Chapter 3 Info

Question 1

Bias

Answer 1

A personal attitude or perspective that is not impartial and tends to prefer one of viewpoint or one social group to another. Often unconscious.

Question 2

If you face communication barriers or obstacles to service delivery:

Answer 2

1. Explore your own bias -interpreter knows best?
2. Plan ahead - Type 2 thinking
3. Monitor the situation. When in doubt - stay out. - give communication problem a chance to resolve itself before stepping in
4. Assess potential consequences - only intervene if the consequences of not doing so are potentially serious and harmful

Question 3

Type one thinking

Answer 3

The kind of thinking you do on your feet. Fast, intuitive, efficient. Does not allow time for reflection, planning, or capturing the complexity of the situation you’re in.

Question 4

Type two thinking

Answer 4

Slow, analytic, deep, takes time and effort, requires a lot of reflection. Must be done outside the encounter. Helps you to plan for the types of concerns you know or suspect you will encounter in the session.

Question 5

Four criteria for intervening

Answer 5

1. Linguistic challenges - any misunderstanding/ confusion related to the language of the message (someone speaks too fast, provider uses a term you don’t know, you realize you made a mistake, baby is crying and distracting you)
2. Role confusion - When you are asked to do something that exceeds your scope as an interpreter (being asked for cultural guidance or an opinion, asked to do something against your ethics)
3. Cultural misunderstandings (cultural concept unclear, naming system different, unidentified cultural assumptions)
4. Service system barriers (asking interpreter to do provider tasks, providers discriminating against users, users not knowing how the system works)

Question 6

CHIA ethical decision-making process

Answer 6

1. Mentally ask questions to determine whether there is a problem.
2. Identify and clearly state the problem, considering the ethical principles that may apply and ranking them in applicability.
3. Clarify personal values as they relate to the problem.
4. Consider alternative actions, including benefits and risks.
5. Decide to carry out the action chosen.
6. Evaluate the outcome and consider what might be done differently next time.

Question 7

Strategic mediation model

Answer 7

1. Interpret what was just said
2. Identify yourself as the interpreter
3. Mediate briefly
4. Report your mediation to the other party
5. Resume interpreting

Question 8

Techniques for performing non-intrusive cultural mediation

Answer 8

Technique 1: if a serious cultural barrier emerges, follow the five steps of the strategic mediation model.

Technique 2: when you mediate, identify the cultural misunderstanding for all parties briefly and clearly.

Technique 3: do not speak about what the service user or provider believes or thinks.

Technique 4: Avoid over generalizations or cultural stereotypes.