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Intervening in cultural development: The case of ethnic–racial identity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2018

Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor
Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor*
Affiliation:
Harvard University and Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellín
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 14 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138; E-mail: Adriana_umana-taylor@gse.harvard.edu.
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Abstract

The literature on developmental psychopathology has been criticized for its limited integration of culture and, particularly, the lack of research addressing cultural development in relation to psychopathology. In this paper, I present how the study of ethnic–racial identity provides a heuristic model for how culture can be examined developmentally and in relation to psychopathology. In addition, I introduce the Identity Project intervention program and discuss how its findings provide empirical support for the notions that cultural development can be modified with intervention, and that such modifications can lead to psychosocial benefits for adolescents. Finally, I discuss existing challenges to advancing this work and important future directions for both basic and translational research in this area.

Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 30 , Special Issue 5: Cultural Development and Psychopathology , December 2018 , pp. 1907 - 1922
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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Footnotes

This work was conducted while the author was a visiting Research Professor at Universidad de San Buenaventura in Medellín, Colombia. Special thanks to Elana McDermott for assistance with manuscript preparation.

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