CULTURAL BIAS IN COUNSELING

Cultural bias in counseling



Cultural bias in counseling

Introduction

People from different ethnic background have been disadvantaged socially, educationally and economically (Sue & Sue, 2003) since 1788 and continually face these problems within today's society. While the persistence of traditional practices and extended family systems has formed the basis for resiliency within different communities there have been decisive and pervasive cultural changes affecting families, children and youth, and, with them, exposure to domestic violence, substance misuse, suicide and self harm, and family therapy (Stone, 2002). Impacts of colonization upon these people and the effects on their health and social and emotional well being are continually reiterated in research articles and studies (Jordan, Brinson & Petersen, 2002; Bradley & Kottler, 2001; Bradley, Gould & Parr, 2001) including the dispute that services are not being accessed at a level which equates to this need (Sue & Sue, 2003). As a consequence of colonization, these different communities have experienced social and cultural break down. From ethical perspective, social and emotional well-being problems can result from: grief; loss; trauma; abuse; violence; substance misuse; physical health problems; child development problems; gender identity issues; child removals; incarceration; family breakdown; cultural dislocation; racism; and social disadvantage.

Pain treatment disparities represent one small subset of racial bias in health and medical treatment. Race affects numerous serious health outcomes and treatment decisions in many areas: i.e. cardiovascular health, mental health, and cancer screening (Stone, 2002).

Factors that promote cultural bias

Understanding how we develop cultural biases requires an in-depth analysis of the familial, cultural, political, social, and psychological factors that influence how we think and feel as individuals. The reflective supervisor is willing to critically analyze, interpret, and have reflective conversation with other like-minded individuals about how these experiences have shaped their behavior (Jordan, Brinson & Petersen, 2002). Following are reflections on some influences to stimulate thoughtful discovery of one's own personal development.

Familial Influences

Most families have a significant influence on the behaviors of individuals as they grow and develop in society. Many families, intentionally or unintentionally, catapult their children into a state of culturally biased thinking and behaving that could form their identities for a lifetime.

Most parents are well meaning and want the best for their children. But many parents consciously or unconsciously create environments that implant negative stereotypes and beliefs about culturally different groups in their children. Whether you were raised in a mainstream or ethnic minority family, you can identify the various messages that have come to influence your thinking and behaving toward people with different values, beliefs, and cultures. In many instances, parents have given us scripts that continue to influence our thinking when we encounter people at work, school, and social settings (Sue & Sue, 2003). Unfortunately, in some extreme instances, if raising a culturally biased child were considered a crime, a significant number of parents could be charged with a felony. It is difficult to accept that our parents may have consciously affected our ability to judge people as individuals, instead judging categorizing them as representatives of ...