PSYCHOLOGY - - 100% NO PLAGIARISM PLEASE
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MulticulturalCaseStudy-.pptxDiversity And Social Justice In Education
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Case Study Overview
River water Valley is a racially and economically diverse school.
Despite these glaring differences, it is one of the best schools in the district.
Teachers here have made a commitment to racial and economic equality and students are equally responding positively.
However, there was an altercation between two students, one white and the other African-American.
The white student used the N-word on the other student causing a fight. After I responded to the scene, I called out the student for disrespected the other student and went on to detail some of the historical injustices against the African American community.
Although it was a bold move, it made matters worse for the victim who felt both consciously and unconsciously discriminated.
A multicultural conflict refers to an underlying tension between cultures that usually result in the weakening of the minority culture by the dominant culture.
In psychology, it refers to the arousal of conflicting cultural motives among people that cannot be solved together.
In this case scenario which is set in a classroom, there are conflicting cultural motives between the white student and the African American student.
Other cultural issue evidenced in the case is socio-economic in nature.
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Cultural Differences
| [Your Name] | [Name of Other] |
| Race: White | Race: African-American |
| Socio-economic- high social class | Socio-economic status- middle class |
| Age- middle-aged | Age: teenager |
The main cultural identities from the Hays ADDRESSING Model that are relevant to the case study conflict include ethnicity/race and socio-economic status.
The cultural differences contribute to the conflict in this case because they make it difficult for me to be empathetic to the student’s situation.
For instance, since I have not experienced discrimination based on race, I did not have a good approach to the situation which escalated the conflict.
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Relevant Biases
Ethnic/racial minorities are already disadvantaged due to several underlying stereotypes and past discrimination (Reynolds & Suzuki, 2012). This may lead to a misrepresentation of the current case.
In order to avoid confirmation bias, it is important to seek information from a range of sources and also discuss thoughts with other people (Hergovich, Schott & Burger, 2010).
It is important to reflect on a decision first to overcome first impression bias.
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Misrepresentation of cultural identities due to cultural bias.
This may result from confirmation bias which occurs when people depend on information that support their beliefs and reject those that go against them.
First impression bias- forming an initial picture about a situation and refusing to see or accept any other possibility about a situation.
This type of bias is called anchoring and it happens when people are under pressure to make a quick decision.
Best Practice for Working With African-Americans
Psychologist have a role in improving the lives of African-Americans.
One of the strategies involves a thoughtful consideration of the socio-cultural, historical and individual factors that affect them (Starks, 2017).
Through this strategy, I will re-assess my professional practice to ascertain whether they connect with the values of African-Americans.
The other strategy is to educate oneself on the experiences of African-Americans so that proper strategies can be used to deal with their issues.
African Americans have faced serious issues of discrimination that denied them access to education, health and other social amenities in the past.
Despite improvements in the social and political landscape, they continue to face discrimination. As a result, psychologists play a significant role in helping them with coping mechanisms.
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Best Practice for Working With African-Americans
The other strategy is active listening which will enable the comprehension of African American issues and building stronger relationships with them (Starks, 2017).
The other strategy is providing consistent care and counselling to them.
This means that I will not give up on the journey and commitment to helping the student to overcome the conflict.
Active listening enables psychologists to improve on their empathy and emotional intelligence so that they can be better at addressing the needs of their clients.
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Best Practice for Working With Young People (Teenagers)
While working with teenagers, psychologist should consider Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages so that they understand the various dynamics that they are experiencing and how best to address them (Trent, Dooley & Dougé, 2019).
This strategy will help me to understand the student better so that I can find a lasting solution to the underlying issue.
Racism has a serious consequence on young people and research shows that it is a social determinant of health that has profound effects.
Despite the several improvements that have been made towards racial equity and equality, there is a need to understand it so that psychologist can develop proactive strategies to optimize care (Trent, Dooley & Dougé, 2019).
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References
Reynolds, C. R., & Suzuki, L. A. (2012). Bias in psychological assessment: An empirical review and recommendations. Handbook of Psychology, Second Edition, 10.
Hergovich, A., Schott, R., & Burger, C. (2010). Biased evaluation of abstracts depending on topic and conclusion: Further evidence of a confirmation bias within scientific psychology. Current Psychology, 29(3), 188-209.
Starks, S. (2017). Working with African American/Black Patients. American Psychology Association. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/cultural-competency/education/best-practice-highlights/best-practice-highlights-for-working-with-african-american-patients
Trent, M., Dooley, D. G., & Dougé, J. (2019). The impact of racism on child and adolescent health. Pediatrics, 144(2).
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