A Cultural Formulation Approach to Career ... - ResearchGate
A Cultural Formulation Approach to Career ... - ResearchGate A Cultural Formulation Approach to Career ... - ResearchGate
480 Journal of Career Development 37(1) Markus, is another cultural identity which Anil’s self (and indeed the self of any individual) is embedded. This layer of the social context also influences the fact that Anil is unable to follow some of his interests, as he believes that these would not progress his movement toward his cultural goals and values. Anil is a firstgeneration immigrant and likely has an acculturation level that is different from his parents; he is also faced with dealing with discrimination issues against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) population, all of which may influence his future career decisions. In addition, the historical, economic, and national regional context (Layer 4) of his university with regard to opinions toward his ethnic group and toward the LGBT population make it difficult for him to express a career outcome that would be congruent with all of his desires and passions Cultural explanations of the career concern. Anil’s career issues can be conceptualized and intervened from various culturally informed practices/models described above. However, for a therapist to provide culturally informed and appropriate interventions, Anil’s motives would first have to be understood. Anil needs to strike a balance between meeting the needs of the community, meeting the family’s expectations, meeting his individual needs and also being able to understand how these factors intersect with Anil’s motives, his abilities, his resources, and his interests. The therapist would have to be able to help Anil weigh the extent to which picking a profession that is expected of him meets his own needs. For example, it is unclear how conflicted Anil is about pursuing a career in medicine. By exploring with Anil what a career in medicine would mean to him, the counselor can get a better sense of whether pursuing a career in medicine would fulfill his personal, private needs (including, for example, fulfilling his role in the family) or whether this career path feels in conflict to his personal needs and values. The therapist would also have to be able to help Anil weigh the extent to which picking a career that he is especially interested in could be construed as meeting the needs of his family. If Anil’s parents want him to obtain stable, well-paying employment and believe this is only possible through a career in medicine, could Anil provide information to his parents that would persuade them that a career in the arts could also achieve these needs? All of this would preferably be done in collaboration with input from his family, his community, and his culture. Preferably a compromised balance can be explored where Anil’s obligations, expectations, needs, and interests are weighed out and addressed Cultural factors related to psychosocial environment and levels of functioning. A factor closely related to the element of psychosocial environment among Asian Americans is the fact that their identity is attached to the model minority myth. Social pressures force them to conform to the stereotypes of pursuing careers that are often science related. In addition, there is the pressure of conforming to the expectations of the family. There is also the additional concern regarding discrimination regarding Anil’s affiliation to an ethnic minority group and to a group where his sexual 480 Downloaded from http://jcd.sagepub.com at MICHIGAN STATE UNIV LIBRARIES on May 19, 2010
Leong et al. 481 orientation would most likely be ridiculed and not accepted. Clearly, Anil is faced with a situation of multiple oppressions. This means that the therapist will have to work on Anil’s drive for optimal distinctiveness, where a balance will need to be struck between his affiliation and distinction within his groups. A question to explore will be whether Anil can see long-term advantages worthy of the adjustment issues that may be associated with the cultural and societal norms he decides to adhere to and to those he decides to reject. Whatever decisions Anil decides to make will be associated with some level of distress, suggesting the need for the therapist to work on establishing new coping strategies and developing resources and support systems that can help Anil through the pressures from his psychosocial environment Cultural elements of the therapeutic relationship between Anil and the clinician. This is an important aspect of the therapy process, as it will significantly influence the outcome and satisfaction level of the client. In order for a therapeutic alliance to be made between Anil and the therapist, trust and understanding need to be paramount. This means exploring the degree of collectivism versus individualism Anil feels toward his family, community, and group. Without such exploration, the therapist runs the danger either of imposing an individualist approach and assuming the client feels conflicted about pursuing his family’s goal of a career in medicine, or of stereotyping the client and assuming a collectivist approach and assuming the client should not explore other possible career paths. All these factors will need to be investigated within the broader framework of the self, activities, attitudes, values, and behaviors among Asian Americans to determine the outcome of the career counseling process. In the end, the therapist needs to be informed of the Asian cultures, expectations, and values to be able to match those of the client. More importantly, the therapist needs to be aware of withingroup differences that exist among