Cross cultural counseling Essay Example for Free

Cross cultural counseling Essay This article focuses on how different people view culture and it affects their attitudes and perceptions to other people. The purpose for conducting this interview is to get views on what people understand by culture, how they think their culture shapes their way of thinking, how parents cultivate cultural values in their children, gender and culture and how to lessen divisions that can come up due to differences in culture. Uwe peter Gielen, Jefferson M. Fish, Juris G. (2004) Background information of the interviewees I felt that Dominic was suitable to be interviewed because he seemed to be mature, honest, and most willing to spare his time to answer my questions to the best of his knowledge. He also comes from a different country from ours hence will give us a better view of culture and its impacts since he has mixed with people who are not from his cultural setup. He also has a wide range of experience in terms of culture differences since he has been allowed to live in different countries with his parents and learn in different schools which have students who come from different communities and different social status for example the poor and the rich. Ramya, who is an Indian, is suitable for this interview since her culture and more so the aspect of religion is quite diverse from other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Muslim. As a result, she is best suited to giving ideas and views on how people from a culture which is so diverse can adapt in other cultures. She also seemed to be very honest and also critical in giving answers to the interview questions. Uwe peter Gielen, Jefferson M. Fish, Juris G. (2004) Aim/Goal Many people are experiencing challenges on how to live in different communities and countries which have different cultures from theirs. As a result, many people fail to cope with people who are not from their cultures. In the home setup, parents are frequently being in conflict with their children because of the different values that they hold. Religion affects people’s ways of life in such a way that it affects love relationships where one is not allowed marrying a person who is not from his/her religion. My goal for carrying out this interview is to understand how people view culture and cultural changes and how they affect their life in totality. This will go a long way in assisting people from different cultures to understand one another hence live in harmony despite of their cultural differences and also help researchers in the cross cultural counseling to be aware of the issues facing people, their attitudes and how to help them cope better in different cultural settings. Shahe S. Kazarian, David R. Evans (2001). Results and discussion of the interview The interview went on successfully since the people I interviewed were willing and ready to devote their time to answer my questions to the best of their knowledge and ability. They seemed to be very free and open. I interviewed two people and these are: 1) Dominic from Jamaica 2) Ramya from India In this interview, I asked Dominic and Ramya the following questions: 1. Can you tell me your point of view on what culture is? 2. How does your culture impact on your belief systems and life experience? 3. What was considered important to your parents? 4. What expectation did your parents place on you regarding religion? 5. What was the attitude of being a female/male in your culture? 6. How does your culture shape your experiences in interacting with people in the ? a) office environment, ? b) home environment ? c) general social environment (e. g. parties and going out) 7. What are your suggestions for lessening the impact of cultural divide that may occur in Australia? Dominic viewed culture as the Culture is the values, traditions and beliefs that the society you grew up in instills in you. He believes that the culture you are brought up in is the one which moulds the beliefs that you hold and also determines how a person will behave/react to different environments and situations. His parents, who instilled the values in him hence teaching him culture, were concerned about making him know and appreciate different cultures and hence help him to fit in the society in which he lives. This concern from his parents is clearly seen when he states that they made him live in different countries, go to different schools which have pupils from all social classes for example the poor in Jamaica, be keen on politics and current affairs, see plays and read books from his country and throughout the world. The parents valued education as a way of getting joy and satisfaction in knowing and practicing what you know rather than getting employment. To him, the parents have a very great influence to the way a person believes and the values that he holds close to him. Shahe S. Kazarian, David R. Evans (2001) His parents considered it very crucial to develop strong network of his family and friends. They also taught him to take part in activities that lead to the development of the community such as being involved in politics, community activities, charity work and education. This is further evidence that parents shape the beliefs and cultural values that their children hold. Dominic in taking part in this interview shows his willingness to participate to contribute to community development a character that he was taught by his parents. However, his parents seem not to have controlled nor guided his decision as pertains to religion. He however asserts that his grandparents had a different view since they wanted him to attend the church in which they were elders. This shows how the cultural values keep on changing as generations come and go. The grandparents hold the belief that their child should go to the church they are in while the parents feel that one has a choice of which religion to follow. This age gap creates a lot of conflicts between the age groups. This issue has to be addressed in order for people to live in harmony. Dominic emphasizes that in his culture, women are the bread winners. They are supposed to start up families and also bring them up. Women in his culture are seen to be involved in activities such as putting up and owning businesses, be radio and television producers, musicians, scientists and even teachers. To him, the woman in their culture can work anywhere so long as she provides food at the table for the family and also raise children. This could be contrary to some other cultures. Dominic does not find problems in his workplace as far as cultural values are concerned since he comes from an English Caribbean island whose cultural values