| The purpose of this study was to examine current and former exercise and sport psychology graduate students' exposure and/or training related to "diversity," in particular racial and ethnic diversity. There were 12 participants who took part in the study which was qualitative in nature. The participants were interviewed during the summer of 2006 and each interview lasted between 40-60 minutes. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with five major themes emerging: (1) The perception of racial and ethnic diversity in the field; (2) Diversity and multicultural training in exercise and sport psychology; (3) Suggestions for incorporating diversity and multicultural training; (4) Important diversity and multicultural issues and competencies in the field; and (5) The development of a conceptual multicultural curriculum.; The level of diversity as part of the demographics within exercise and sport psychology programs was rated by the interviewees to be between 1% and 30%. This was also reflected in the curriculum as well with very little, or in some cases no diversity or multicultural courses being offered. All the participants agreed that diversity and multiculturalism was an important aspect of exercise and sport psychology, and therefore each participant took at least one diversity course as part of their graduate training. These were usually taken in other departments and included courses in multicultural counseling, medical anthropology, and social psychology.; The interviewees believed that not only should there be training but that it should be extensive, mandatory, and multifaceted. Their suggestions included diversity and multicultural training on a continuous basis, and the implementation of more multicultural seminars, workshops, and research. There were also calls for specific classes focused on diversity and multiculturalism. Twenty-one competencies were identified as important for consultants who endeavored to become competent in diversity and multicultural issues. These included the ability to understand and discuss world views, an awareness of your clients' cultural differences, mandatory practicum training with diverse populations, and the desire and ability to unpack the "knapsack of white privilege." These themes and suggestions provided the framework for the researcher to develop a conceptual multicultural exercise and sport psychology graduate curriculum. |
