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Social and Cultural Diversity

Melissa Aguirre

Grand Canyon University: CNL:509

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Social and Cultural Diversity

Introduction

As children, we are unaware of the cultural biases and misconceptions that exist for many

cultural groups. However, as an adult, we become aware that everyone has personal biases,

regardless of whether or not they are positive or negative. As a responsible adult, we stand to

benefit by thinking positively of the diversity each culture offers, as there are many cultures that

benefit us. It is important that as individuals we learn about the diversity that surround us, but as

a future counselor, it is vital to be aware of your own personal biases in order to improve my

approach to the diversity in my community. In addition, being open-minded with clients, and

becoming knowledgeable about the different cultures and diverse populations will allow to create

a healthy counselor-client relationship.

Cultural Diversity is a variety of cultural groups within a society. These include their

beliefs, religion, values, and their family backgrounds; all of these factors are what influences a

person's behavior and creates their identity (Diller,2011). It is important to note that these beliefs

and values can be passed down from one generation to another, and can vary within the same

religion, culture, and ethnicity. As a counselor, it is crucial to take note of the diversity in your

community and understand that everyone has a different cultural background that must be

respected and taken into consideration, as the counselor plans for the best course of action for all

their clients.

Personal Perspective on Cultural Diversity Part 1

Being a Latino Woman in a prominent Mexican community, it is difficult to stay open

minded about other ethnicities that surround my hometown. Some of my family members

perceive these different groups in a negative way. Growing up, I was not immune to these
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perceptions as they expressed them out loud, and consistently. However, there were also

criticisms within my own Mexican community, consisting of gender and religious differences.

As for myself, in my household I have always been taught to treat others the way I would like to

be treated even if they did not treat us back the same. I was also born in a very religious

household that taught me to love my neighbor. This really influenced who I am today, and the

choices I have made for myself and the way I interact with others.

Personal History and Discrimination

Moreover, I have experienced cultural intolerance both within and outside my

community. As previously mentioned, I am a Hispanic woman living in a border town. Due to

this, some people have expressed displeasure at the fact that I have prioritized my career and

financial wellbeing over getting married and starting a family, which is the traditional

expectation of a Mexican woman. On the other hand, I must sometimes think about the risks that

come with traveling out of town in part, because of how I look and how I speak, whether it be

speaking Spanish or having an accent in English. In addition, I also factor in my parents and the

way they carry themselves, because they cannot defend themselves if someone talks to them in

English. I have experienced many times being followed at a store to make sure I am not stealing,

have been looked at ugly, and have been the recipient of vulgar hand expressions simply for

being of Mexican descent.

To add, as a teacher and mentor, I get to see many of my female students go through the

same emotional distress and pressures that comes with being a woman. Just like myself, they too

are expected to settle down after they graduate and start a family, and not often are they

encouraged to dream bigger. Due to my personal experiences, I find myself now becoming a

counselor to provide the support they need to go beyond what is expected of them within their
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community. I challenge the notion that a Mexican woman must rely and depend on her husband

for survivability and financial support.

Concept of Racism and Discrimination Part 2

According to Hanson (2017), “Subtle racism, also known as, covert racism is described

as a person who has implicit racial or other negative attitudes towards another group”. Meaning

that a person who is a subtle racist causes harm to people from many different ethnic

backgrounds. The difference between being from the same ethnic group, but obtaining different

values and communication is all based on how a person was raised. Being of the same ethnicity

doesn't mean that all who are from the same ethnic group behave and carry themselves the same

across the board (APA,2015). What makes you who you are is your cultural background, not the

color of your skin or the ethnic group you consider yourself to belong to. For example, not all

Mexicans are dark skinned, or are from the same religion. It all goes back to how you were

raised and your racial identity. Racial identity is developed during the adolescent stages, which

defines the way people perceive themselves. In these perceptions, we become more self-

conscious of we are and how we interact and express ourselves. In addition, as a counselor. it is

important to be aware of this situation, avoid being biased, and become knowledgeable of the

different treatment methods to successfully help clients overcome the issues that arise from the

perceptions others might make because of their culture, ethnicity, racial identity, and so forth

(Chung & Bemak,2002).

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ACA and ASCA Code of Ethics Part 3

The ASCA Code of Ethics serves as a “guide for ethical practices of all individuals

serving in a school counseling capacity” to provide support and direction to students to be treated

with dignity and respect (ASCA, 2022). This includes creating a space free of discrimination and

provide equality. In addition, counselors must “support all students and their development by

actively working to eliminate systemic barriers or bias impeding student development”, as well

as “advocate for equitable, anti-oppressive and anti-bias policies and procedures, systems and

practices, and provide effective, evidence-based and culturally sustaining interventions to

address student needs”. It is abudantly clear that to be an effective counselor, we must follow the

code of ethics because not only will it allow for effective counseling, but because it would be a

reflection of a society that embraces diversity and cultural differences.