have quite many similarities with those in Australia. This implies that people who don’t have some common values to those in Australia are likely to have problems in the workplace. He also confesses that he has never worked in his home country. This could be the reason why he adapts easily to working in Australia since he has no experience of how it feels to work in an environment in whose culture one holds. He however admits to be facing challenges in his home environment since he married someone whose culture is different from his. This problem extends to the children who also seem to be holding different values from those held by their father. This demonstrates how culture can go to bringing conflicts to people in the same family. As a result, people need to be educated on how to avoid or overcome such conflicts when they arise. Joseph G. Ponterotto (2001). Cultural values also differ in social places and occasions. According to Dominic, social places in Australia don’t do similar things to what is done in Jamaica. To him, social occasions such as parties should be dominated by music, dancing and food. Drinking is not necessary in such parties, and even if someone wants to drink, then it should be done later. This is contrary to the Australian social occasions where people go purposefully to drink. In Jamaica, the major activities to take place are song and dance. Joseph G. Ponterotto (2001). He finally says that people need to be tolerant of all cultures and appreciate people despite their differences. People should be discriminated simply because they come from different cultures. In fact, people should try to understand other people’s cultures since they may find something good in them that they may like to learn and live by. Shahe S. Kazarian, David R. Evans (2001) Ramya begins to define the term culture by emphasizing that it is so important to the Indian people. She defines it as the way of people that has been followed for a long time. Thus, she feels that culture is acquired from the time someone is born to the end of that person’s life. She views culture as a means through one’s characters are molded. She believes that culture makes one’s life to be successful and happy. She believes that culture influences most of her decisions and that people are not supposed to compromise their cultures. She also argues that culture defines how to adapt to different environments and hence is flexible to changes which are necessary after questioning and comparing the cultures. Ramya believes that what is important to our parents may not be important to us since we are of a different generation. She goes ahead and gives examples of things which used to be of priority to our parents but no longer are to us. These include culture, family, respect, unity and love towards the family. On religion, Ramya feels that this is one of the greatest points of conflict. She views the Indian religion as much more complicated than the other religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Her concern is more on what is within a given religion. According to her, this has affected many relationships especially in situations where parents limit their children on who to play with and who to marry. Being asked to marry a certain person because he /she is from your religion or not marrying someone you love because he/she is from a different religion is what she considers critical point for the young people. This issue needs to be addressed since it is dividing people on religious lines, hence on cultural lines. Joseph G. Ponterotto (2001) In the Indian culture, women used to be considered inferior and men superior to them. Men were allowed to get better education while women were supposed to do household chores such as cooking and getting married off at a very tender age. However, this has changed as generations came up and women are being viewed as being equal to men. This shows how cultural values are changing with time hence requiring that peoples’ attitudes towards cultures different from theirs should also change. Rayma’s culture on this issue of gender is different from that of Dominic since in Dominic’s culture the woman is the bread winner. Shahe S. Kazarian, David R. Evans (2001) At the workplace, Rayma feels that culture determines how you relate to people. It gives guidelines on what to say, and what to do. It helps one cope with challenges at work. It enables understand other people and integrate them even when we don’t hold the same cultural values. That loyalty and sincerity come from learning our cultures. At home, culture is our everyday life. Home is the ground where one learns and implements his culture. People get to understand why they hold certain values hence learn to appreciate and adore them. In the social environment, culture reflects who a person is. It gives one an identity. It also gives a person an opportunity to learn other cultures and let others know the person’s culture. As a result, people get to learn, understand and appreciate each other’s culture. Rita Sommerrs-flanagan (2002). Finally, Rayma feels that cultural divide only occurs when people are narrow minded and not ready to be flexible. People should be ready and willing to accept and appreciate other people’s cultures even when some of the values seem to conflict. Rita Sommerrs-flanagan (2002) Conclusion Information obtained from the interview shows that; differences in geographical location of places where we live, gender and religion are among factors that result to cultural differences. Culture in its real sense is the set of values that guide and dictate a society’s way of life in order to live in harmony and unity. The fact that we hold different cultural values should not be a reason to cause divisions among us. We should always learn to accommodate everyone despite of their cultural values and hoe different they are from ours. This document has shown that indeed we are different but we can enjoy staying together as one so long as we appreciate each other. Counselors should look for ways of making their clients learn how to cope in different environments with different people who hold different cultural values. The people should also be made aware of the importance of learning to accommodate each other. Paul Pedersen (2002) References: 1. Paul Pedersen (2002) Counseling across cultures. 2. Rita Sommerrs-flanagan (2002) clinical interviewing. 3. Uwe peter Gielen, Jefferson M. Fish, Juris G. (2004) handbook 5. Joseph G. Ponterotto (2001) handbook of multicultural counseling 6. Ray Woolfe, Windy Dryden, Sheelagh Strawbridge (2003) handbook of counseling 7. Shahe S. Kazarian, David R. Evans (2001) handbook of cultural health psychology

