Chapter 1 - Understanding Resistance to Multicultural Training: Obstacles to Developing Cultural Competence

Question 1

The journey to becoming a competent culturally sensitive counselor in working with diverse populations is not complex as humans have innate characteristics that are relatively consistent across cultures with similar hopes and dreams that mark their humanness.

T/F

Answer 1

F

• Becoming culturally competent in working with diverse populations is a complex interaction of many dimensions that involves broad theoretical, conceptual, research, and practice issues.
• Moreover, the journey will be filled with obstacles to self-exploration, to understanding yourself as a racial/cultural being, and to understanding the worldview of those who differ from you in race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other sociodemographic characteristics.
• The subject matter in this book and course requires the reader to explore biases and prejudices, a task that often evokes defensiveness and resistance.

Question 2

Becoming culturally competent in mental health practice demands that nested or embedded emotions be openly experienced in which of the following sociodemographic dimensions of difference? Select all the apply

a. race
b. culture
c. gender
d. sexual orientation
e. only a and b

Answer 2

a, b, c, d

• The journey to becoming culturally competent therapists is filled with obstacles to self-exploration, to understanding oneself as a racial/cultural being, and to understanding the worldview of those who differ from others in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other sociodemographic dimensions

Question 3

The three types of resistance that are often encountered by students studying diversity training are:

a. cognitive; emotional; behavioral
b. psychological; physiological; emotional
c. dissonance; isolation; invalidation
d. physical; emotional; spiritual

Answer 3

a

• In work with resistance to diversity training, research reveals how it is likely to be manifested in three forms: cognitive resistance, emotional resistance, and behavioral resistance

Question 4

Identify at least three emotions you experienced as you read the reactions of the four students. Reflect on why you feel those emotions surfaced.

Answer 4

Grief, anger, depression, and guilt

• one of the greatest concerns of instructors is the strong emotive reactions of students to the material: grief, anger, depression, and guilt in working through the content.

Question 5

The burden to become multiculturally competent rests on the trainees from dominant culture as in most cases they have been the ones to marginalize, stereotype, and oppress minority cultures. Thus, it is the responsibility of the dominant culture to help rectify this in raising awareness and also in becoming competent in working with diverse populations.

T/F

Answer 5

F

Understanding multicultural counseling competence applies equally to trainees from dominant and marginalized groups and to helping professionals.

Question 6

According to Kiselica (1999, as cited in Sue 8th edition), White psychologists avoid topics of race because: SATA

a. It may reveal their own prejudices and biases
b. They are racked with guilt over the way people of color have been treated
c. They are fearful of being labeled a racist or blamed for the oppression
d. a and c only

Answer 6

a, b, c

• Kiselica, a White psychologist who addresses his own ethnocentrism and racism, contends that these topics (ethnocentrism and racism) are subjects that most Whites tend to avoid.
• He adds that most shy away from discussing these issues for many reasons.
• He posits that Whites are racked with guilt over the way people of color have been treated in our nation.
• Whites fear that they will be accused of mistreating others, and particularly fear being called the “R” word—racist.
• Many grow uneasy whenever issues of race emerge. Whites tend to back away, change the subject, respond defensively, assert their innocence and “color blindness,” and deny that they could possibly be ethnocentric or racist.

Question 7

Describe recent conversations you have had about diversity. What were the settings for those conversations to occur? What was the makeup of those participating in the discussion?

Answer 7

Some students are closed off to diversity concerns because of the strong emotions they evoke in them, and as a result, they cannot utilize classroom talks on the subject as a chance to grow as individuals and as future citizens. Instead, conversations about diversity turn into “shouting matches” or one-sided speeches, not dialogues.

Question 8

How has your worldview shaped you? Consider, for example, the country you were born in, the family you had, the home or neighborhood you lived in or school you attended, opportunities you had, and any religious affiliation and how have each of these areas and/or others helped form you as a person?

Answer 8

Each of these things will affect the way people see the world. To be culturally competent counselors, they must first understand their own worldview and then the client’s. As a counselor or therapist who works with clients from different cultures, it’s important to first understand how different people see the world. But in order to see the differences or similarities, you must first look at how you see yourself and how your worldview has made you who you are.

