Work Effectively with diverse clients and co-workers
HLTHIR403C
#2: Forms of Cultural Diversity
Lesson Outline
•Cultural awareness at work
•Cultural diversity is positive in the workplace
Different Cultural Diversities
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Disabilities
* Teen parents
Obesity
* Stay at home Dads
Mental health
* Location, location
Homeless
* Clothing/dress
Age
* Socio-economic
Sexuality & Gender
* Not the ‘norm’
Ethnicity
Race
What other aspects of diversity are there?
People with Disabilities
• Individuals with a physical or intellectual disability
are treated differently from the ‘norm’, but this
treatment is beyond the individual’s disability.
– It is sometimes thought that people with a physical or
intellectual disability do not have the same needs as
someone without a disability.
– Watch Youtube video:
– Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries! Part 1
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo_24_qTNac
People with Obesity
• Currently our society is discriminating and almost
vilifying individuals who have a weight issue or are
bigger than what society considers to be the ‘norm’.
• The media portrays visual images which ostracize
and blame obese people for costing the health
system so much. But is this true? Where does the
media get it’s facts? What are the facts?
• Are we becoming culturally discriminatory?
(an accepted form of discrimination by society)
Individuals with Mental Health Issues
• Is stigma still attached to mental health issues?
Individuals feel shame if they suffer from depression
or anxiety.
• Individuals with severe mental health issues are
often ostracized or treated as outcasts. This adds to
their shame.
• A culturally competent society would support these
individuals and ensure they join the ‘group.’
Senior Citizens
• Seniors were once esteemed, revered and respected.
• Seniority was viewed as being synonymous with
‘wisdom.’
• Changes in our societal attitudes are shunning ‘older
people’ and in some instances the elderly are seen as
being ‘past their use-by date.’
• Is this an attitude of a socially competent society?
Sexuality & Gender Differences
• Human sexuality is how people experience and
express themselves as sexual beings.
• Biologically, sexuality can encompass sexual
intercourse and sexual contact in all its forms
• Sociologically, it can cover the cultural, political, and
legal aspects (in Australia sex under 16 years of age is
illegal.
• Philosophically, it can span the moral, ethical,
theological, spiritual or religious aspects.
Sexualisation of Children
• Society encourages the expression of sexuality in
certain set ways. The Child Beauty Pageants of the
USA portray children as sexual adults. The young girls
are dressed up as the ‘perfect stereotypical sexual
woman’. This creates a lot of controversy and more
recently in Australia a Child Beauty Contest was
cancelled due to the protests outside the venue.
• Activity: Watch U-Tube: Today Tonight story on Universal
Royalty Pageant Australia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTQ51p6QW1A
Teen Parents
• Teen parents feel ostracised by society.
• However, society seems to have levels of acceptance.
Often one child to teen parents is accepted, but two
and three children to a teen parent is sometimes not
accepted.
• Does this mean, that society has levels of accepted?
What does this say about our societal cultural
competence?
• Watch Youtube: Teenage parents - Babes - First Light
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ChyDrcizM
Stay at Home Dads
• Stay at home Dads are becoming more accepted in
our society, but they are still a minority group and in
some circumstances not accepted.
• There seems to be several levels of expectation with
‘Stay at home Dads:
– Men should be supporting their families
– Men should be earning more than the female partner
– Men don’t love or care as much about their children as
their female counterparts.
– Men don’t fit into “Mums’ Groups.”
Location….Location….Location
• Living in the ‘right area’ or ‘right side of town, is
often considered a status symbol, i.e. Russell Crow’s
house on the edge of Sydney Harbour overlooking
the bridge and Opera House.
• Location, location, location can be seen as an act of
‘snobbery?’
• Individuals will pay more to live in a certain area and
this falsely increases land values, ensuring
‘inclusivity’ of only a certain financial standing.
Clothing/dress
• Individuals are often ‘labeled’ or ‘pigeon holed’ by
the way they dress, i.e. Goths, who dress in black.
– Any individuals who want to look or dress differently than
what is considered socially acceptable.
– Tattoos
– Body piercings
– Purple, bright metallic red or orange hair
Being an individual dresser, may limit your employment
opportunities, depending upon the area in which you work.
Socio-economic Level Stigma
• Certain areas are considered ‘low-socio-economic,
and with that title, properties are valued and often
so are the people who live in those areas.
• Stigma is attached those ‘labels’, i.e. ‘bogans’.
• Often low-socio-economic areas have high
unemployment due to lack of public transport and
infrastructure, and employment opportunities.
Ethnicity
Definition
“Ethnicity involves a collection of values, beliefs and behaviours
associated with an ethnic group or community. Ethnicity can
influences the lives of members of the group to varying degrees
and can include a wide range of values. Not everyone of a
particular ethnicity will subscribe to all these values”.
“It is rarely recognised that, consistent with this definition, there is
an Australian ethnicity which includes a wide range of values,
not all of which are held by all Australians. “
http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/hotwords/unpack/Ethnicity
Race
Definition
“The term “race” is used to artificially classify people
on the basis of supposed physical and cultural
similarities coming from their common descent.