benefits of technology :: essays research papers

Ever since it developed, there has been controversy over whether or not mechanical inventions benefit our lives. Doug Rennie’s article, â€Å"Faxed to the Max†, says â€Å"the timesaving devices we created give us more freedom to do what we want have instead imprisoned us in our own technology.† Although this may be true to some people, everyone has the power to resist technological devices. People can chose to use these tools to enhance their lifestyles, like they can chose to use a hammer or a saw for a project; they don’t necessarily need it, but it would save time and energy. It is the ability to mistreat these inventions that makes some people uneasy towards about using technology in their daily lives. Although it can be abused in many ways, technology used properly is a tool that aids in education, health and communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our physical health has benefited greatly from technology. Through inventions like the pacemaker and artificial limbs, a tremendous amount or people have had better physical conditions. This biological technology is not favorable to all. Some say that it is better for nature to do its work and people should not interfere. The spread of new inventions can soon get out of hand. For example, if we have the ability to clone humans, our lifestyles will change. People will abuse this power by being careless about their health. They believe people think technology can save them in the end, so they can exercise less and eat more unhealthy foods. On the other hand, curative inventions have saved lives and allowed people to lead healthier ones. There can be ways to make technology accessible to only certain people, but there is no reason to stop the usage of these medical products if they can help save lives. An example of one of these products is the pacemaker, invented by Canadian electrical engineer, John Hopps. Because the heart stops beating when it cools, he found that mechanical or electric stimulation could make the heart start up again. Since then, many were given healthier lives. Prosthetic limbs have also played a great role in helping the lives of amputees. Artificial limbs with sensors and microchips have recently been designed so that these people can maintain an active lifestyle rather than being confined to wheelchairs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology plays a very important role in the communication of people today. With the touch of a button, the Internet and the cellular telephone can allow us to transmit our message to someone on the other side of the planet.