Asian Americans, and thus, take an approach that is mindful and thoughtful so that Anil’s individual needs are met within the context of the larger Asian Indian cultural norm. Overall cultural assessment for diagnosis and care. Culturally appropriate assessment for Anil would involve focusing on some of the following factors. Because this client comes from a collectivistic society, the therapist would need to look at the ‘‘self’’ of this client as defined within the boundaries of the group. This client values the expectations of his family and wants to be able to provide for his family in the future. Thus, some effort needs to be made to mediate the expectations of both the client and his family. The values, activities, and attitudes of his family would be important to consider and be accounted for. Because the values of this client’s group are often associated with harmony, face saving, filial piety, modesty, moderation, thrift, equality of distribution of rewards, and fulfilling other’s needs before your own, interventions will need to account for these factors so that the client can achieve an outcome that is consistent with his values and identity and with those of his culture Downloaded from http://jcd.sagepub.com at MICHIGAN STATE UNIV LIBRARIES on May 19, 2010 481
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480 Journal of <strong>Career</strong> Development 37(1)<br />
Markus, is another cultural identity which Anil’s self (and indeed the self of any<br />
individual) is embedded. This layer of the social context also influences the fact that<br />
Anil is unable <strong>to</strong> follow some of his interests, as he believes that these would not<br />
progress his movement <strong>to</strong>ward his cultural goals and values. Anil is a firstgeneration<br />
immigrant and likely has an acculturation level that is different from his<br />
parents; he is also faced with dealing with discrimination issues against the lesbian,<br />
gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) population, all of which may influence his<br />
future career decisions. In addition, the his<strong>to</strong>rical, economic, and national regional<br />
context (Layer 4) of his university with regard <strong>to</strong> opinions <strong>to</strong>ward his ethnic group<br />
and <strong>to</strong>ward the LGBT population make it difficult for him <strong>to</strong> express a career<br />
outcome that would be congruent with all of his desires and passions<br />
<strong>Cultural</strong> explanations of the career concern. Anil’s career issues can be conceptualized<br />
and intervened from various culturally informed practices/models described<br />
above. However, for a therapist <strong>to</strong> provide culturally informed and appropriate interventions,<br />
Anil’s motives would first have <strong>to</strong> be unders<strong>to</strong>od. Anil needs <strong>to</strong> strike a<br />
balance between meeting the needs of the community, meeting the family’s expectations,<br />
meeting his individual needs and also being able <strong>to</strong> understand how these<br />
fac<strong>to</strong>rs intersect with Anil’s motives, his abilities, his resources, and his interests.<br />
The therapist would have <strong>to</strong> be able <strong>to</strong> help Anil weigh the extent <strong>to</strong> which picking<br />
a profession that is expected of him meets his own needs. For example, it is unclear<br />
how conflicted Anil is about pursuing a career in medicine. By exploring with Anil<br />
what a career in medicine would mean <strong>to</strong> him, the counselor can get a better sense of<br />
whether pursuing a career in medicine would fulfill his personal, private needs<br />
(including, for example, fulfilling his role in the family) or whether this career path<br />
feels in conflict <strong>to</strong> his personal needs and values. The therapist would also have <strong>to</strong> be<br />
able <strong>to</strong> help Anil weigh the extent <strong>to</strong> which picking a career that he is especially<br />
interested in could be construed as meeting the needs of his family. If Anil’s parents<br />
want him <strong>to</strong> obtain stable, well-paying employment and believe this is only possible<br />
through a career in medicine, could Anil provide information <strong>to</strong> his parents that<br />
would persuade them that a career in the arts could also achieve these needs? All<br />
of this would preferably be done in collaboration with input from his family, his<br />
community, and his culture. Preferably a compromised balance can be explored<br />
where Anil’s obligations, expectations, needs, and interests are weighed out and<br />
addressed<br />
<strong>Cultural</strong> fac<strong>to</strong>rs related <strong>to</strong> psychosocial environment and levels of functioning. A fac<strong>to</strong>r<br />
closely related <strong>to</strong> the element of psychosocial environment among Asian Americans<br />
is the fact that their identity is attached <strong>to</strong> the model minority myth. Social pressures<br />
force them <strong>to</strong> conform <strong>to</strong> the stereotypes of pursuing careers that are often science<br />
related. In addition, there is the pressure of conforming <strong>to</strong> the expectations of the<br />
family. There is also the additional concern regarding discrimination regarding<br />
Anil’s affiliation <strong>to</strong> an ethnic minority group and <strong>to</strong> a group where his sexual<br />
480<br />
Downloaded from http://jcd.sagepub.com at MICHIGAN STATE UNIV LIBRARIES on May 19, 2010
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