Chapter 8 Cultural Styles in Multicultural Intervention Strategies Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Communication Styles Can vary along race/cultural lines Social workers need to: Send and receive messages appropriately Respect communication styles Pay attention to social rhythms Also understand nonverbal communication Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Proxemics… Refers to perception and use of personal and interpersonal space: Violation may cause one to withdrawal, become angry, or create conflict Some cultures are OK with being very close If social worker backs away, may be seen as aloofness or coldness Social worker may misinterpret clients closeness Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Kinesics… Refers to bodily movements (e.g. facial expression, posture, gestures, eye contact): Japanese smile may mean discomfort Latin Americans shake hands with vigor Eye contact varies according to culture Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Paralanguage… Refers to vocal cues other than words (i.e. loudness of voice, pauses, silences, etc.): Caseworker may misinterpret silences or speaking in a soft tone Speaking loudly may not indicate anger but a cultural style Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

High-/Low Context Communication High Context (HC): Relies heavily on non-verbal communication Low Context (LC): Rely on the verbal part of a message The U.S. is an (LC) culture Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Sociopolitical Facets of Nonverbal Communication All Whites are racist Whites will deny racism Nonverbals communicate racism Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Nonverbals as Reflections of Bias Nonverbals are usually unconscious: Caseworkers must deal with biases or else they will be communicated nonverbally Women and people of color read nonverbals for survival People of color often hide feelings to perpetuate White deception Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)

Implications for Social Work Practice No one style of clinical work will be appropriate for all Become knowledgeable about how race, culture, class, and gender affect communication styles Become aware of your own communication style and how it affects others Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (8)