Paper Topic:

Discussion Questions-Cultural Diversity in Counseling

Answers to Discussion Questions

Question 1

The controversy arising from the concepts and definitions of "culture "sub-culture " and "race " are undoubtedly rooted in the way by which these have been misused to heighten the perceived difference between human beings in to justify acts of discrimination and subjugation based on these differences ' For instance , although culture refers to the system of values and behaviors that are learned and transmitted within an identifiable community (Atkinson , 2004 ,

. 10 the prevailing notions of culture presupposes the existence of a hierarchy of cultures wherein modern

, industrial culture is deemed superior to traditional ones . Hence , it is not surprising that in a diverse and pluralistic society , a minority culture such as that of American Indians would be referred to as sub-culture ' because they are a part of a larger , dominant culture . Unfortunately , sub-culture also carry negative connotations when they are used to imply that a person 's culture is at variance (out-of-step ) with the dominant (accepted ) culture (Ibid , 2004 ,

. 12 ) The most controversial concept is race ' which has usually been associated with the perceived human differences based on obvious physical features such as skin color , to justify the differential treatment of people based on their ethnicity

Personally , I would define culture as a system or a way by which people live . I think that culture encompasses the economic , political , and intellectual structures and power relations of a particular community or society which influences values and social norms . This is because social norms that comprise culture must have a context . I would define a sub-culture ' as a set of values and norms within the dominant culture that has limited or exlusive practice . This is because a sub-culture is located within the same context as the dominant culture but may arise from the specific contexts of individuals and groups such as their ethnicity . Lastly , I would define race as a social construct based on the assumed physical or biological differences between people that is used to unjustly discriminate people based on their skin color and minority status . In American society , the concept of race ' has been a source of immense resentment because it was used to justify the subjugation of peoples of color and to perpetuate the notion of White supremacy

Question 2

I think that my own culture ' can only be understood by looking at the economic , political , and intellectual forces that define the way I live and behave both in the private and public setting . From this perspective , my culture ' which emanates from the capitalist orientation of American economy and politics , is one that is to the ritual of consumption and materialism . This is evident from the way that the American dream ' is framed by an affluent lifestyle and where the benchmark of success is related with financial independence . The materialist and individualistic ethics of America is also evidenced by how it is symbolized by McDonalds or Silicon Valley . In this culture individuals are expected to be able to afford owning their...

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