CHAPTER 4 SOCIOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF OPPRESSION: TRUST AND MISTRUST IN COUNSELING/ PSYCHOTHERAPY

The Case of Malachi The therapist felt he was “in danger” but could it be that the White counselor is not used to passionate expression of feelings? The counselor imposed White, Western values of individualism and self-exploration onto the client suggesting Malachi’s problems lie within himself The counselor went into the session wanting to treat Malachi like “every human being” thereby negating his unique racial-cultural perspective

ETHNOCENTRIC MONOCULTURALISM Ethnocentric monoculturalism is the individual, institutional and societal expression of the superiority of one group’s cultural heritage over another’s. In all cases, the dominant group or society has the ultimate power to impose their beliefs and standards upon the less powerful group.

ETHNOCENTRIC MONOCULTURALISM 1. BELIEF IN SUPERIORITY. There is a strong belief in the superiority of one group’s cultural heritage (history, values, language, traditions, arts/crafts, etc.). The group norms and values are seen positively and descriptors may include such terms as “more advanced” and “more civilized” Members of the society may possess conscious and unconscious feelings of superiority and that their way of doing things is the “best way”

ETHNOCENTRIC MONOCULTURALISM 2. BELIEF IN INFERIORITY. There is a belief in the inferiority of all other group’s cultural heritage which extends to their customs, values, traditions and language. Other societies or groups may be perceived as “less developed”, “uncivilized”, or “primitive”. The life style or ways of doing things by the group are considered inferior.

ETHNOCENTRIC MONOCULTURALISM 3. POWER TO IMPOSE. The dominant group has the power to impose their standards and beliefs upon the less powerful group. All groups are to some extent ethnocentric; that is they feel positively about their cultural heritage and way of life. Yet, if they do not possess the power to impose their values on others, they hypothetically cannot oppress. It is power or the unequal status relationship between groups which defines ethnocentric monoculturalism.

ETHNOCENTRIC MONOCULTURALISM 4. EMBEDDED IN INSTITUTIONS. The ethnocentric values and beliefs are manifested in the programs, policies, practices, structures and institutions of the society. For example, chain-of-command systems, training and educational systems, communication systems, management systems, performance appraisal systems often dictate and control our lives. They attain “untouchable and godfather-like” status in an organization. Because most systems are monocultural in nature and demand compliance, racial/ethnic minorities and women may be oppressed.

ETHNOCENTRIC MONOCULTURALISM 5. INVISIBLE VEIL. Since people are all products of cultural conditioning, their values and beliefs (worldview) represent an “invisible veil” which operates outside the level of conscious awareness. As a result, people assume universality; that the nature of reality and truth are shared by everyone regardless of race, culture, ethnicity or gender. This assumption is erroneous, but seldom questioned because it is firmly ingrained in our world view.

Therapeutic Impact of Ethnocentric Monoculturalism Dissociate the true self “Playing it cool” “Uncle Tom syndrome” Increased their vigilance and sensitivity During slavery, African-Americans had to respond to their enslavement in order to survive Oftentimes, they would dissociate the true self from the self that had to meet White expectations “Playing it cool” is intended to prevent Whites from knowing what the minority person is thinking or feeling and to express feelings and behaviors in such a way as to prevent offending or threatening Whites “Uncle Tom syndrome” was used by minorities to appear docile, nonassertive, and happy-go-lucky—this was used especially during slavery, Blacks learned that passivity is a necessary survival technique

Therapist Credibility: Expertness and Trustworthiness Credibility may be defined as the constellation of characteristics that makes certain individuals appear worthy of belief, capable, entitled to confidence, reliable, and trustworthy: Expertness depends on how well-informed, capable or intelligent others perceive the communicator Trustworthiness is dependent on the degree to which people perceive the communicator (therapist to make valid assertions) Therapist Credibility

Psychological Sets of Clients Problem-solving Set—client is concerned about obtaining correct information Consistency Set—If inconsistent information is presented, cognitive dissonance will take place Identity Set—Strong identification with a group Economic Set—beliefs and behaviors are influenced by rewards and punishments Authority Set—People in authority positions are seen to have rights to prescribe attitudes or behaviors The problem-solving set: Information orientation. In the problem-solving set, the client is concerned about obtaining correct information (solutions, outlooks, and skills) that has adaptive value in the real world The consistency set People are operating under the consistency set whenever they change an opinion, belief, or behavior in such a way as to make it consistent with other opinions, beliefs, or behaviors The identity set An individual who strongly identifies with a particular group is likely to accept the group’s beliefs and conform to behaviors dictated by the group If race or ethnicity constitutes a strong reference group for a client, then a counselor of the same race/”ethnicity is likely to be more influential than is one who is not The economic set The person is influenced because of the perceived rewards and punishments that the source is able to deliver One performs a behavior or states a belief in order to gain rewards and avoid punishments In the counseling setting, this means that the therapist controls important resources that may affect the client The authority set Some individuals are thought to have a particular position that gives them a legitimate right to prescribe attitudes or behaviors