Ethics and multiculturalism are intimately related. Whatever your specialization or career goals, in order to behavior ethically, one must be multiculturally sensitive and maintain multicultural competence as part of lifelong learning.

Who we are as individuals influences who we are as professionals. To practice with multicultural competence, we must be aware of our own life experiences, personal beliefs and attitudes, cultural values, social identity, privileges, biases, and prejudices and their influence on how we work. It is ethically imperative for practitioners to confront their own values and belief systems, as therapeutic relationships can be adversely affected by practitioners’ explicit or implicit negative attitudes. When practitioners are unaware of their values and attitudes, the effectiveness of interactions can be compromised by bias, and ethical dilemmas and violations can occur. As stated by Corey, Corey, and Callanan, “Part of multicultural competence entails recognizing our limitations and is manifested in our willingness to (a) seek consultation, (b) participate in continuing education, and (c) when appropriate, make referrals to a professional who is competent to work with a particular client population” (2011, p. 146).

Ethical dilemmas often have a cultural nuance that adds another layer to an already difficult situation. Multicultural issues can certainly impact ethical decision making and reasoning and vice versa. A multiculturally competent practitioner should be aware of the issues faced by a variety of specific cultural populations and the ethical dilemmas involved with addressing these concerns. As Carter has written, “Ethics and multicultural competence are sisters in the practice of psychology. They were birthed from the same psychological principles of beneficence and respect” (2013, para. 5). In other words, often multicultural issues in psychology have ethical implications and vice versa.

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

In your intended career, what kinds of multicultural issues do you expect to encounter?

What ethical standards address multicultural issues?

What is the interactive relationship between ethics and multiculturalism?

How will you approach diversity and multicultural issues? Which resources will you use to assist you?

What education, training, or other experiences could you plan to further develop your multicultural competence (your knowledge, awareness, and skills)?

REFERENCES

Carter L. K. (2013). Multicultural competence: The Cinderella of psychology. SOJ Psychology.

Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Callanan, P. (2011). Issues and ethics in the helping professions (8th ed.). Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.