Despite there being no biological basis, the idea of
distinctive races still exists and is used, in many
societies, as a basis for social action, a foundation of
government policy and often as a justification for
distinctive treatment of one group by another”.
http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/hotwords/unpack/race
Race
“Race is used to emphasise assumed differences
between groups of people and to explain particular
behaviours expected of particular groups.
In fact, the human species shares a common gene
pool and there is much more genetic variation within
members of so-called racial groups than there is
between them”
http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/hotwords/unpack/race
Not the ‘Norm’ Families
• What is ‘normal’, is decided upon what society
accepts as normal. The branding of families shows
the level of cultural competence in our society.
• What different styles of family or groups of people
are there, that do not ‘fit the norm?’
• Watch youtube: DIVERSITY DAVE
• http://youtu.be/gc-eWbc7kDM
Cultural Continuum
References
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Chatswood (1993).The conflict resolution network: Conflict resolution trainers manual – 12
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Chenoweth L & McAuliffe D 2011 The road to social work & human service practice, 3rd
edn.,Cengage Learning Australia. Chapter 8
Comparing Different Cultures: Intercultural Communications - Rey Ty, online video, accessed
20th May 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gRXMzR_8BY
Corey G, Corey MS & Callanan P 2011 Issues and ethics in the helping professions, 8th edn.,
Cengage Learning: Brookes/Cole , United States. Chapter 4
Cornelius, H & Faire, S. (1989). Everyone can win: How to resolve conflict. Simon & Schuster,
Sydney
Cross Cultural Communication , online video, accessed 20 May 2012 ,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrJTf97Ev8o&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLF
E9649EC6D77970C
Culture and Communication-Low and High Context Cultures, online video, accessed 20 May,
2012,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tIUilYX56E&feature=autoplay&list=PLFE9649EC6D77970
C&playnext=2
References
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Cultural Competence: Managing Your Prejudices, online video, accessed May 22, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1MI_h0HIcw
Cultural Diversity - Tips for communicating with cultural awareness, online video, accessed 20
May 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDvLk7e2Irc&feature=related
Diversity Dave, online video, accessed 26 May 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gceWbc7kDM&feature=related
Emotional Intelligence or Behaviorial Control? (part 2) , online video, accessed 23 May, 2012,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W4kWPdcdUk&feature=related31
Erikson, E.H. (1974). Dimensions of a New Identity. New York: Norton
Georgetown University: National Centre for Cultural Competence 200, ‘Cultural Competence:
Definition & Conceptual Framework,’ Washington, accessed 24 May, 2012.
http://nccc.georgetown.edu/foundations/frameworks.html#ccdefinition
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. London: Bloomsbury Publishing
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
Hage, H. & Couch, R. (eds), 1999, The Future of Australian Multiculturalism, Research Inst. For
Humanities and Soc. Sciences, Sydney University
Healey, J., 2000, Multiculturalism Volume 126, Issues in Society, The Spinney Press, Thirroul,
NSW
Healey, J., 2000, Australia’s National Identity, Volume 133, Issues in Society, The Spinney Press,
Thirroul, NSW
References
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Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Fact sheet: Face the Facts: How diverse are
Australians (section 6)
Hodge B & O’Carroll J 2006 Borderwork in Multicultural Australia, Allen & Unwin Sydney
Kenny S 2011 Developing communities for the future, 4th edn., Cengage Learning Australia.
Chapter 9
Practice in human services organisations, Allen & Unwin, Australia. Chapter 6
Maidment J & Egan R (eds) 2009 Practice skills in social work & welfare, 2nd edn., Allen &
Unwin, Australia. Chapter 9,11
Making Multicultural Australia, 2002. “Ethnicity”. Accessed May 23,
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Managing Conflict - Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument , online video, accessed 22
May, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFf88IVl_Wc
MDA Multicultural Development Association 2012, “Working as a culturally competent mental
health practitioner”. Accessed May 22, 2012,
http://aboriginal.childhealthresearch.org.au/media/54895/chapter12.pdf
Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries! Part 1, online video, accessed 18 May 2012,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo_24_qTNac
References
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O’Hara A & Pockett R (eds) 2011 Skills For Human Service Practice: Working with Individuals,
Groups and Communities, 2nd edn., Oxford University Press, Australia/ New Zealand
Racism. No Way! 2010. “Fact sheet: Australia's Cultural Diversity”, accessed May 24 2012
Sockalingum adapted from Hayes, Cultural Competence Continuum, 1993 and Terry Cross
Cultural Competency Continuum
“The secret world of the child bride: Heartbreaking pictures of the girls as young as FIVE who
are married off to middle-aged men,” Daily Mail, accessed 24 April,2012,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2001029/Child-brides-young-5-married-secretmiddle-aged-men.html#ixzz1pjEGZZYf
Trudge R 2005 Why worriers lie down and die, P/l Darwin
Segal J., Ph.D., Smith M., M.A., and Jaffe. J, Ph.D. Cited March 2012 , accessed 23 May, 2012,
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm
Teenage parents - Babes - First Light, online video, accessed 21 May 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ChyDrcizM
Today Tonight story on Universal Royalty Pageant Australia , online video accessed 24 May
2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTQ51p6QW1A
What is your conflict style?, online video, accessed
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