Social and Cultural Diversity Paper Writing Instructions
Overview
The Social and Cultural Diversity Paper (1,750-2,000 words) requires the student to identify and
reflect on possible personal biases regarding gender, religion, sexual or gender orientation, race,
socioeconomic status, disability status, or culture. The purpose of this paper is to raise the
student’s personal and professional level of awareness regarding the subject of diverse
populations.
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located
in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a grading rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment
to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
Process Schedule
The Social and Cultural Diversity Paper assignment will be accomplished in a five-step process,
with individual steps submitted and graded regularly throughout the course, according to the
following schedule:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Outline (Due Week 2)
References (Due Week 4)
First Draft (Due Week 6)
Final Paper (Due Week 8)
Content Guidelines
When constructing this paper, use a three-part structure according to the following guidelines:
Part 1
The first part of the paper requires you to identify information from your own personal history.
Use the following questions to help guide your reflections:
1) Identify your personal biases and how they may impact your counseling approach.
Remember, everyone has biases. The point is not to project them onto your clients.
Note: It is preferred you discuss your cultural biases.
2) Describe your personal history by documenting experiences with discrimination you may
have experienced and how your cultural background impacted these experiences. If you have
not had any experiences, share why you believe this to be true.
© 2016. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
3) Identify memories of contact with those who were culturally different than you, and your
experiences associated with these differences. Be specific.
4) How has your life experience affected how you may relate to persons different than you? Be
specific.
Part 2
The second part of the paper requires you to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of
racism/discrimination. Use the following questions to help guide your reflections:
1) What does it mean to be a subtle racist? Please include a referenced definition and example.
2) Why could there be significant differences in perceptions and values of members within the
same ethnic group? Be specific.
Part 3
The third part of your paper requires you to review and reflect on the ACA and NAADAC codes
of ethics. Use the following to help guide your reflection:
1) Discuss how the ACA and NAADAC codes of ethics will inform your practice.
a) Identify and cite the specific ACA and NAADA multicultural codes that you will use to
inform your practice.
2) What did you learn about the importance of cultural sensitivity in treatment planning?
3) How do communication styles and help-seeking behaviors differ across cultures?
4) How might strategies to build rapport be differentiated based on culture?
5) Examine underlying reasons for differential treatment methods.
a) Consult several professional journals on treatment practices and cultural biases.
b) Identify sources of potential counselor cultural bias within these practices.
6) What resources could help you to become more informed regarding cultural diversity? Cite
resources you can use to dispel your personal biases.
7) How could you apply your learning to your future practice as a counselor?
© 2016. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
Running Head: DIVERSITY OUTLINE
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Diversity Outline
Adrianna Nelson
Grand Canyon University PCN 509
DIVERSITY OUTLINE
2
INTRODUCTION
I. Social bias is described as phenomena of judging others based on their cultural affiliation.
Some biases can come in form of discrimination, social stereotyping, and unconscious
reactions to people of different religion, race, and sexuality.
II.
As the global workplace has become more diverse, it is evident that cultural bias has
continued to hurt social fabrics in the society that unite individuals.
III. Some of the best ways to overcome diversity within social and cultural set ups is to embrace
openness, tolerance and understanding of other individuals (Crisp, 2011).
PART 1
1. A racist is an individual who despises and discriminates another individual to due to their
racial and social background.
II. Racists have diverse perceptions of social values and perceive others to be lesser than them.
They consider their race to be more superior and can end up discriminating and have social
stereotypes as a result.
III. There is a need to provide more social sensitivity training to racist communities. This would
encourage how they relate to their organizations in an effective manner. More ligations,
customer complaint, regulatory policies and arbitrations should also be kept under concern when
conducting the training needs analysis. These policies would help to prevent more bullies from
existing in the society. This would create an environment
PART 2
DIVERSITY OUTLINE
3
I. Some of the most common illustrations of workplace discrimination can be in form of
swearing, shouting at employees and also abusing them verbally. This can affect how employees
relate with each other in the organization.
II. The government has failed to provide effective analysis and solutions to help employers end
the discrimination. Since the most affected individuals are the immigrant employees, legal
protection measures need to be established to help solve the issue of inequalities that exist in the
workplace (Moore & Woodrow, 2010).
