INFLUENCES ON CULTURE
Introduction
Cultural competency refers to the ability to comprehend, communicate with, and effectively socialize with other people from different cultures. Cultural competency, diversity, and multiculturalism are essential topics that need to be conceptualized. Minority groups need to have access to the best kinds of treatment which will result in positive treatment results (Butler, Lee & Gross, 2007). Counselors and other behavioral health experts who have a general understanding of how culture impacts their own opinions, as well as those of their clients, will work well with clients who have substance use and mental disorders. This will make it easy for them to offer solutions that will enhance the lives of their clients. Many things influence cultures such as ethnicity, and language among others. It is essential to be culturally competent so that they can embrace each other without prejudice.
Influences on culture
Adapting to a new culture may seem difficult but it becomes easy when we have a general understanding. I have come to understand that realizing the importance of culture is an important step towards knowing the dos and don’ts. As an individual, I noted that America was culturally different than other countries that I have lived in. Through socializing, I was able to learn more about different cultures and traditions, what needs to be done, and what needs to be avoided. This also helped ineffective communication since I was able to understand what they do and what to leave out. The American and Persian culture is so different that at times we had disagreements with other people. Through this, I became aware of what to say in public and what remains private. People have different attitudes and they perceive things differently, that is why it is important to think before we speak.
In terms of religion, it is essential to understand who Muslims are so that they can accord the help that is needed. In the United States of America, Islam is the second-largest growing group by 2010. It is not easy being a Muslim in America because they are perceived to be terrorists or associated with violent attacks (Ali, Liu & Humedian, 2004). This causes discrimination and it is difficult for other people to understand that they are not violent or terrorists. In the Muslim culture, drinking alcohol is forbidden but it cannot be assumed that all Muslim Americans follow this principle. For instance, likely, some Muslim American students who attend different universities where drinking alcohol is common are as vulnerable as their non-Muslim counterparts to alcoholism. This puts them in a position where they could be judged because other Muslims will view them as outcasts. I have not practiced religion in a long time and I am an atheist. This does not mean that I don’t value my religion. I have learned to respect other people’s religions as they do to mine. I learned that tolerance is a good foundation on which to build human relationships. It is important to learn and understand different religions. Mutual respect provides an understanding and enhances good relationships among people.
Furthermore, not being able to understand and respect different religions and cultures have negative impacts on all people. This creates unnecessary pressure among individuals to hate and fight each other (Castro, Barrera &Martinez, 2004). Having lived in an Islamic country has had both positive and negative effects on a different culture. I was able to teach people my culture and I was able to learn about different cultures in Dubai, Malaysia, and the United States of America. Therefore, it is important to adapt and respect multiculturalism and diversity as well as religion and socio-economic status.
In addition, having cultural knowledge helps people to understand why they do things in a certain way. It provides a sense of identity to individuals and directs people to observe the regulations of their culture. However, by advocating for multicultural competencies for ethnic minority groups, we are slowly discriminating against and ignoring other diversity features such as gender, social class, and sexual orientation. For instance in Iran, homosexuals are punished with some countries even have a death penalty for having sexual intercourse with another man. It was made a crime punishable by the death penalty in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution (Checa & Abundis-Gutierrez, 2018). This shows why gays are still discriminated against in this current generation. The minorities have become more diverse socioeconomically.
Many of them such as African Americans are being elected in public offices to fight for their needs so that the coming generations do not experience discrimination. Many times, professional organizations, local state, and federal agencies advocate for cultural competency. Appeals for cultural competency came from the status of minority category populations such as American Indians, Muslims, and African Americans. The American Muslims are presumed to be terrorists and violent attackers. Also, more minorities have earned graduate and professional degrees yet many of them do not even finish high school. The discussion on this issue sometimes becomes intense because there is an increase in the minority groups that is likely associated with essential issues relating to affirmative action, immigration, welfare, and reforms in education. There are few Americans who are aware of the minority groups and are ready to welcome them and help them adapt to a new life in the United States of America. This is good progress because people are learning to embrace each other which helps the communities to exist peacefully.
There are many movements that come forward to fight for them so that they can be treated equally with other people. This helps in saving more lives by protecting them against people who don’t value them. It is important to understand that people have different sexual orientations and should be respected at all times. Having cultural competency skills enables individuals to understand better and become knowledgeable regarding multiculturalism and diversity. The values and attitudes of individuals depend on how they are brought up and exposure to many things in the progressing world as it changes the way people think about others. Some individuals are self-entitled which results in bullying and disrespecting other people. This also explains why there have been increased cases of bullying in the United States of America. People need to familiarize themselves with other cultures and embrace diversity and multiculturalism. This ensures that there will be reduced violent cases in schools and promote peace.
Additionally, the explanation of cultural issues plays a critical role in understanding other people’s cultures. Through discussion and socialization, people become aware of societal expectations and how they can fulfill them (Matsumoto & Juang, 2016). It directs them to attain the goals of society. This also helps therapists to understand the cause of certain behavior and provide necessary recommendations that will benefit the client. Studies indicate that culturally adapted mediations give benefits to the outcomes of the mediations. This provides a ground for the client to add more value to what has been done and the degree to which the intervention has been executed.
Also, there are so many things that influence our culture like language. Through language, values are transmitted, laws are executed and it influences the personal identity of those who are living within the culture and creates behavioral boundaries (Vaughn, 2019). We are also able to share our experiences with other people and clearly understanding the words from a different language. For instance, my language is called Dari and I am fully aware of the language but in the United States of America, people speak a common language which is English. At first, I was bullied in high school because of my accent. I had to learn about a western culture so that bullying could stop. I was heartbroken because other people were laughing at me. I feared to talk to other people because I knew that people will laugh at my weakness. This could change a person’s perspective about someone yet they don’t know their origin for instance some could see me as an uneducated person because of my accent. Therefore, individuals must learn more about different cultures and diversity to prevent further judgment about a person.
All in all, respect is paramount and essential in today’s world. Many people are moving from one country to another in terms of education, work, or tourism. Therefore, it is important to embrace each other the way we are so that we can provide a safe place for the coming generation. Cultural competent individuals have a higher chance of surviving than people who have a negative attitude. Also, individuals must have a positive attitude which enables them to understand why they act in a certain way.
References
Ali, S. R., Liu, W. M., & Humedian, M. (2004). Islam 101: Understanding the Religion and Therapy Implications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 35(6), 635-642. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.35.6.635
Butler EA, Lee TL, Gross JJ. 2007. Emotion regulation and culture: Are the social consequences of emotion suppression culture-specific? Emotion 7(1):30–48
Castro FG, Barrera M, Martinez CR. 2004. The cultural adaptation of prevention interventions: resolving tensions between fidelity and fit. Prevent. Sci. 5(1):41–45
Checa, P., & Abundis-Gutierrez, A. (2018). Parenting styles, academic achievement and the influence of culture. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Research Study, 1(4), 1-3.
Matsumoto, D., & Juang, L. (2016). Culture and psychology. Nelson Education.
Vaughn, L. (2019). Psychology and Culture: Thinking, feeling =nd behaving in a global context. Routledge.