The Influence of Culture in Social

Work Practice: Strengthening

Global Perspectives
Joanne Corbin, PhD
Smith College
School for Social Work

Council on Social Work Education | www.cswe.org

 Purpose of this Module

The purpose of this module is to

strengthen social workers’ integration of
global perspectives in their practice. This
module identifies cultural influences on
social workers’ understanding of
presenting issues, assessments, and
interventions. Examples of cultural
orientations from regions worldwide are
presented. Attention is on individualism
and collectivism as one aspect of culture.
 Learning Objectives

1. To strengthen social workers’ cultural competency.

2. To increase awareness of how one’s cultural

orientation affects understanding of a client’s/client
system’s presenting concerns.

3. To develop knowledge of individualism and

collectivism as one aspect of culture.

4. To assess the influence of cultural orientation on

social work practice.

5. To develop more inclusive ways of exploring culture

when working with clients/client systems.
 Relevance of Global Learning
for Social Work Practice
• The U.S. population has become increasingly ethnically,
linguistically, and culturally diverse, therefore its social
workers must be knowledgeable of client populations.
• Individuals’ multicultural experiences and backgrounds are
salient aspects of identity and social workers must develop
awareness of and skill in addressing these
intersectionalities.
• Specifically-
– U.S. social workers may work with new arrival clients/client systems and
families who hold cultural values, beliefs, and practices for which social
workers will need to increase their knowledge and skills.
– U.S. social workers will work with clients/client systems from the U.S. who
hold cultural values, beliefs, and practices for which social workers will
need to increase their knowledge and skills.
– U.S. social workers may work with clients/client systems in international
contexts with cultural values, beliefs, and practices for which social
workers will need to increase their knowledge and skills.
 2.1.4: Engage diversity and
difference in practice
(EPAS, 2008, p. 4-5)
• Cultural experience can shape one’s development, interactions,
and understanding of the social world.

• This module;
– engages social workers around culture and cultural
differences as an important aspect of human experience,

– encourages social workers to develop a deeper awareness of

their own cultural perspectives influencing their work and
cultural differences with clients,

– strengthens social workers’ attention to the ways culture can

impact assessment of client presenting concerns, perception
of strengths and weaknesses, and development of
interventions,

– supports social workers to identify important resources for

supporting their ongoing learning related to cultural influence
on their practice.
 2.1.7: Apply knowledge of human
behavior and the social environment
(EPAS, 2008, p. 6)
• Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across
the life course, the range of social systems in which people live,
and the ways that social systems support or hinder well-being.

• This module;
– explores the concepts of individualism and collectivism as an
aspect of culture that affects individuals’ worldview, their sense
of self, and their relationships to others,

– provides opportunities for students to reflect on and discuss

vignettes from the social work literature reflecting cultural
differences and similarities among clients and social workers
and among social workers,

– allows students to identify strategies to increase their

understanding of culture and include that understanding in
their practice.
 NASW, 2008
Standard 1.05

• NASW Codes of Ethics: Ethical Standard of Cultural Competence

and Social Diversity (1.05) stipulates that,

– A) social workers should understand culture and its function in

human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist
in all cultures,

– B) social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients’

cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the
provision of services that are sensitive to client’s cultures and to
differences among people and cultural groups,

– C) social workers should obtain education about and seek to

understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with
respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status,
political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or
physical disability.
Three Conceptualizations of Culture (1)

Culture can be conceptualized as the

shared beliefs, attitudes, norms, roles,
and behaviors transmitted among
members of a group.

(Triandis, 1995)
Three Conceptualizations of Culture (2)

“Culture is the way of life of a society

and life patterns related to conduct or
ways of behavior, beliefs, traditions,
values, art, skills, and social
relationships. Culture perpetuates the
sharing of ideas, attitudes, values, and
beliefs among individuals of that culture.”

(Lum, 2007, p. 54)

Three Conceptualizations of Culture (3)

“The collective programming of the mind

that distinguishes the members of one
group or category of people from another.
… The “mind” stands for the head, heart,
and hands – that is, for thinking, feeling, and
acting, with consequences for beliefs,
attitudes, and skills. …Culture in this sense
includes values: systems of values are a
core element of culture.”

(Hofstede, 2001, pp. 9-10)

 Unstated Assumptions of Culture
(Triandis, 1995)

• Inherent in the conceptualizations of culture is that

people within a specific culture are connected by
beliefs, norms, values, behaviors, and practices that
are often unstated.

• Individuals may not be aware of their culturally based

beliefs, values, norms and practices until they
interact with others who do not share the same
cultural experience.

