CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIAL SERVICES

Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Social Services

Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Social Services

The aim of Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Social Services is to connect students from dissimilar backgrounds in discussion of cultures and its analytical perspectives, and to seriously discuss the national and ethnic comparisons and contrasts in settings for fulfillment of human necessities that consist of development of community and human, healthcare, food and education.

Experiential Learning means learning that emphasizes learning from firsthand, personal experiences rather than from lectures, books, and other secondhand sources. Experiential learning focuses on behaviors while allowing participants to try out the new behaviors required of the change effort. I can say that group building methods often involve experiential learning. Experiential learning training programs have four stages: (1) gain conceptual knowledge and theory; (2) take part in a behavioral simulation; (3) analyze the activity; and (4) connect the theory and activity with on-the-job or real-life situations. I believe that the experiential learning method can be signified as a 04-stage cycle. In this paper I will discuss cross-cultural perspectives in social services.

Experiential learning cycle

(1). Discuss the impact of culture on the attitudes, valves and behaviours for individuals from different cultures groups.

The differences in the group can be explained largely by the cultural variation. Westerners such as Harry and Ingrid tend to be high on individualism and autonomy and moderate or low on power distance and hierarchy. This means that they will expect to put forward their own views strongly in a group situation. Furthermore, they have been brought up and educated to be articulate and persuasive in the way they talk. They tend to believe in a kind of creative conflict in which ideas are pitted against each other until the best one wins. (Barrick, 2008)

Each member of the team explicitly adopts both the behavior and the norms implicit in his or her cultural background. Each has brought to this new group his or her own culturally based ideas for how groups should function. There is little evidence of mindfulness in the way they interact with one another. In both action and in observation, they stick to culturally predetermined scripts.

Yet each of them has much to offer. Each has technical expertise vital to the group's task. Harry and Ingrid are full of ideas and articulate in presenting them. Ming has ideals of team harmony and respect for listening, and José recognizes the ultimate need for decisiveness by the leader and acceptance of decisions; both have much to offer the group. In this case, as in so many cases, diversity of cultural background is not just a problem to be solved; it is an opportunity to be capitalized on. Despite the conflict in the group, its diversity adds huge potential if they could but see it and harness it. (Hoffman, 2001)

(2) Describe how culture differences influence the ways in which different groups interact with and within social service agencies and organizations in the United states.

In addition to the increasing cultural diversity of the workforce, ...