Question 9

In order to be a culturally competent therapist, one should avoid personal feelings and previous experiences with race, culture and gender and therefore be free to explore the client’s experience with prejudices or racism.

T/F

Answer 9

F

To become culturally competent, you have to have an emotional awakening about what you know, what you think, how you feel, and what you do when it comes to race, culture, ethnicity, gender, and other different groups. Also, the authors say that to be culturally competent in counseling and mental health practice, enclosed or hidden emotions related to race, culture, gender, and other sociodemographic differences must be openly felt and talked about.

Question 10

The authors state that in multicultural counseling, best practice dimensions operate at which of the following levels? SATA

a. individual
b. familial
c. group
d. institutional
e. societal

Answer 10

a, b, c, d, e

Question 11

The subject matter in this book and course requires you to explore your _ and _ a task that often evokes _ _and _ _.

Answer 11

biases; prejudices; defensiveness; resistance

Question 12

What current news stories demonstrate the different reactions to racism between dominant and marginalized group members?

Answer 12

Recent news stories that are getting a lot of attention, as well as the strong protests and responses from both powerful (dominant) and weaker (marginalized) groups.

Question 13

When counselors explore their own emotional reactions to race and culture, feelings such as defensiveness and anger can be destructive and are better left untouched.

T/F

Answer 13

F

This book and course ask you to think about your own biases and prejudices, which is a task that often makes people feel defensive and resistant. Also, it’s important to be aware of how the material makes you feel, to figure out what it means, and to learn about yourself and others. These strong emotions often make it hard for us to hear the voices of those who are most victimized and powerless. Also, how we, as helping professionals, deal with these strong feelings can either help us learn more about ourselves as racial/cultural beings or make it harder for us to understand how clients from different cultures see the world.

Question 14

Microaggressions are best described as

a. minor offenses that are typically unintentional and thus harmless in nature
b. the everyday slights, put-downs, invalidations, and insults directed toward a group
c. racist statements that cause minimal harm because they are micro in nature as opposed to macro
d. feelings of inferiority that racism and prejudice cause minority groups
e. underlying anger that oppressed groups feel but do not allow to surface

Answer 14

b

Microaggressions are the everyday slights, put-downs, invalidations, and insults directed toward socially devalued group members by well-intentioned people who are unaware that they have engaged in such biased and harmful behaviors. Furthermore, a lifetime of microaggressions can have a major harmful impact on the psychological well-being of victims

Question 15

For practicing professionals and trainees in the helping professions, understanding the differing _ _ _ of our culturally diverse clients is tantamount to effective multicultural counseling.

Answer 15

worldviews

The authors say that the path to becoming culturally competent therapists is full of obstacles to self-exploration, to understanding oneself as a racial/cultural being, and to understanding the worldview of people who are different from others in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other sociodemographic factors. In the same way, if you are a counselor or therapist who works with clients from different cultures, you need to first understand how their worldviews are different.

Question 16

Have you ever been a victim of racial prejudice, racial profiling, or microagression? If so, what emotions did that provoke in you?

Answer 16

anger, sadness, disgust, fear.

Question 17

The four students reading the textbook all reacted in relatively similar fashion to the material, indicating the authors were successful in producing a politically correct textbook without “tiptoeing” around the emotionally charged topics.

T/F

Answer 17

F

Both White students felt angry and resentful, and they think the authors are wrong to say that racism is a problem in the U.S. and among White people. The white students say that the authors are also “racist,” but they are not white. The two students of color, on the other hand, felt heard, freed, and validated. They also say that the book’s content is “honest” and “truthful,” which shows that their real-life experiences were finally recognized and not ignored or silenced.

Question 18

One of the greatest concerns of instructors is the strong emotive reactions of students to the material. Some of these reactions may include: _____________, _______________, _________, ____________.

a. depression; withdrawal; anger; guilt
b. grief; anger; depression; guilt
c. hate; inferiority; aggression; cognitive dissonance
d. passive aggression; anger; overcompensation; guilt

Answer 18

b

• The authors say that one of the biggest worries of teachers is that students have strong emotional responses to the material, such as grief, anger, depression, and guilt as they work through it. They have known from the beginning that CCD is likely to make readers feel strong emotions because it challenges realities about race, gender, sexual orientation, and traditional therapeutic beliefs.
• CCD can be said to have reached one of its main goals by showing that cultural competence is more than just an intellectual exercise and must include dealing with the helper’s strong, hidden, and nested emotions and biases.
• On the other hand, these strong emotions can make students feel so defensive, guilty, and anxious that they can’t look into themselves, which is an important part of cultural competence in the helping professions.

