Servicing The Culture Not Just The People

A few years ago I overheard a Caseworker complain about a family she was serving while waiting for her case to start in Family Court. In the conversation, she mentioned that both the mother and father were very rude towards her and that the children were too quiet when she visited them. She went on to say that the father was oppressive towards women because of how he treated his wife and daughter. She ended the conversation by saying “they need to embrace American culture now that they are living here.” An hour later, Court started and the family she was talking about appeared. To my surprise, I knew the family very well and was knowledgeable about their history. I also knew that the Caseworker’s statement was completely ignorant.

The family that she was referring to were Bosnians. Only three years earlier they were in the middle of a war. They saw and experienced some horrific things. Families and friends being murdered and raped throughout their countryside. They were still trying to overcome these images and feelings when they were accused of educational neglect by the School district and the Department of Social Services.This family was a loving and caring family. All they have now is each other. The father was not this oppressive man that this Case worker described nor was the daughter or mother oppressed. The family are also Muslims. Their culture and beliefs may have sparked this Caseworker’s negative opinion on them.

In order for us as human service professionals to provide quality and effective services, we must understand and embrace out client’s culture. We need to respect their faith and boundaries. What we may perceive as “signs” of red-flags, may be more then just cultural differences. A quite child around adults may just be a sign of cultural respect. Communication barriers may not be barriers at all, but cultural differences.

What I am stating may seem like common knowledge for some, but this problem is ongoing. Diversity issues are still a problem organizations face. I still hear racial and prejudice comments and remarks made towards families by respected professionals. The generation we currently serve are experiencing many obstacles. We do not need to be another obstacle for them. The music they listen to, the clothes they wear the language they speak (slang), and the decisions they make are all apart of their culture. You may not understand or approve the culture, but you should respect it. Respect is the only way we can get this generation to open up to us. Tools of education, experience and economics are strong methods of empowerment. We just have to figure out away to include these tools in our approach without compromising our client’s beliefs. Our opinions and suggestions may have been effective on previous clients, but may go against our current client's faith and values. Culture diffusion is not one-sided, but multi-dimensional. In order for our clients to embrace our beliefs we must take the first step to embrace theirs'.