III. Blame game and also unjustified criticisms can also exist in the workplace. It is advisable to
always confront the bully head on to avoid them affecting the group in terms of their
management (De, 2011).
CONCLUSION
1. To sum it up, people need to encourage more tolerance within the society and within the
workplace so as to avoid social and cultural conflicts that come up as a result of diversity.
11. The global workplace has become more diverse, it is evident that cultural bias has continued
to hurt social fabrics in the society that unite individuals.
III. More engagement of individuals within the society can help to prevent personal biases that
affect individual character leading to conflicts brought as a result of diversity.
DIVERSITY OUTLINE
4
References
Crisp, R. J. (2011). The Psychology of Social and Cultural Diversity. Hoboken: John Wiley &
Sons.
Moore, C. W., & Woodrow, P. J. (2010). Handbook of global and multicultural negotiation. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
McKinnon, C., & Castiglione, D. (2003). The culture of toleration in diverse societies:
Reasonable toleration. New York: Manchester University Press.
Dhooper, S. S., & Moore, S. E. (2001). Social work with culturally diverse people. Thousand
Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
De, B. S. (2011). Managing cultural diversity. Maidenhead: Meyer & Meyer.
Running head: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Social and Cultural Diversity-Rough Draft
Adrianna Nelson
Grand Canyon University PCN 509
August 22, 2018
1
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Introduction
Social bias is described as phenomena of judging others based on their cultural affiliation.
Some biases can come in form of discrimination, social stereotyping, and unconscious reactions
to people of different religion, race, and sexuality.As the global workplace has become more
diverse, it is evident that cultural bias has continued to hurt social fabrics in the society that unite
individuals. Some of the best ways to overcome diversity within social and cultural set ups is to
embrace openness, tolerance and understanding of other individuals
PART 1
Personal biases refer to personal views or opinions regarding a certain subject, a group of
things or people. They don't necessarily have to be based on evidence or reason. They are just
natural feelings that individuals develop towards other individuals or situations without any
reasonable facts to support their views. Every individual has biases, whether they show them
openly or whether they conceal them deep within. Even therapists have biases towards their clients.
Personal biases in counseling and among therapists take many forms. They can originate from
misinformed opinions about a specific group of people and is often based on gender, sexuality,
race, among others (Jun, 2018).
One example of my personal biases that may influence my counseling approach as a
therapist is based on the fact that gay individuals often Arab men. The Arab culture deems it as a
typical form of contact between two men to hold hands while walking side by side. However, my
view on this is that the Arab culture promotes homosexual relationships, and hence most Arab men
are gay. Therefore, having an Arab man as a client would cloud my judgment and make me see
him as an individual who is open to gay relationships. This cultural bias would, therefore, affect
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
the way I approach my therapy sessions with such an individual and might even make me give the
wrong counseling advice to him based on my own cultural beliefs. Another personal bias that I
have is against African American individuals. I view them as violent people who hurt other people
with no regard to the way their victims feel. I have therefore developed feelings of hate towards
them because I feel like they don't deserve my empathy. This feeling is based on no specific
evidence and may, therefore, affect my counseling approach towards African American clients. I
may even judge them before they confide in me with their secret feelings and feel like their
problematic ordeals are a justification of their own violent behavior.
I have never had experiences of discrimination based on cultural background, but I believe
that there are people who have experienced such kind of discrimination from other individuals
who don't share the same cultural background as them. From the several news stories on the
internet that involve racial discrimination and cases of hate crimes, it is clear that discrimination
based on cultural diversity exists in the modern community. There are different forms of
discrimination in the workplace base on people's cultures; such as giving specific jobs to the
Mexicans, especially jobs that require handy work; and offering the Chinese people less physical
jobs due to the belief that they are less physical and are more equipped to use their brains in front
of computer monitors.
I once had an experience with the Portuguese when I visited one of my friends at their
home. At first, I felt comfortable around them until lunch was served. I have often developed a
habit of finishing my food to avoid being offensive, so I did just that. To my surprise, they added
me more food on my plate without even asking whether I needed more. According to their culture,
one has to leave some food on the plate to indicate that they are done eating. Without knowing
that, I kept clearing my plate and they kept adding more, irritating me even further. I develop
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
negative feelings towards the Portuguese culture from that time onwards. Although my experience
with the Portuguese culture was not pleasant, it made me appreciate other cultures with time, and
I am freer when around people from different cultures, asking them questions about their culture
to prevent an ordeal like the one I had from happening again.
