Teaching an undergraduate course on ethnic diversity

In this article, we describe a course, the Psychology of Ethnic Groups in t he United States, to illustrate possible issues to address within an ethnic diversity psychology course. The purpose of this course is to educate, sen sitize, and stimulate critical thinking about the role of culture and ethni city in human social behavior with an emphasis on 4 major ethnic groups in the United States: African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, an d Hispanics-Latinos. Basic concepts in ethnic psychology examined include t he significance of race and ethnicity, racism and stereotyping, ethnic stra tification, ethnic identity, acculturation, and biculturalism as well as a variety of psychosocial conditions (e.g., risk behaviors, adaptive health b ehaviors). Included are descriptions of in-class exercises, readings, and s trategies that are helpful in teaching this type of course.