Chapter 12 Profiles of Culturally Competent Care with African American, Asian American and Native American Populations Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

African Americans 12.3% of U.S. population is African American Poverty rate for AA’s 33.1%-Whites 12.2% AA’s live 5-7 years shorter than Whites 40% of new AIDS cases are AA’s Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

African Americans 70% of households headed by women Extended family networks provide emotional support Adaptability of family roles Strong kinship bonds Strong work and achievement ethic Strong religious orientation Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

African Americans Parents encourage children to develop career and educational goals early in life Academic performance suffers due to racism Homicide rates 10x’s—higher than White youth “Healthy cultural paranoia” Perceived racial discrimination leads to psychological distress Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Social Work Implications—working with African Americans Find out roles in the family—they can be flexible Intervention strategies may involves systems, family, and communities Churches should be considered as sources of support Conflict with the individuals may relate to racial identity development Address issues of mistrust Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Asian Americans Fastest growing group among all racial/ethnic groups 4% of U.S. population—9% by 2050 Underutilize social services because of: Cultural factors Language difficulties Expressions of psychological distress Limited access to culturally competent services Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Asian Americans Collectivistic orientation Societies are generally patriarchal Emotional restraint is valued Shame and guilt are invoked to control children due to self-discipline focus Holistic view on mind and body Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Asian Americans Fear of academic failure in students Racism and discrimination lead to high rates of depression Refugee or immigrant issues (e.g. culture shock, language difficulties) Shame/”saving face” Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Social Work Implications—working with Asian Americans Family work may be preferred Assess extended social support networks Do not impose egalitarian values Address head of family first Recognize emotional behavior in an indirect manner Treat both somatic and psych issues Protect the dignity of the family Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Native Americans Status was eroded by genocide, colonialism, and imperialism Heterogeneous group—512 tribes Young population-39% under age 29 Alcoholism is rampant Native American identity based on blood quantum levels Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Native Americans Many see themselves as extensions of their respective tribes Varied family structures High fertility rates, out-of-wedlock births, strong roles for women Extended family is the basic unit Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Native Americans Honor and respect are gained by sharing Tribe and family take precedence over the individual Rights of others are respected and noninterference is valued Present time orientation Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Native Americans Spirit, mind, and body are one Direct eye contact with an elder is disrespectful Children do well academically early on but drop out after 4th grade Bicultural conflicts High rates of domestic violence Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)

Social Work Implications—working with Native Americans May need to assess relation to tribe Determine roles of other family members to ensure appropriate interventions Children may appear unmotivated because they are cooperative Parents are more permissive—not necessarily neglectful Multicultural Social Work Practice – Chapter (12)