Question 19

Anger is the primary subjective emotion encountered by White trainees exposed to multicultural content and its implications.

T/F

Answer 19

F

When White trainees learn about multicultural content and what it means, their main subjective feeling is anxiety. But the authors say that while anger is a common emotion, it is not the most important one. The authors say that instructors of multicultural counseling who use the text say that the book’s content challenges many White students about their racial, gender, and sexual orientation realities. They also say that the book’s passionate, direct, and hard-hitting writing style makes many people feel defensive, angry, anxious, guilty, sad, hopeless, and many other strong emotions. The authors also say that if these feelings aren’t dealt with and understood properly, they can make it hard to talk about race, gender, and sexual orientation.

Question 20

Marginalized group members often sense _ from the dominant culture.

a. emotional invalidation
b. emotional isolation
c. emotional dissonance
d. emotional affirmation

Answer 20

a

The authors talk about how many people of color say that majority group members often ignore, dismiss, negate, or think that their thoughts and feelings about race and racism are not real. When they talk about bias and discrimination, they are often told they are wrong, too sensitive, too suspicious, or even paranoid. In other words, they are told they are “crazy” to think or feel that way.

Question 21

Did you experience any positive feelings when you read this chapter? What did those mean for you?

Answer 21

The content of this book may be hard to read and understand, and the reader may feel strong emotions while doing so. Students who have taken a course on multicultural counseling/therapy or multicultural mental health issues have almost always had both positive and negative feelings that affect their ability to learn about diversity issues. It’s important not to ignore these feelings or to avoid finding out what they might mean psychologically.

Question 22

As can be seen from the students’ reactions to the text, many marginalized group members react equally strongly as their White counterparts when issues of oppression are raised.

T/F

Answer 22

T

This is especially true when their stories of being mistreated or hurt are ignored or downplayed. They think that people in power don’t know about or don’t care about racism, sexism, and homophobia because it makes people feel uncomfortable. Worse yet, they say that many well-meaning majority people don’t want to hear the personal stories of pain, shame, and suffering that people of color and other marginalized groups in our society go through.

Question 23

The author states as a “people of color” he directs his anger not at White Americans or the country but rather at

a. White supremacy
b. the government, which imposes inequality in its practices
c. White Western society
d. ethnocentrism
e. White privilege
f. a and d
g. all of the above

Answer 23

f

As people of color, we must realize that our enemies are not White Americans, but White supremacy! Additionally, by extension, our enemy is not White Western society, but ethnocentrism.

Question 24

The Impact and Social Justice Implications of Counseling and Psychotherapy discusses the need to recognize that counseling and psychotherapy may represent a _ _________ of race relations, gender relations, and other unequal status relations in our larger society.

Answer 24

microcosm

Part II of the text reads that the Impact and Social Justice Implications of Counseling and Psychotherapy discusses
(a) the need to acknowledge the political bases of Western European approaches;
(b) the necessity to recognize that counseling and psychotherapy may represent a microcosm of race relations, gender relations, and other unequal status relations in our larger society; and
(c) how the modern forms of bias (microaggressions) may affect both the psychological health of socially marginalized groups and our and their standard of living

Question 25

Understanding our own reactions to issues of diversity, multiculturalism, oppression, race, gender, and sexual orientation is equally important to our development as counselors/therapists. After reading this chapter, how do you plan to use this information in your profession?

Answer 25

Understanding how we feel about issues of diversity, multiculturalism, oppression, race, gender, and sexual orientation is just as important to our growth as counselors and therapists. This understanding can cause a lot of anxiety, especially when we have to face our own biases, stereotypes, and prejudices. They also say that “counselor or therapist, know thyself” is the most important part of being culturally competent in the helping professions.