In addition to the broader dimensions of western colonial and cultural influence on indigenous psychologies, there are specific limitations for indigenous psychologies that arise from the pervasive ( nearly universal ) acceptance of western diagnostic tools as the primary source of diagnostic features / criteria for psychopathology ( Thakker & Ward, 1998 : Poznyak, Reed, & Clark, 2011 ).
22.
Increasing awareness that this psychology does not sufficiently address culturally specific as well as global issues and therefore does not fully apply to some cultures has led to the call for indigenous psychologies, or at least an alternative psychology to the mainstream, reductionistic paradigm which may be applied to most, if not all, cultures ( Kim, Yang, & Hwang, 2006 ).
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In order for these different countries to better focus their psychological stand points different programs need to instituted and more persons need to become involved in becoming psychologists . " The current and future states of & indigenous psychologies, require the sustained growth of their scientific research base at the same pace as their applied professional interventions " ( Lawson, Graham, & Baker, 2007, p . 441 ).
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While it is important and necessary that we find a way for indigenous psychologies and global psychologies to mix, we must be careful that assimilation or its predecessors not follow as a result of our desire to mix differing cultural ideals . " Assimilation refers to those processes whereby groups with distinctive identities become culturally and socially fused . " ( Hughes, p . 222 ) When assimilation occurs it forces the structural context of a society to change often forcing its cultural traditions to undergo a new development.
