HHS 320 Cultural Awareness in the Human Services
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TheStoryofTimothy.docxExercise 4.4
Exploring Self-Consciousness
1. Where do you see yourself on a continuum of individualistic and collectivistic views?
2. Are you interdependent or independent?
3. How strong are your family ties?
4. What have been the most significant influences in making major life decisions (e.g., educational plans, career choices, marriage, etc.)?
5. What beliefs do you hold about expressing emotions, negative or positive?
6. What are the most important aspects that define who you are?
These examples illustrate how social and cultural aspects interact with a person’s unique processing and filtering of life experiences to form an identity. The better that people understand this process and the influences they have integrated into their development, the higher their level of self-consciousness. Exercise 4.4 offers you an opportunity to explore your level of self-consciousness.
Counseling Inferences
As noted earlier, when using proposed models in the helping process, counselors and other professionals avoid labeling or categorizing clients simply because they appear to belong to a particular racial or ethnic group. More appropriate interventions using these models ask clients if they can relate to the language and significance of particular stages of development and what meaning these factors might have for their present concerns or problems. The key is to learn from clients rather than to use one’s own perceptions in forming misguided or mistaken conclusions. This danger was illustrated in an ethnobiography written by a former graduate student. Narrative 3.1 summarizes his story.
NARRATIVE 3.1 • The Story of Timothy
Born in a southeastern state in 1972, the oldest of three children, Timothy reported, “I have red hair, brown eyes, and happen to be Caucasian. The general belief is that I am from Irish decent, but to my parents’ knowledge our family name is Dutch-German.” The family was “lower-middle class” and lived mostly in apartments and duplexes while Timothy, his brother, and sister were growing up.
In primary school, Timothy became “best friends” with a Black boy, and although they went to different elementary schools for a few years, the two “reunited in junior high school and started hanging out again.” This friend taught Timothy “a lot about defending myself and speaking up for the things I believed in most. I adopted many of his beliefs.” Timothy played on the basketball team in school and gained respect for his athletic abilities on the court. “The only downfall to this newfound glory was the negative attention received from my White friends. They did not approve of my association with Black kids, and referred to me as ‘White Knight’ and ‘Wigger.’”
Growing up in a multicultural neighborhood with Black, Asian, Latino, Greek and Euro-American ancestries living together, Timothy felt “Blessed to experience so much diversity. It was always entertaining when I stayed the night at my friends’ houses due to the differences in our cultures.” He credits his parents for instilling positive values. “The values, manners, and respect that my parents have instilled in me have carried on throughout adulthood. In 1992, I accepted Christ into my life and have tried to live my life according to His word ever since. I am proud to be a Christian and consider it to be a great success in my life.”
Timothy’s experiences with diversity and his embracement of values and beliefs that cross cultural boundaries have posed personal challenges. “I am a constant outcast because of the things I am attracted to in life. No matter the crowd I am in, I seem to be different.” He explained, “My favorite music is hip-hop, a predominantly Black music and culture. Music plays a huge part in my life because it makes me feel better when I’m down, happier when I am unhappy, and safe when I feel exposed. Most people tend to judge me simply by the music and culture I live by.” As a White, educated adult, Timothy reported that this “is frustrating, but I feel a certain comfort in being different, so it balances out. I guess I have strived to be different my entire life and it appears to bother other people.”
A final suggestion in using racial and ethnic identity models is to become knowledgeable of cultural behaviors and nuances that might influence the helping skills you choose. Learn about behavioral differences and cultural sensitivities common among the people with whom you will work. Search out resources to learn about Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/as, and people of other heritage, and use them judiciously. Learn from clients what is important. For example, what behaviors offer them comfort or present uncomfortable situations? Use their perspectives in creating healthy and helpful relationships. The remaining chapters of this text continue to explore different aspects of cultural identity and self-concept development that will help in this process. To begin, Chapter 5 examines, sex, gender, and sexual orientation identity as contributing factors.
