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Cultural Background Paper
Personal Background and Identity.
Human beings are social by nature. A lot of who we are is developed through our
interactions with other people. Our socializations with others begin the day we are born into
this world and continue throughout our lifetime. Our first interactions come from our family.
Through these interactions we develop a sense of who we are and learn about our culture and
background. Culture can be defined as a system of enduring beliefs, values, assumptions,
intuitions, and practices transmitted from one generation to the next. (Kassin et al., 2020). We
also gain knowledge of our culture through interactions with other people who identify with
the same culture.
My African American/Black heritage has taught me to be resilient and self-sufficient. The
first time I realized my predominate culture of African American was when I was elementary
school age. My grandmother taught me a lot about my culture from an older generation
perspective. I also learned through interactions with my cousins and the neighborhood that I
grew up. I was introduced to the music, fashion, foods, and beliefs from a young age. My family
roots are in the south, North Carolina specifically. My grandparents moved to the north for
better opportunities and a safer environment to raise their family. During this time in the south,
along with many other areas was still segregated. Because of the oppression my grandparents
were faced with, they are and were strong willed and determined and tried to concur any
obstacle they were faced with. My grandparents taught their children how to take care of each
other and instilled into them that no matter how bad things get in our lives, family is always
first. These values are reflected within my family until this day. Even though there are times
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when my family seems dysfunctional and separated, when there is a family crisis, we have a
way of pulling together and resolving the issue or situation. Because my mother suffered from
addiction, my grandmother had the task of raising my brother and I. She emphasized the
importance growing up to be a strong by being true to yourself and standing by what I believe
in. She would always say “Do not let anyone make a fool out of you.”
Because my grandparents raised me, they believed in tradition gender and marital roles.
My grandfather worked to provide for his family and my grandmother stayed home. She
always raised her children as well as ended up raising two of her grandchildren (my brother and
I). My family is very family oriented and always stayed in contact with each other and planned
family get togethers throughout the seasons. A big part of my family’s background is practicing
tough love. I was always held accountable for my own actions and was sometimes made to
learn tough lessons for choices that I made. Even though my family practiced tough love, I could
still always depend on them if I really need them. There are times that I would never be praised
for doing the right thing because my family has a way of pointing out the negative things.
Perspective on Racial/Cultural Identity
Looking into my family’s cultural background has really opened eyes into how our
culture shapes who we are. Even though individuals may identify with the same cultural group,
each individual experience is different. Even if someone identifies themselves as bring in a
particular group, it does not mean that their experiences are one in the same. Therefore, it is
important for counselors to understand that they should not assume anything about their
clients, even if they fall into a certain category. There are some people who have their own
challenges regarding how they fit into the groups that they identify with. For example
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I am aware that social groups who are subjected to oppression an adversity must deal with
stress and anxiety in their day-to-day life. Modern day discrimination continues to be a part of
our society. These discriminations can be found in the workplace amongst coworkers, within
the healthcare system and social situations in a general sense like traveling to certain areas.
Counselors must be aware of the psychological impact that collective experiences may have on
the psyche of their clients (Miville et al., 2011)
Religion and Spirituality
Spirituality and religion have always been a very important among my family. My
grandmother taught us to believe in the lord from a very young age. Growing up, we attended
church every Sunday as well has had a big family dinner afterwards. I was taught to seek God
for the direction and a since of hope. We were also taught the importance of prayer and
building a relationship with the lord. The importance of religion can be traced back to African
heritage, as a coping mechanism for families during the time of slavery (Ballard & Taylor, 2012).
Similarities & Differences in Family Origin and Predominate Culture
There are not very many differences in my family or origin and the predominate culture.
There continues to be oppression in the black community in modern times. African Americans
continue to be stigmatized and profiled. Black people continue to face discrimination within
society in different forms. One example of this is systemic racism. A study conducted by ()
found that distinctively Black names reduce the probability of employer contact by 2.1
percentage points relative to distinctively white names (Kline et al., 2021) Many assume blacks
live in ghettos, often in high-rise public housing projects. Crime and the welfare check are seen
as their main source of income. (Thernstrom & Thernstrom, 2020). Because my grandparents
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migrated to the north to raise their family and better opportunities, I feel like my family was
given a better chance to be successful.
Social Justice and Client Advocacy
Making lasting differences in clients’ lives often requires challenging the prevailing
environment and working to change it. As the counseling profession moves forward, all
counselors should learn how to advocate for their clients. This means that not only counselors
should help their clients by talking about their presenting issues, but by ensuring that they have
access to the resources necessary to meet their needs (Meyers, 2014).
Because my heritage is associated with oppression and adversity, I am aware that the
clients will be faced with their own oppressions and adversities that are unique to them.
Everyone’s needs are different. It is important to acknowledge and validate the client’s feelings
as well as educate them and steer them in the right direction to achieve a sense of well-being in
their life. My background has taught to be resilient and to overcome the obstacles in my life.
Counselors should assist their clients in finding their strengths and discover their own sense of
resilience, even when they feel like they are not strong. Everyone does not have access to or
unaware of the resources available to them. This why it is important for counselors to take the
time to take the time to educate themselves about the backgrounds of their clients and provide
and locate culturally appropriate services.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this assignment has given me the opportunity to examine how my cultural
background influences the person I am today. Culture plays such a big role in individuals
discovering their who they are and finding a place to fit in. It is important for counselors to be
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aware of the differences amongst their clients to provide them with individualized treatment
that addresses their individual issues. Even if they fall within a certain cultural background. They
may have different values and beliefs than what is typically associated with their predominate
cultural background.
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References
Ballard, S. M., & Taylor, A. C. (2012). Family life education with black families. In Family Life
Education with diverse populations (pp. 235–250). essay, Sage Publication Inc.
Kassin, S. M., Fein, S., & Markus, H. R. (2020). Social psychology (11th ed.). CENGAGE.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780357122822/pageid/29.
Kline, P., Rose, E. K., & Walters, C. (2021). Systemic discrimination among
large U.S. employers.!SSRN Electronic Journal.
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3893334!
Meyers, L. (2014, April 23). Advocacy in action. Counseling Today. Retrieved January 31, 2022,
from https://ct.counseling.org/2014/04/advocacy-in-action/
Miville, M. L., Koonce, D., Darlington, P., & Whitlock, B. (2011). Exploring the relationships
between racial/cultural identity and ego identity among African Americans and Mexican
Americans. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 28(4), 208–224.
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2000.tb00616.x
Thernstrom, A., & Thernstrom, S. (2020, June 26). Black progress: How far we've come, and how
far we have to go. Brookings. Retrieved 2022, from
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/black-progress-how-far-weve-come-and-how-far-we-
have-to-go/
