Serving the Descendants of Aztlán: A Rehabilitation Counselor Education Challenge

Abstract

Rehabilitation counselor education programs are currently being challenged to include a focus on cultural differences in their curriculums. The purpose of this article is to recommend that the training of rehabilitation counselors indeed include a focus on cultural pluralism. The authors have presented a brief overview of the history, values, and beliefs of Chicanos in order to demonstrate the need for pluralism within rehabilitation counseling. Recommendations for incorporating culture specific knowledge within rehabilitation counselor graduate curriculums are presented.

Considerations of culture and social class for families facing cancer: The need for a new model for health promotion and psychosocial intervention.

“…We also note that language is an important aspect of culture (Medina, Marshall, & Fried, 1988). Furthermore, we acknowledge that culture changes over time, may involve multiple and overlapping frameworks, and has permeable boundaries.…”

“…1Among the definitions offered for culture, we use the following: “culture refers to the learned behaviors, values, norms, and symbols that are passed from generation to generation within a society” (Loveland, 1999, p. 18). We also note that language is an important aspect of culture (Medina, Marshall, & Fried, 1988). Furthermore, we acknowledge that culture changes over time, may involve multiple and overlapping frameworks, and has permeable boundaries.…”

Toward a Cultural Anthropology of Disability and Rehabilitation

“…Rubin, Pusch, Fogarty, and McGinn (1995) identified needs and educational priorities for enhancing the cultural sensitivity of rehabilitation counselors. Medina, Marshall, and Fried (1988) recommended incorporating knowledge of Chicano culture into rehabilitation counselor education programs. Hershenson ( 1989 ) compared rehabilitation counselor education in Australia and the United States.…”

Gender differences in the perceptions of psychosocial experiences reported by persons with disabilities

“…In contrast to Western cultural values of individual independence, persons from most other Eastern or European cultures have tended to possess more interdependent views of self where the social unit (usually family and friends of the same ethnic background) took primary consideration over the individual (Thompson). The role of family with its collectivistic emphasis on harmony, obedience and sharing rather than an individualistic preference for independence and assertiveness has been reported in North American (Chan, Lam, Wong & Leung, 1988;Kunce & Vales, 1984;Lam, 1993;Lowrey, 1983;Medina, Marshall & Fried, 1988;Trevino & Szymanski, 1996) and Australian (Adams & Gilbert;Fitzgerald et al . ;Kanelopoulou & Berry, 1992;Pane, 1993) analyses of ethnic minorities.…”

“…In contrast to Western cultural values of individual independence, persons from most other Eastern or European cultures have tended to possess more interdependent views of self where the social unit (usually family and friends of the same ethnic background) took primary consideration over the individual (Thompson). The role of family with its collectivistic emphasis on harmony, obedience and sharing rather than an individualistic preference for independence and assertiveness has been reported in North American (Chan, Lam, Wong & Leung, 1988; Kunce & Vales, 1984; Lam, 1993; Lowrey, 1983; Medina, Marshall & Fried, 1988; Trevino & Szymanski, 1996) and Australian (Adams & Gilbert; Fitzgerald et al .; Kanelopoulou & Berry, 1992; Pane, 1993) analyses of ethnic minorities. These analyses often argued for greater understanding from rehabilitation service providers whose individualistic Western values of independence and achievement, different lifestyles, and different concepts of disability and sickness, have encouraged the tendency of clients from cultural minorities to rely upon family and friends for help instead of formal health and medical services.…”