PART 2
Racism has been a widespread issue in the community for a long time. A racist is an
individual who discriminates against other people depending on their racial background. Racist
people view other individuals from different races as lesser than them. According to them, their
race is more superior to the other races, and they, therefore, end up developing stereotypes towards
other people and discriminating against them. Subtle racism isn't a traditional form of racism; it is
expressed indirectly. Thus, a subtle racist is an individual with negative attitudes towards other
people. His actions cannot be directly seen as racist since he hides behind certain ambiguities
which don't directly reveal themselves.
Subtle racists, though ambiguously camouflaged, have one primary goal: - to cause harm
to other individuals. Their feelings and attitudes are buried deep within them in the subconscious,
but they are still there. While most racist individuals will deny having racist attitudes, they are
entangled in a fight within between their subconscious or psyche and their ideal selves. For
example, many white Americans have a longstanding historical background of racism towards
African American citizens. Their words indicate that they believe in equality of all races, but their
actions prove otherwise (Reid, 2010). For example, when they are in situations where nobody else
can know the outcome of their actions, they will act per their racial beliefs. The most appropriate
example is during elections, especially the most recent presidential elections in the United States.
It is believed that the same white Americans who voted for Barrack Obama in the 2008 presidential
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
elections in an attempt to prove that they were not racists were the same people who voted for
Donald Trump in the 2016 elections. These are a classic example of subtle racists. They preach
equality when they are in public, but have negative perceptions of Blacks.
Many African Americans have reported being discriminated against in their places of work
dominated by whites. Others report discrimination in restaurants, stores, and other public places.
The same whites who claim not to be racist are the same people discriminating against the blacks
in such places. This is a clear indication that subtle racism is becoming the new form of racism. It
is done under the radar and is therefore not easy to identify if you don't look closely (Simpson &
Yinger, 1987).
An ethnic group is often categorized as a group of people with the same perceptions and
values regarding different aspects of life. They are assumed to share the same religious beliefs,
culture, and behavioral values. However, there are some cases where individuals from the same
ethnic group have different perceptions and values. This situation is often down to individual
differences that arise as people become more aware of their surroundings and more accepting of
other people's values and perceptions. For example, the Arab ethnic group can have individuals
who believe in the Christian perspective of religion as well as those who practice Islam. The same
individual differences can be the reason behind other African Americans believing in the freedom
of individuals to have same-sex marriages while others are against it. Individuals differ in
characteristics as well as beliefs, and belonging to the same ethnic group does not necessarily mean
that they have to subscribe to the same values and beliefs as other members of the group. Studying
abroad and mixing with people from different ethnic groups can also be a reason why an
international student might have different perceptions regarding specific matters such as gender
equality, religious freedom, sexuality and politics (Resendiz, Betancourt, & Flynn, 2009).
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
PART 3
The American Counseling Association (ACA) and National Association of Alcoholism and
Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) codes of ethics inform counselors on several issues
concerning how they should perform their tasks and fulfill their professional goals and needs of
their clients ("ACA Code of Ethics," 2006). Some of the ACA and NAADAC multicultural codes
of ethics which I will use to inform my practice as a counselor include the NAADAC code that
encourages nondiscrimination. This code will guide me in treating and viewing clients equally
regardless of their differences in culture, race, ethnic group or religious beliefs. Another code is
that which emphasizes the compliance with the law. This can include laws which discourage
racism, unfair treatment of ‘different' clients, violation of their rights and exploitation. These
boundaries can help me to structure my counseling approach in such a way that it does not interfere
with my clients' freedom or even make them feel discriminated because of their cultural differences
(Knopf, 2016).
Culturally sensitive treatment is essential in every counselor's career for several reasons.
Each counselor needs to be sensitive to the cultural diversity of clients who will seek their services.
