1. Career Counseling:
A Holistic Approach
Chapter 9
Vernon G. Zunker

2. Career Counseling for Special Populations
Career Counseling for Multicultural Groups
Culture as complex concept
Cultural differences in work-related activities
Five major culture groups-Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans
Skills for cultural competence
Strategies for dealing with multicultural influences
Mental health issues of cultural groups

3. A Global Society
By the mid 21st Century the US will be a true multicultural society
An increasingly diverse society will present significant challenges to all human service practitioners
Career counselors are intent on developing career counseling objectives and strategies that will assist individuals of various ethnic groups

4. What is Culture?
Researchers are in the early stages of studies to determine appropriate intervention strategies and assessment instruments for specific ethic groups
There are examples of many meanings of culture
Culture is a dynamic system of rules, explicit and implicit, established by groups in order to ensure their survival, involving attitudes, values, beliefs, norms and behaviors that are shared by a group
Culture is a learned behavior. You may share some values, attitudes, and so on but from different cultures.

5. Cultural Differences in Work Related Activities
Collective Cultures: Africa, Asia and Latin America (focus on the welfare of the group)
Individuals strive to build solidarity.
How different cultural groups view time and the importance of being on time
How different groups view human nature can be important
Personal Space and Privacy are cultural issues

6. Cultural Differences in Work Related Activities
Power Distance-relationship between boss and subordinate
Uncertainty Avoidance-how cultures deal with anxiety and stress
Individualism/Collectivism-how the culture fosters individualism rather than group tendencies.
Masculinity-fosters differences between sex
Culture has an important role in work related values

7. The Challenge of Becoming Culturally Competent
Counselors must develop appropriate services cross- culturally.
Understand one’s assumptions, values and biases
Understand the worldview of culturally different clients
Develop appropriate intervention strategies and techniques

8. Traits of the Culturally Effective Counselor
An ability to recognize which values and assumptions the counselor holds regarding the desirability or undesirability of human behavior
Awareness of the generic characteristics of counseling that cut across many schools of counseling theory
Understanding of th sociopolitical forces of oppression and racism that have influenced the identity and perspective of the culturally different

9. Traits of the Culturally Effective Counselor
An ability to share the worldview of his or her clients without negating its legitimacy
True electicism in his or her counseling

10. Five Major Cultural Groups
African American
Asian
Hispanic
Native American
White

11. Some Mental Health Issues of Cultural Groups
Anxiety Disorders-includes panic and fear
Depression or Mood Disorders-Depression is a constant among cultures.
Personality Disorders-Personalities are culturally unique.
Somatoform Disorders-imagined illnesses
Schizophrenia-occurs more in developing countries and is prevalent in Czechosloviakia, Denmark, England, India, and the Soviet Union.

12. Strategies for Dealing with Multicultural Issues
Ethnicity and Gender
Individualism and Collectivism
Helping Clients to live and work in a Culturally Diverse Society
Use role models and focus on individual potential.