• Social workers must develop an awareness of the

culturally based beliefs, values, norms, and practices
that they bring with them into their work with
individuals, families, and groups.
 Definition of
Cultural Competence
• Cultural competence at the level of the individual social
worker:
– includes continued self-awareness and reflection of one’s own
cultural background and experiences,
– supports increased awareness and appreciation of cultures of
others,
– recognizes the differences in cultural backgrounds and
experience between self and clients and respects the client’s
cultural world in the work,
– involves continuous attention to cultural awareness,
knowledge acquisition, and skill development (Lum, 2007),
and
– includes awareness and attention to the relational nature of
the interaction between social worker and client – cross
cultural competence (Lee, 2010).
• Cultural competence does not rest solely with and in the
social worker.
 Cross-Cultural Competency

Social Worker Client / Client System

Culture Culture

Internalized Culture Internalized Culture

Relational
Space of
Individual Characteristics Interaction Individual Characteristics

Adapted from Lee, 2010

 Exercise 1: Student Reflection on
Personal Culture
• Identify a cultural group or groups to which you feel
connected.

• Identify beliefs, values, norms, or practices that you

associate with that particular cultural group (groups).

• Reflect on the salience of these cultural characteristics in

your day-to-day life.

• In what ways do these cultural characteristics intersect with

your unique individual characteristics?

• Consider ways that these cultural beliefs, values, norms, or

practices may influence your social work practice with
clients or colleagues.
 Cross Cultural Reflection
(Reflect on these areas for you and a client)

Social Worker Client/Client System

Culture: Culture:

Internalized Culture: Internalized Culture:

Individual Characteristics: Individual Characteristics:

 Individualism and Collectivism

• One way of conceptualizing the distinctions of specific cultures is

through the constructs of individualism and collectivism.
– Also referred to as low context cultures and high context
cultures.
– Such constructs have utility in identifying shared norms about
human relationships.
• Individualism and collectivism are not exclusive; cultures have a
mixture of both.
– Important to explore what is true for an individual’s experience
of culture.
• Four dimensions can be used to describe individualism and
collectivism and dynamics underlying relationships (Triandis,
1995).
– Self
– Goals
– Obligations
– Relationships
 Individualism
(Low Context Cultures)
• Tendency to view self as independent.

• Tendency for personal and familial/communal goals

to be unaligned.

• Tendency for social behaviors to be guided by

personal attitudes, needs, rights, and contract.

• Tendency for relationships to be guided by

consideration of advantages and disadvantages of
those relationships.

• Individuals with predominant patterns on this

dimensions may be referred to as idiocentric.
 Collectivism
(High Context Cultures)
• Tendency to view self as interdependent.

• Tendency towards alignment of personal and

familial/communal goals.

• Tendency for social behaviors to be guided by norms,

obligations, and duties.

• Tendency for relationships to be maintained for the

importance of the social context.

• Individuals with predominant patterns on this

dimension may be referred to as allocentric.
 Application to Social Work
(Healy Example)
• Healy (2001, p. 160) describes a Zambian social worker,
trained in the U.S., working in Zambia with an adolescent
Zambian male who had experienced legal difficulties.

• After working with this adolescent and upon returning him

to his village, the village leader and other elders in this
community wanted to know what happened and what his
condition was.

• The social worker stated that he could not share this

information due to confidentiality and needed to speak to
the adolescent’s parents.

• The village leader was stunned and bemused by the social

worker’s response.
 Common Aspects of African
Cultural Orientation
• Collectivism is believed to be the predominant cultural orientation
in Africa (Eaton & Louw, 2000; Honwana, 2006).

– One’s identity is grounded in connection with others and to the

community (Kamya, 1997; Mbiti, 1990; Oosthuizen, 1991).

– Personal and group goals are closely aligned and decisions

are usually made based on the needs of the group (Triandis,
1995).

– Obligations and norms include gender role expectations,

hierarchy between parents and children, elders and the
community, and ancestors (Triandis, 1995).

– Relationship includes connection with individuals who are

living, ancestors, the spiritual beliefs, nature, history, and
culture (Kamya, 1997; Mbiti, 1990).
 Exercise 2: Questions for Reflection
for Healy Example
• How might understanding the broad cultural concepts of
individualism and collectivism be useful to this social
worker in supporting this adolescents’ return home?

• Where could this social worker gain culture specific or

ethnic group specific knowledge?

• How might the social worker explore this situation from the
perspectives of 1) the adolescent, 2) the family, 3) the
elders and community? Are there other aspects of culture
that may be important to consider?

• Suppose this social worker was based in the U.S. and

returning the Zambian client to his family and extended
family that were now living in the U.S. How might a social
worker respond to the family?
 Application to Social Work
(Shonfeld-Ringel Example)
• Shonfeld-Ringel (2001) presents a vignette of a social work
intern at a university counseling center working with a 19
year old Taiwanese female student.

– Presenting concerns were depression and suicidal

ideation.

– Client missed her family and was experiencing difficulty

adjusting to a new culture.

– Client was in the U.S. as her father’s wish to support

her brother who was studying in the U.S.

– Client’s desire was to pursue her studies in Taiwan.