Human genome online assignment Essay

1) If genetic manipulation does become a reality, I think allowing non-disease characteristics to be altered would have serious ethical and social implications. Screening for diseases and treating or eradicating them totally would be a huge benefit to mankind, but to use genetic technology to produce â€Å"designer babies† will most likely lead to a social divide similar to that portrayed in the movie â€Å"Gattaca† (De Vito and Niccol, 1997). Such technology would most likely be expensive and only those who can afford it will benefit and gain undue advantage over those not fortunate enough to have the financial means to avail of the technology, leading to a social system where you have the genetically-enhanced superior class and the â€Å"inferior† citizens conceived the natural way. 2) I don’t think life insurance companies should have access to a person’s genetic information. As it is, I believe insurance policies already hold a lot of stipulations that policy holders more often than not, end up receiving the short end of the bargain. If insurance companies find out that a person has a predisposition to a disease, they could easily refuse to provide that person with insurance and that I think, would be unfair since they would be depriving that person of his need to secure financial aid in case he does get sick. In the interest of fairly sharing risks though, insurance companies may be allowed limited access to genetic information. Limited, because I believe the welfare of policy holders should still be of topmost priority and any form of discrimination against individuals should not be allowed. 3) Yes, I believe that the information from the Human Genome Project (HGP) will bring tremendous benefits to a lot of people in the next 20 years. Technology develops at a very fast pace and it is not impossible that Collins’ predictions may very well come true. Already, the underlying genetic problems responsible for certain diseases have already been identified and with the genetic map from the HGP, the causes of a lot of other afflictions will be identified and from there, therapies can and will be developed. Even though custom-made therapies will most likely be more difficult to develop and perfect, the identification of disease genes will still greatly benefit the general population (Nova Online, 2001). 4) I think we are not that prepared for the implications that will result from the applications of these information. Right now, our society is already struggling with various other ethical issues in other biotechnological fields like stem cell research and it would be too naive to ignore the present and potential issues that may arise due to the far-reaching consequences of the HGP. 5) I don’t think employers should have access to an individual’s genetic information since there is the danger that a person may be discriminated on the basis of his genetic profile. As of present, I think discrimination may be viewed as singling out an individual for what he is (e. g. his race, gender, etc. ), but to discriminate someone based on his genetic profile would also mean discriminating him for what he could be. A person can be at risk for a certain disease but that’s just it – it’s a probability, not a guarantee. Besides, it would also mean discounting a person’s capabilities in spite of whatever genetic condition he may have. There have been countless stories of people overcoming their disabilities so there is no reason that one should be discriminated or favored based on his genetic makeup. 6) I don’t think it is that surprising, especially if I consider that like me, these lower organisms are alive, so it’s really just logical that we do share something in common. Considering though how much more complex we seem to be compared to these organisms, then yes, it is surprising that we don’t seem to be that genetically different from them. 7) I believe that testing of unborn children should be confined to deleterious genes, i. e. those that have serious and possibly life-threatening consequences such as that with diseases. I believe it’s a matter of putting things in perspective. Traits and disabilities like homosexuality or color blindness may be undesirable but they really seem trivial compared to serious afflictions that may mean life or death for the child. 8) If it’s a curable or preventable disease, then I would probably be in favor of being tested so that I can take the necessary steps to prevent or prepare myself in case I do get sick. However, I can’t say that decision would be as simple in the case of non-treatable diseases, because as with the woman who tested positive for a BRCA mutation (Nova Online, 2001), knowing that I am at risk for a disease that has no cure will probably mean that I will be living my life everyday with a sword hanging over my head and it would be very hard to live life that way. 9) Yes, I would want my mate and I to be tested if we were carriers for a disease prior to having children. I wouldn’t want to take the risk of bearing a child only to have him/her suffer from the disease that we carry when we could’ve spared him/her from that difficult life. I believe that I owe it to my future child to have myself and my partner tested. 10) I don’t think genes or genomic material should be patented because as Lander has observed, apprehensions over whether a particular gene or part of the genome has already been patented has become a limiting factor in that drug companies usually wouldn’t want to take the risk of working on treatments that might already be protected by a patent (Nova Online, 2001). I believe that there are several ways that scientists can approach a disease and develop a treatment for it, so why patent genes or genomic material? Why not just let everybody have access to such information so that not only one drug company can work at a specific disease but rather several, so that there’s a better chance that one of them will be able to develop a treatment which they would then have all the right to patent? Let’s take for example the case of cystic fibrosis. The gene responsible for this disease was discovered way back in 1989 and yet no cure has been discovered up to now (Nova Online, 2001). It only goes to show that identifying the gene responsible for the disease does not automatically mean that the cure would also be discovered consequently, so why allow the burden of further limitations brought on by patents? References: De Vito, D. (Producer), & Niccol, A. (Director). (1997). Gattaca [Motion Picture]. USA: Sony Pictures. NOVA Online. (2001). Cracking the code of life. Retrieved May 30, 2007, from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/nova/genome/program. html.

Hurry! The Book Police Are Coming! - 570 Words

Censorship of books is a very controversial and frequently debated topic. Many teachers, parents, and school boards believe that they need to censor books in order to keep children away from profanity, sex, and immorality books which are considered offensive and vulgar. However, many of these people do not see that, by censoring books, important life lessons are being left out of the formative years which will have a negative effect on children as they, inevitably, come in contact with these situations anyway. By censoring literature in schools, students become stunted in their ability to understand social issues and talk about them maturely, for if they only read the sugarcoated and â€Å"appropriate† books, they will not be able to understand the â€Å"real world† as it is: offensive and vulgar. Censorship has spun out of control in the past few years. Nowadays any book dubbed as too political, sexual, socially offensive, or irreligious is automatically put on the chopping block and deemed as unfit for young readers (Towner). How can this level of censorship be advantageous? How can this level of censorship ultimately advance the education of our students? Contrary to much belief, censorship does not need to be completely exonerated; however, it does need to be less severe, and critics need to be more thoughtful and selective in the books that they ban. Clearly, some literature is not suitable for high school students; however, they may be set aside to be taught at a higher levelShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Powerful Life837 Words   |  4 Pagesup in the mess of trap wires they’d created for themselves. The hackers hacked, infiltrating the digital security. The pawns were placed before the board was ever set, and the physical security was long gone before any of the clients knew what was coming for them. 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