The interface between indigenous cultural beliefs and modern industrial culture is explored in this article in relation to first, the perception of indigenous people and second, the implications for culturally sensitive professional practice, from a multicultural and international perspective. The main aims are to contribute to a better understanding of the significance of indigenous belief systems in the formulation of human service practice models; and to the development of a parallel practice or service delivery system for human service organizations based on indigenous cultural beliefs rather than on a dominant Euro-centric approach. Graham (1999) suggests that Euro-centric practice principles constitute the dominant discourse that needs to be complemented by, for example, an African-centered one or a more overarching indigenous-centered approach, which values and emphasizes collective over individualistic conceptions of families, spirituality, relationships and the interconnectedness of all things. Without an indigenous modality we are in danger of losing a unified worldview of reality. Other researchers also discuss the importance of and emphasize the necessity to incorporate indigenous cultural beliefs as part of the service delivery system. (McCallion et al.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.