Defining Diversity/Culture & Generic Assumptions Of Counseling & Psychotherapy Psy 622: Cross-Cultural Counseling Daryl M. Rowe, Ph.D. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education & Psychology

Definitions  Diversity – affirmation of richness of human differences, ideas, beliefs  Includes, but not limited to: age, color, disability and health, ethnicity, gender, language, national origin, race, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, SES  ADDRESSING heuristic  Intersection of multiple identities/statuses  Exploration of power and privilege NCSPP (2002)

Defining Culture  Culture is a metaphor for understanding different perspectives within each of us as our different social roles complement compete and cooperate with one another in our unfolding quest of living.  Culture is both descriptive - relatively stable product of human action, and dynamic - a continuously changing process that influences human action.  Mohandas Gandhi stated that “culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people”…  Culture is the context out of which humans emerge and as such provides the framework by which human behavior becomes meaningful and can be understood.

Culture  Review definitions  Culture is a difficult concept to define: can be conceptualized as a system of meanings which reflect the totality of the processes for living of an interdependent network of individuals, groups, communities and societies.

Culture (cont.)  Thus, culture is the context which gives meaning to humans' individual behavior.  Cultural diversity, refers to the different contextual systems of meanings through which the behavior of humans can be understood.

Introduction  Important to look at the development of psychology as a helping profession within the parameters of this society  Methods to explore:  Key proponents of major theories (famous & infamous)  Key theories  Socio-cultural context  Focus is socio-cultural context re: development of counseling & psychotherapy

Socio-cultural Factors  Three major cultural influences or characteristics of the U.S. conducive to growth (Schmidt, 1977)  Pervasive tendency to experiment and innovate  High degree of physical mobility coupled with emphasis on individual achievement  High level of economic development

Pervasive tendency to experiment and innovate  Refuge from established patterns  Led to increasing amounts of uncertainty & ambiguity (present & future  Application of science to solution of human problems

High degree of physical mobility coupled with emphasis on individual achievement  Individual achievement was major means of distinction, following emphasis on innovation  To seek individual achievement, persons & families began to relocate  Net result: De-emphasis on extended family

High degree of physical mobility coupled with emphasis on individual achievement (cont.)  Impacts:  self-improvement was/is basis for attaining rewards & achieving identity  void created by dispersal of family unit  led to society which promoted a belief in the attribution of human performance outcomes to individual behaviors and attitudes

High level of economic development  Given the valuing of innovations, the rewarding of innovations & the importation of critical labor forces (Africans in the south, Europeans in the northeast, Asians in the west and Northwest, Mexicans in the southwest) time, resources & energy was devoted to research & development  Highly industrialized and technologically advanced era  Valuing of material goods over human needs

Impact of Socio-Cultural Factors From the outset, there has been an individualistic orientation in psychology –  emphasis on self-control,  personal responsibility,  self-reliance and  individual achievement.

Philosophical Assumptions  Eurocentric approach: Europe was seen as the center of the world  Review of most introductory psychology texts emphasize the historical contributions of Western Europeans to psychology  Aristotle - Greek  Descartes - French  Hobbes & Locke - British  Freud - Vienna  Wundt - German  Pavlov - Russian  Witmer, Lightner; James, William; Hall, G. Stanley - Euro- Americans

Philosophical Assumptions (cont.)  Concept of the “Self”  The “self” has been and still is individually defined  Concept of Time  Time has been viewed as both linear and futuristic

Philosophical Assumptions (cont.)  Ontological Assumptions  Branch of metaphysics which studies the nature of existence of being in total; the nature of “WHAT IS”  Emphasis on the physical or material essence of being  Emphasis on individualism  Emphasis on independence  Emphasis on “survival of the fittest”

Philosophical Assumptions (cont.)  Epistemological Assumptions  Branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods and limits of knowledge; knowledge of “WHAT IS”  Emphasis on objectivity and measurement  Emphasis on observation of experiences  Knowledge tends to be rigid, static and fixed  Logic tend to be dualistic

Philosophical Assumptions (cont.)  Axiological Assumptions  Branch of philosophy dealing with values; the value of “WHAT IS”  Competition/conflict is valued  Control of life and environment is valued  High value on ownership, human - to - object  Emphasis on individual rights  Emphasis on data-collection and acquiring information

Impacts of Philosophical Assumptions on Applied Psychology  Accepted as “universal truths” vs. assumptions  Narrowed preferences for topics and methods of inquiry/study  Assume that individuals who can control and are responsible for their own lives are more fully functioning persons