of indigenous models of vocational psychology. Indigenous models of psychology are increasing in their popularity as an approach for understanding behavior in specific cultures. The concepts of cultural validity and cultural specificity facing current psychological models are used as a theoretical framework for advocating indigenous approaches. Most of the existing models in vocational psychology have been developed for and based on Western samples. Instead of assuming that these models will automatically be valid and relevant to other cultural samples, studies of their cultural validity are needed.

Using Leong and Brown’s (1995) recommendation of using a dual approach of conducting studies of cultural validity of Western models and using culture-specific constructs, we argue for the value of indigenous constructs and models in advancing vocational psychology. In a critical review of the multicultural literature in vocational psychology, Leong and Brown (1995) noted that cultural validity (etic) has to do with the appropriateness of scientific models across cultural groups, whereas cultural specificity (emic) involves a question of whether scientific models are appropriate within a particular cultural group. They observed that the failure to attend to the twin concepts of cultural validity and cultural specificity often results in culture-specific assumptions that may be inappropriately applied to one or more other cultures. Therefore, indigenous models in vocational psychology research involving culturally diverse populations will help us address these twin problems.

Indigenous psychology has been proposed as a new approach in cross-cultural psychology to improve the cultural validity and cultural specificity of our models. We review various definitions of indigenous psychology and also the primary purposes of this approach. As a new movement in psychology, we also highlight the prevailing and countervailing forces that can facilitate or hinder such movements. In terms of the advancement to multiculturalism in psychology, Leong (Career Development Quarterly 50:277–284, 2002) had suggested that prevailing forces include globalization, migration, sharing of information via the internet, and culturally based political events, among others. On the other hand, barriers to the multiculturalism movement have been maintained by such countervailing forces as ethnocentrism, the false consensus effect, psychological reactance, and the attraction–selection–attrition cycle that impede the likelihood of the adoption of the indigenous psychology movement (Career Development Quarterly 50:277–284, 2002).

We also discuss an integrative model of cross-cultural counseling and psychotherapy as a valuable approach to applying indigenous approaches to career counseling. We provide some steps for developing and using models of indigenous psychologies. Finally, we describe how our recommendations are sensitive to both the universal and particular. We also discuss possible new directions in how the application of indigenous psychological models and methods can help advance the field of vocational psychology.