By: SOPHIA F. DZIEGIELEWSKI
has been defined as the “sum total of life patterns passed from generation to generation within a group of people and includes institutions, language, religious ideals, artistic expressions, and patterns of thinking, social and interpersonal relationships. Aspects of culture are often related to people’s ethnic, racial and spiritual heritage” (Kirst-Ashman, 2008, p. 36). Many individuals are confused regarding the differences among culture, ethnicity, race, and the development of an ethnic identity.
Ethnicity generally refers to one’s roots, ancestry, and heritage. Culture generally relates to values,
understandings, behaviors, and practices (Ton & Lim, 2006). Although race
and culture are related,
they are not the same. In ethnicity, the groups have generally accepted similar beliefs (Yeager,
Cutler, Svendsen, & Sills, 2013). To provide a comprehensive diagnostic
assessment, all social
workers need to take into account clients’ personal beliefs about the
etiology and prognosis of their symptoms (ChangMuy & Congress, 2009).
Race is defined as a “consciousness of status and identity based on ancestry and color,” and ethnicity is all of that
(e.g., religion, customs, geography, and historical events) minus color (Lee & Bean, 2004).
Racial identity is not static and can be fluid, depending on specific contexts. These certainly are influenced by location of residence, developmental stage, context of being
asked, and the perceived
benefit or loss (Mays, Ponce, Washington, & Cochran, 2003).
The development
of ethnic
identity stems from the continuum of acceptance of a person’s ethnicity. Ethnic identity is generally defined as a common thread of heritage, customs, and values
unique to a group of
people (Queralt, 1996).
These
commonalties define and bond members, producing an ethnic backdrop to everyday life. Ethnicity can influence thinking and feeling and pattern behaviors in both obvious and subtle
ways (Canino &
Alegria, 2008). Culture, on the other hand, is an umbrella term that can
include racial and
ethnic identity (Congress & Gonzalez, 2013).
Many individuals
either embrace or reject
their ethnicity,
relating it to personal and ascribed identity or a particular reference group,
which dictates the
primary support group to which they turn for clarity of decisions (Helms,
1990). No two people
seem to experience their culture in the same way. And as race and ethnicity are
more fluid than otherwise posited, situational ethnicity
addresses
changing race or ethnic identity within specific contexts (Mays et al., 2003).
Counselors must be careful not to approach the client with any preconceived bias
or textbook definition of exactly what to
expect (Swartz-Kulstad & Martin,
1999).
The classifications of race and ethnicity change dramatically with the new fluctuations of immigration in the
United States and the frequency of intermarriage. A new cultural paradigm
related to a blended society and multiracial considerations seems to be
emerging.
Every culture has
processes, healers, medications,
and prescribed medical
practices that enter into the shared view of what constitutes daily living.
These shared lifestyle
patterns are reflected in
daily behaviors.
Patterns of response can easily be misinterpreted for something they are not, such
as reflective of pathology.
Taking into
account the possibility of this
multifaceted
presentation, practitioners continue to encounter a wide
range of ethnic minority clients who present varied mental health problems and
concerns. Although this book cannot do justice to the unique characteristics, issues,
and challenges that each
of these groups presents, practitioners must be aware of the major
considerations for mental health practice with these populations.
References
SOPHIA F.
DZIEGIELEWSK, 2015, DSM-5TM
in Action, by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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