As for the ACA Code of Ethics, it can also be useful to highlight the importance of

diversity, as in the mission statement it explicitly states that the code of ethics are there to

“promote respect for human dignity and diversity.” Furthermore, in its preamble, we find an

emphasis on respecting and embracing diversity and multiculturalism, as it will promote the

“worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts”

(ACA, 20214). Diversity is the constant keyword in these different Codes of Ethics, and we must

make an effort to embody and support the differences our clients carry with them.

Cultural Sensitivity and Communication Styles

One of the ACA Code of ethics that I deem important is that the counselor must use

language that the client of another culture will understand. If a client does not understand the

language, the counselor must find a way to provide the services necessary for their client (ACA,

2014). This includes not only having the client understand the counselor, but also the counselor
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having a clear understanding of the clients views, beliefs, and background. Although

communication differs across different cultures, the counselor should be aware and know how to

communicate in order to build rapport with the client. Making an effort to find different ways to

understand the client will contribute to the building and establishment of a strong relationship

between both parties. For example, some Native Americans never look into each other's eyes as

it can be a sign of disrespect. With that, the counselor should develop strategies to be able to

build a successful healthy relationship with the client (Sue & Sue, 2016). In addition, according

to Sue & Sue (2016), although clients may come from many different ethnic groups, “credibility

and similarity are key attributes when establishing rapport with clients”. Because there are so

many different cultures with unique backgrounds, having an awareness of these differences will

allow both the counselor to grow and the counselor-client relationship to thrive (Meyer & Zane,

2013).

In conclusion, in order to become more aware of the diversity in my community, and how

to put it into action, I believe what can help me become more knowledgeable is reading as it can

inform us about the significance of cultural diversity. Another way to become more involved is

getting to know people from different cultures, as this will also help overcome personal biases

one might have. As I continue learning, it is important to be aware that no client is the same.

Everyone comes from a different cultural background and have different stories and experiences

based on how they were raised, which means that we should apply and search for different

methods to see which strategies work best for the client (West-Olatunji,2010). This course has

also taught me about subtle racism, as I have become more aware of the personal biases and

stereotypes in my everyday life. My goal is to take everything I have learned and reflect on them

and will keep learning to stay open-minded and become more knowledgeable of the diverse
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population to be able to create a healthy counselor-client relationship. No progress can be made

if I don’t grow, and no progress can be made if I don’t make a sincere effort to work with

accommodate the needs of my future clients.

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References

American Association of Christian Counselors (2014). AACC Code of Ethics. Retrieved from:

http://ethics.iit.edu/ecodes/sites/default/files/AACC%20Code%20of%20Ethics

%20%282014%29.pdf

American Counseling Association (2014). ACA Code of Ethics. 3-23. Retrieved from:

https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf?

sfvrsn=fde89426_5

American Psychology Association. (2015). Discussing discrimination. Retrieved from

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/keita-qa.aspx

Diller, J. V. (2011). Cultural diversity: a primer for the human services (4th ed.). . Belmont, CA:

Thomson Brooks/Cole

Chung, R. C.-Y., & Bemak, F. (2002). The relationship of culture and empathy in

cross-cultural counseling. (Practice & Theory). Journal of Counseling and Development,

(2), 154. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.86683597&site=eds-live&scope=site

Hanson, C. (2017). Subtle Racism. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/subtle-

racism_b_14113118
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Meyer, O. L., & Zane, N. (2013). The Influence of Race and Ethnicity in Clients’

Experiences of Mental Health Treatment. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(7), 884–

901. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/jcop.21580

Natalie A. Edirmanasinghe, Ian P. Levy, Kara Ieva, Shuntay Z. Tarver, Youth-led participatory

action research in school counseling as a vehicle for antiracist SEL, Theory Into Practice,

10.1080/00405841.2022.2036060, 61, 2, (199-211), (2022).

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice, 7th

Edition. John Wiley & Sons.

doi:http://gcumedia.com/digitalresources/wiley/2015/counseling-the-culturally-

diverse_theory-and- practice_ebook_7e.php

West-Olatunji, C. (2010). If Not Now, When? Advocacy, Social Justice, and Counselor

Education. Counseling & Human Development, 42(8), 1–12. Retrieve https://search-

ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ehh&AN=58031106&site=eds-live&scope=site