Servicing an Ethnically Diverse Society: Foundational Terminology H311 Approaches to Cross-Cultural Counseling Lecture Josephine Kim, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC

The first U.S. census in 1790: 4 million Americans By 2000: 281 million Americans By 2010: Expected to reach 308 million Americans (Kim, 2009)

Statistics: Ethnic Minority Populations In 2005, the minority population totaled 98.3 million. In 2006, the nation’s minority population reached million. 45% of American children under the age of 5 are ethnic minorities. In 35 of the country's 50 largest cities, non-Hispanic whites are now or soon will be in the minority (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Culture Sets of shared world views and adaptive behaviors derived from membership in a variety of contexts: Ecological setting (i.e., rural, urban, and suburban) Religious background Nationality and ethnicity Migratory patterns (Falicov, 1988) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Culture Social class Gender-related experiences Political leanings Minority status Occupation Values (Falicov, 1988) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Culture Derived from belonging to the same generation Partaking of a single historical moment Sharing particular ideologies (Falicov, 1988) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Culture-Specificity Culture-specific: Characteristics pertaining to a particular group of ethnic people and their corresponding culture. (Kim, 2005) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Race Race: A human population that is considered distinct solely based on physical characteristics; a social construct. (Kim, 2005) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Racism Racism: The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. Discrimination, bias, or prejudice based on race. (Kim, 2009) (

Definitions Racism Discrimination: Treatment based on class or category rather than individual merit Prejudice: A preconceived preference or idea about certain diversity groups Bias: An unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice ( (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Institutional Racism Institutional Racism: Occurs when structural systems within an institution (intentionally or unintentionally) deny rights or benefits to certain racial groups ( (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Ethnicity Ethnicity: Belonging to a common group, often linked by race, nationality, and language with a common cultural heritage (Kim, 2005) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism: Looking at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture, with the belief that one's own race or ethnicity is the most important or is superior to those of other groups; judging other groups in relation to their own particular ethnicity or culture, especially with regards to language, behavior, and customs. (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Majority Culture Dominant/Majority Culture : The culture that consists of individuals who have the most influence in a society. The dominant culture, as regarded in the U.S., are White Americans of European descent. (Kim, 2005) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Minority Minority : A group of people who are singled out from others in society in which they live for differential treatment because of physical or cultural characteristics, and therefore, regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination (Mio, Trimble, Arredondo, Cheatham, & Sue, 1999) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Diversity Diversity: Variables such as age, ability, culture, spirituality, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation, which are addressed within the context of multicultural counseling. (Kim, 2005) (Kim, 2009)

Definitions Multiculturalism Multiculturalism in Counseling : Refers to practices that integrate multicultural and culture-specific awareness, knowledge, and skills into interactions or practices in the helping process. (Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992) (Kim, 2009)

What makes you different from all of the others who have oppressed and discriminated against me? For the culturally-different client, it boils down to one important question : (Kim, 2009)