The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Class in Counseling: Examining Selves in Cultural Contexts

Abstract

The author discusses the importance of counselors considering the intersection of multiple cultural identities in working with clients. The article serves as the introduction to the special issue, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Social Class in Counseling, of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development. La autora discute la importancia de considerar el cruce de las identidades culturales multiples de los clientes en la consejería. El artículo sirve como la introducción a la publicación especial, Raza, Etnicidad, y Clase Social, en la Consejería de la Revista de Consejería y Desarrollo Multicultural.

The experiences of postgraduate psychology students regarding the development of multicultural competence

“…Kendall Brown (2008) found that university experiences deliver more effective contributions to multicultural development when they provide continuous exposure to members of other cultures; include regular class meetings; equip students with knowledge about other cultures' practices, beliefs and values; and when they provide opportunity for reflective discussions for the purpose of understanding complex multicultural concepts. It is thus suggested that multicultural concepts be incorporated in every possible way by applying the content of the training to various cultural groups (Constantine 2002). In this study, participants indicated the need for more exposure to theoretical content and practical learning opportunities within their educational environment.…”

Asian international students' ethnic identity, spirituality, acculturation, and experience of racism: relationship with attitude toward seeking professional therapeutic help

“…Past studies have focused on ethnic variables without considering proximal variables such as spirituality, acculturation, and racism. Failure to recognize or take into consideration the intersection of ethnic identity with a variety of proximal variables can lead to inconclusive results and misinterpretation of outcome variables (Constantine, 2002;Uba, 2002).…”

“…Research on attitudes towards seeking therapeutic or related professional mental help has consistently shown that people seeking such help do have socio-cultural characteristics that can be differentiated from those who do not seek help (Broman, 1987;Constantine, 2002;Hall & Tucker, 1985;Kaniasty & Norris, 2000;Sue & Kirk, 1975;Tanaka-Matsumi & Marsella, 1976). However, seeking and receiving therapeutic help are also influenced by multiple proximal variables associated with ethnicity such as cultural values, social network orientation, and context, which are not adequately addressed in research (Kaniasty & Norris, 2000;Tomlinson-Clark & Cheatham, 1993).…”

“…By adopting a dynamic understanding of ethnicity, researchers may be able to minimize the oversimplifications and overgeneralizations of what it means (Constantine, 2002). For example, Sodowsky and Carey (1988) highlighted developmental models that propose hierarchical stages framework of ethnic, racial, and cultural identity.…”

Racial identity attitudes, perceived barriers, career self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations among African American male adolescents.

“…A common component of most racial identity theories describes strategies employed by African Americans to cope with negative reference group orientations, with many of the coping strategies employed assumed to result in unproductive or self-limiting behaviors. Racial identity development is usually described as context dependent (Noguera, 2008;Constantine, 2002;Spencer, Noll, Stoltzfus, & Harpalani, 2001) and acknowledges that not all African Americans are at high risk. However, as described by Spencer et al (2001), for many African American adolescent males, the experience of risk, coupled with the experience of stress, results in negative and reactive coping responses.…”