 Shonfeld-Ringel Example cont.

• The social worker wanted to help the client find her

own voice and express her own needs.

• The client’s cultural traditions placed importance on

familial over individual needs. Interdependence and
familial harmony was valued over independence.

• Therapist felt the “therapeutic task was to help the

client find her voice, learn to stand up for herself and
become more independent” (Shonfeld-Ringel, 2001,
p. 59).
 Exercise 3: Questions for Reflection
(Related to Shonfeld-Ringel Example)
• The first step in this example may be for a social
worker to develop an awareness of how culture may
affect conceptualization of the identified issue,
biopsychosocial assessment, creation of the
therapeutic task or plan, and plan of evaluation.

– How might the social worker use her supervisor

or supervisory colleagues to increase her
awareness of cultural aspects to consider?

– How does this social worker become aware of the

cultural biases that affect her work with the client?
 Exercise 3 cont.
Questions for Shonfeld-Ringel Example
• In what ways might this social worker engage differently
with this client once aware of the cultural values of familial
needs over individual needs or interdependence over
independence?

– Might the therapeutic focus in counseling change – if

so, how?

– How could this social worker learn about the salient

cultural values guiding this client’s decisions?

– Might the work include more involvement of family and

community relationships?

– Other considerations?
 ‘aina Culture:
Application to Social Work
• SEER – Strengths Enhancing Evaluation
Research (2010)
– University of Hawai’i Myron B. Thompson School of
Social Work in Partnership with the Consuelo
Foundation

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEubejt8oUg

• The first 8:37 minutes of this 25 minute

video describe ‘aina culture and are the
most relevant for this exercise.
 Exercise 4:
(Questions for ‘aina culture)
• What are key principles of ‘aina culture as discussed
in this video clip?
• Are aspects of collectivism that are evident in these
descriptions?
• How are these principles integrated into the two
programs?
• As a social worker interacting with individuals and
families from ‘aina culture what knowledge might be
useful to have as you begin developing a working
relationship.
• What issues may be important to consider as you
develop interventions with individuals and families.
 Ways to Strengthen Culturally
Informed and Responsive Practice
• Use of supervision
– Reflect on interactions with clients and explore social worker’s
culture-based assumptions
• Become acquainted with culture specific literature
– Scholarly work
– Cultural work, i.e., culture specific poems, myths, fiction, non-
fiction, plays
• Develop relationships with cultural informants
– Connect to individuals knowledgeable about the specific
cultural experience and who can provide understanding about
country of origin contexts or conceptual differences related to
mental health or social services
• Establish a collaborative network
– Establish relationships with various community resources and
services that will be useful to supporting work with clients that
are new or unfamiliar to the area.
 Exercise 5: Student Reflection
Strengthening culturally informed social work practice

• Consider ways that you can strengthen your attention to

culturally informed and responsive practice in your work.

– How might you ensure this becomes a part of your

supervision experience?

– Where might you locate individuals that can act as

cultural informants and navigators to enhance your
work?

– What community resources can you learn more about?

– Are there other ways to strengthen your knowledge and

skill of culturally informed and responsive practice?
 Summary
• Develop awareness of one’s cultural background and
experiences.
• Recognize and appreciate the cultural backgrounds
and experiences of clients.
• Understand the influence of the cultural perspectives
of the social worker and client on the interaction.
– Reflect on the cross-cultural nature of social work
practice
• Gain culture specific knowledge
• Understand the meaning of culture in the client’s life.
• Develop interventions with clients that are responsive
to the cultural needs of clients.
• Assess the effect of the intervention with clients
through verbal report and change in presenting issue.
 Cultural Competence

“…cultural competence is not developed

by choosing more correct than incorrect
responses but instead by making
thoughtful practice decisions with the best
information available and learning through
a process of reflection and evaluation
how to do better in the future.”

(Williams as cited in Williams, 2006, p. 218)

 Suggested Readings
(supporting exercises in this module)

• Lum, D. (2007). Culturally competent practice: A framework for

understanding diverse groups and justice issues. Belmont, CA: Thomson
Books/Cole.

• Healy, L.N. (2001). International Social Work: Professional action in an

interdependent world. New York: Oxford University Press.

• Lee, E. (2010). Revisioning cultural competencies in clinical social work

practice. Families in Society, 91(3), 272-279. DOI: 10.1606/1044-
3894.4005

• Shibusawa, T. & Chung, I.W. (2009). Wrapping and unwrapping emotions:

Clinical practice with East Asian immigrant elders. Clinical Social Work
Journal, 37(4), 312-319. DOI:10.1007/s10615-009-0228-y

• Shonfeld-Ringel, S. (2001). A re-conceptualization of the working alliance in

cross-cultural practice with non-western clients: Integrating relational
perspectives and multicultural theories. Clinical Social Work Journal, 29(1),
53-63.