Need a reply to the following two discussion board post. Reply has to be 250-300 words.
Reference at least 1 source in the discussion board post
Discussion Board 1 please reply to Courtney,
Before reading the material for this week, I was unaware of the many possible complications that
can arise within the therapeutic relationship because of differing cultures between counselor and
client. Although I would like to think that ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic backgrounds don’t
affect the outcome of counseling services, this week’s slide presentations present the truth that it
is fallen man’s sin nature to be judgmental and ethnocentric. Hays and Erford (2014) reference
how counselors are not always empathetic toward their client’s worldview and how it shapes the
client’s perspectives on life. Unfortunately some counselors can have cultural encapsulation by
“evaluating other cultures using one’s own culture as a standard of normality” (Hays & Erford,
2014, p.6).
It was interesting to hear the stories and backgrounds of both Mike and Mark. Being
Caucasian and living in a part of the country with a high Latino population, I could identify and
relate to Mark’s childhood experiences. As it goes against the literature and what are considered
to be “cultural norms,” I found it ironic to hear that Mike grew up in a home with strong male
figures who taught Christian values of faith and family, while Mark was raised in a single parent
home with no male figure or cultural values. Both men are similar in that they lived and went to
school in integrated areas where they had friendships with children of other ethnicities. Mike and
Mark both worked hard to accomplish the things they have without having anything handed to
them. It’s obvious that Mike had some huge hurdles and hardships to overcome with the suicide
of his father and the lack of counseling services available for his family within his community.
This trauma, along with his faith, seemed to lead him to have a passion for counseling and
providing services to families from low socioeconomic communities. Mark’s experiences of
reverse racism taught him that making judgments about a person based on ethnicity, before
getting to know them, is a cross-cultural problem. This keeps defensive walls up that don’t allow
us to truly relate to each other and learn about each other as unique individuals.
Looking at Mike’s experience from a Biblical perspective, I see the monumental impact
that having the gospel poured into him from a young age had on his worldview, his goals, and his
desires that God placed on his heart. Mike is yet another example of how God can use anyone’s
circumstances to speak truth and break down barriers. Mike had every reason in the world to be
bitter, angry, and defensive, but through the Holy Spirit, he was able to use all of his past to help
others heal and succeed. Mark was able to see past race and color from the time he was a child
because of fellowship. The Bible tells us to live in fellowship with one another, sharing each
others’ burdens, joys, weaknesses, and hurts. This is how we love one another. You can’t love
and not care. Like Mark said, the more time he spent just living life with people of different
backgrounds from his own, the more appreciation he had for the differences and commonalities
he found between himself and his friends.
References
Hays, D. G., & Erford, B. T. (2014). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems
approach (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
Discussion Board 2 please reply to Kelsey
To a degree, Mike and Mark are very similar. They are both males in higher education
courses, working to better society through their work with others. However, the two had very
different upbringings which many could attribute solely to the color of their skin. Mike’s
experience in growing up as a black male is one mixed with close families, corrupt systems, and
stereotypes. In his interview, Mike expressed how even though black families are notably close,
fathers and other absent family members have an excuse not to “show up” because single
mothers and their children would receive greater benefits in their absence. He also reflected on
times where he has been singled out because of his size and color as an adult, and how even
when he was in the second grade he heard his teacher use racial remarks in reference to him
and other black students in his class. Even in this, Mike chose to be resilient. In his closing
remarks, he noted that an individual is not who they are because of their ethnicity, but they are
who they are because of their circumstances. Mark led a different life as a white male. He
remembers growing up in a Filipino community, however there were little African Americans that
he could get to know. Because of his skin, he was regarded by others as “privileged” even
though he and his family had a low income and he had to work for everything he had.
Whether it was a basketball scholarship, or working multiple jobs to pay bills, the two men
both worked to get to where they were in the PhD program. They refused to let what others said
about them bring them down and allow them to live out their lives in the way they were
stereotyped to, and both used their faith in God to guide their actions along the way. Working
beyond other’s perceptions, the two rose from their situations and are now learning in a higher
education setting. The specific ways they were stereotyped were completely different, and these
interviews displayed that no one is beyond the judgment they face as a result of others
perceptions. I believe that the contact hypothesis, as stated in the clips, would help in lessening
or eliminating the stereotypes we all face. Some environments, as Mark clarified, do not allow
for multicultural contact, however this is still no excuse. I believe that with enough intentional
effort, all races can work to give each other an appreciation for different cultures, rather than
solidify false negative and preconceived notions.
Genesis 1:27 reminds Christians that God created man in His image. I believe this verse is
why Mike and Mark were both able to, as Christians, rise above their circumstances and not
give into the stereotypes of each of their races. Both are extremely thankful for where they have
come from and where they are going, and take time to interact with others from different races
because they know that all humans on this earth are children of the Lord God. Individuals
created in God’s image are perfectly created, as God Himself is perfect. With this in mind, it is
easier to brush off stereotypes and “fear” or “judgment” for other races. In the end, we have one
job to do; and that is to make disciples of all nations regardless of race or background.
References
Garzon, F.with Mike Anderson. (2010). Presentation: A Black Experience. Liberty University.
Garzon, F.with Mark Myers. (2010B). Presentation: A White Experience. Liberty University.
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