Etic and emic in contemporary psychological ethics

Abstract

Globalization can be characterized as a process of worldwide integration through the movement of goods and capital, expansion of democratic institutions and human rights, access to information, and migration of large numbers of people. Psychology, too, has become more globalized in form and scope and in its standards for competent and ethical practice, as psychologists operate in ever more diverse and rapidly changing environments (Stevens & Gielen, 2007). Differences in countries’ ecological systems and cultural worldviews pose challenges for globalization and the globalizing of psychology, with increasing interconnectedness opposed by a movement favoring localization. How might the seemingly contradictory forces of globalization and localization (universalism vs. particularism) manifest with regard to implementation of the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists (Ad Hoc Joint Committee, 2008)?