Chapter 2: Social and Cultural Diversity

Question 1

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS

Culture is defined as habits, customs, art, religion, science, and the political behavior of a given group of people during a given period of time. Cultures are said to be dynamic: each culture-changing or evolving at its own rate. The dominant or major culture in a country is the macroculture, often contrasted with the smaller, microculture. Learning the behaviors and expectations of a culture is known as acculturation

Question 2

Universal culture implies that we are all genetically and biologically similar “biological sameness” (i.e., we all need air, food, and water); national culture can determine our language, political views, and our laws; regional culture gives us the behavior for a certain region; and ecological culture where factors such as earthquakes, floods, and food supply may influence our behavior.

Question 3

Racism occurs when one race views itself as superior to others. A given race has a set of genetically transmitted characteristics such as Caucasian, African American, or Asian.

Question 4

Ethnocentrism means that a given group sees itself as the standard by which other ethnic groups are measured.

Question 5

Emic versus etic distinctions.

In the emic approach, the counselor helps the client understand his or her culture.

In the etic approach, the counselor focuses on the similarities in people; treating people as being the same.

Question 6

The autoplastic–alloplastic dilemma.

Autoplastic implies that the counselor helps the client change to cope with his or her environment.

Alloplastic occurs when the counselor has the client try to change the environment.

Question 7

Tests and nosological systems such as the DSM can have a Eurocentric or Euro-American bias.

Question 8

Paralanguage implies that the client’s tone of voice, loudness, vocal inflections; and speed of delivery, silence, and hesitation must be taken into consideration. It is part of the study of nonverbal communication and is usually considered more accurate than verbal communication

Question 9

Low context communication implies that there will be a long verbal explanation and high context communication relies on
nonverbals that are readily understood by others in the culture.

Question 10

Stereotyping is the act of thinking that all people of a group are alike. Stereotypes can be good or bad.

Question 11

Prejudice occurs when we have an opinion based on insufficient evidence.

Question 12

Androgynous/androgyny the notion that psychologically healthy people possess both masculine and feminine
characteristics.

Question 13

Proxemics addresses the issue of personal space, also known as spatial relations. A counselor who sits too close to a client, for example, may make the client uncomfortable. Communication and social relations are impacted by proxemics.

Question 14

Means tests determine whether a client is eligible for a social program or benefit such as temporary assistance for needy
families (TANF) or food stamps. Income and assets such as bank accounts are often used to make this determination. Often contrasted with social insurance programs such as social security for which an extremely wealthy person could still be qualified.

Question 15

Counselors strive to understand a client’s worldview (the way
the client sees the world due to attitudes, value systems, and
beliefs).

Question 16

Anglo-Conformity Theory asserts that people from other cultures would do well to forget about their heritage and try to become like those in the dominant, macroculture.

Question 17

The five-stage Atkinson, Morten, and Sue Racial/Cultural
Identity Development Model (R/CID) aka the Minority
Identity Model:

(1) Conformity (lean toward dominant culture and prefer a counselor from the dominant culture);

(2) Dissonance (question and confusion, prefer a counselor from a minority group);

(3) Resistance and Immersion (reject the dominant culture while accepting one’s own culture);

• *(4) Introspection** (mixed feelings related to the previous stage, prefer a counselor from one’s own racial/ethnic group) and
• *(5) Synergetic Articulation and Awareness** (stop racial and cultural oppression prefers a counselor with a similar attitude or worldview over merely a counselor who is the same race/ethnicity, but has different beliefs).

Not everyone goes through all stages and some individuals never progress beyond the second or third stage. An individual can also go backward.

Question 18

MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING

1. Native Americans (Indian Americans or American Indians) often keep their suffering private, speak with few words, and hesitate often. They do not engage in eye contact while talking or listening, do not live by the clock and tend to emphasize spirituality. Consider counseling them in their own homes. Storytelling combined with advice giving is often effective.

2. African Americans like to be taught concrete skills and strategies for change. Systems based family therapy that includes the nuclear and extended family, short term counseling and behavioral modalities are effective. Counselor self-disclosure, topics related to spirituality, and group work may be beneficial.

3. Asian Americans have been called the most diverse group and characterized as patriarchal. Academic and professional success is valued. They often speak very low and desire assertiveness training and therapies that emphasize insight or existential issues. The counselor is seen as a trained expert.

4. Hispanic and Latino/Latina Americans often benefit from catharsis and abreaction (getting feelings out.) Psychodrama techniques, family therapy, and calling clients by their first names may well facilitate therapy. Separation from one’s family of origin is not generally a goal of therapy.

The word machismo may be used to describe the fact that women are subservient to men and that men are expected to provide for the family.