Abstract

In response to the need for ethical guidance in Arab community psychology and other forms of community practice, this thesis used mixed methods to explore the ethical values that are of relevance to community psychologists and other community practitioners in the Arab World. A total of 18 community practitioners in the Arab region were interviewed to share their views on the importance of Arab societal values, the values of community psychology, and the principles identified in globally dominant codes of ethics for psychologists in community practice in the Arab world. Using thematic analysis, 53 themes were identified in the collected qualitative data, portraying the most important and influential values in Arab community practice. Moreover, 211 community practitioners in the Arab world responded to a self-administered questionnaire on the extent to which certain values are beneficial or problematic for Arab community practice. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the questionnaire, identifying the most beneficial values, controversial values and values that were sometimes viewed as irrelevant to Arab community practice. Based on the interview and questionnaire data, a list of recommended ethical values for Arab community practice is identified. Since codes of ethics are built on values, the results of this research are the first step towards building a comprehensive and culturally relevant code of ethics for community practitioners, including community psychologists, in the Arab region.

Department

Psychology Department

Degree Name

MA in Community Psychology

Graduation Date

2-1-2018

Submission Date

January 2019

First Advisor

Amer, Mona

Committee Member 1

Ellis, Kate

Committee Member 2

El Beih, Wessam

Extent

149 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. The author has granted the American University in Cairo or its agents a non-exclusive license to archive this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study, and to make it accessible, in whole or in part, in all forms of media, now or hereafter known.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

Comments

I am thankful for the fellowship I was granted during this program by the Tarek Juffali foundation. I am very grateful for having Dr. Mona Amer as my thesis supervisor and mentor throughout the M.A. program. I would like to thank her for her great efforts, patience, motivation, and valuable guidance. I learned a lot from her incredible knowledge, attention to detail and ethical conduct. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts and wisdom of my thesis readers, Dr. Wessam El Beih and Dr. Kate Ellis, and thank them for their time, flexibility, and valuable feedback.

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