Culturally sensitive treatment, therefore, enables the clients to feel accepted and comfortable with
the process of counseling or treatment, hence enhancing quick ‘recovery' and improving the
efficiency of the treatment process.
Communication styles and help-seeking behaviors differ from one culture to another in
several ways. For example, Asian Americans are more likely to seek help from their close
significant others as compared to European Americans. When it comes to professional or
psychological advice, Asians an Asian Americans are less likely to seek out the help of
professional counselors as compared to European Americans. These differences are associated
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
with cultural stigma and people's reliance on the informal social networks for help. They
communicate more freely with close acquaintances than they are likely to do with professional
counselors (Hashimoto, Mojaverian, & Kim, 2013).
Strategies to build rapport might be different when dealing with people from different
cultures because some people prefer diving straight into business while others prefer socializing
with the counselor and keeping the interaction less professional as possible. Americans like being
too professional and avoiding the social part of their relationship with the counselor. However,
other cultures like the Chinese, Indians or Mexicans prefer socializing to ‘release the tension' and
become more comfortable. Greeting them in their native languages will go a long way to build a
rapport (Reeves, Longo, Chen, & Chao, 2009).
Some of the reasons behind the differential treatment methods are own to cultural diversity
and differences or personal biases caused by false beliefs. Some of the sources of cultural biases
include differences in class, communication patterns, differences in the way emotions and
behaviors are expressed, cause-effect orientation and cultural values. If clients and counselors
bring culturally different attributes into their interaction, barriers can be created, and hence
personal and cultural biases cultivated (Brooks, 2018).
Some of the resources that would make me more informed on cultural diversity are those
that focus on the details of different cultures including their behavioral patterns, beliefs, and values.
Diversity-focused conferences would also be perfect for me since I would be capable of interacting
with people from other cultures and learning more about them. Cultural competence guides for
counselors would also be a suitable resource that would enable me to become more informed on
cultural diversity (Brooks, 2018).
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
As a future counselor, I would apply my learning in my profession by trying to get rid or
restrain my personal biases and avoid showcasing them to the clients. This would enable me to
allow more room for the clients to prove that cultural differences are just as normal as individual
differences and should not be used to discriminate against others. I would also adhere to the ACA
and NAADAC codes of ethics to ensure that I don't go against any laws that govern counselorclient relationships. Practices like racism, discrimination, and prejudice are all against the
professional codes of ethics of a counselor. Therefore, I should refrain from any of those acts to
improve my professional career as a counselor.
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References
ACA Code of Ethics. (2006). Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(2), 235-254.
doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2006.tb00401.x
Ang, S., & Dyne, L. V. (2015). Handbook of Cultural Intelligence. Hoboken: Taylor and
Francis.
Brooks, R. L. (2018). Cultural Subordination Through Cultural Diversity. Yale University Press.
doi:10.12987/yale/9780300223309.003.0005
Hashimoto, T., Mojaverian, T., & Kim, H. S. (2013, January 11). Cultural Differences in
Professional Help Seeking: A Comparison of Japan and the U.S. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3576055/
Jun, H. (2018). Assessment of a Provider’s Values, Beliefs, and Biases. Social Justice,
Multicultural Counseling, and Practice, 61-94. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-72514-7_3
Knopf, A. (2016). Ethics: New code from NAATP, ongoing from NAADAC. Alcoholism &
Drug Abuse Weekly, 28(16), 4-6. doi:10.1002/adaw.30545
O'Halloran, K. (2017). Religious Discrimination and Cultural Context.
doi:10.1017/9781108394871
Reeves, R., Longo, J. M., Chen, C., & Chao, R. (2009). Counselors' Multicultural Competence:
A Cross-Cultural Study. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e630402009-001
Reid, L. D. (2010). Cognitive Complexities and the Perception of Subtle Racism. PsycEXTRA
Dataset. doi:10.1037/e506052012-167
Resendiz, C. V., Betancourt, H., & Flynn, P. M. (2009). Understanding Values in Multicultural
Communities: Between and Within Ethnic-Group Variations. PsycEXTRA Dataset.
doi:10.1037/e607032009-001
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Simpson, G. E., & Yinger, J. M. (1987). Racial and cultural minorities: An analysis of
prejudice and discrimination. New York: Plenum Press.
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