Every person is different. We have all been mistreated, or oppressed by a group. We can’t understand their needs if we choose to ignore the historical or current differences. Many people fear that acknowledging differences could cause divisions. Knowing about cultural differences can make people more connected because it can help us see how much our common humanity can be. Social stratification refers to a social category that distinguishes one group from others for differential treatment or discrimination based on their cultural or physical characteristics. They are sometimes called “subordinate” or “marginalized” in society. These shifts in the demographics show how important and growing minorities are in this country. Hispanics account for the majority of minorities in the United States. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group, growing at 3.1% per year since 2010. This compares to blacks (1.6%) and Asians (3.0%). This toolkit is for all stakeholders. It includes supervisors and safety net providers from across the country. Safety-net services providers refers specifically to government agencies and programs. These include Temporary Assistance of Needy Families(TANF), child support services, labor, workforce and services for children, Head Start and child welfare services. This toolkit recognizes the diversity and dynamic nature of the Latino community. The immigrant family’s experiences, as well as subsequent generations, are rich, diverse, and complex. This toolkit was heavily influenced by studies on Puerto Rican and Mexican families. These two groups represent 64.9% of the U.S. Hispanic populations, respectively. This toolkit is designed to help safety-net providers develop cultural competence. It is clear that this toolkit is extremely useful and effective. This comes especially from someone who came from a Latino immigrant family and was forced to rely on public aid for years.
My mother was not fluent in English so I had to accompany her to appointments. I also remember feeling intimidated and embarrassed by workers because they looked down on us. Human service workers must be culturally competent and compassionate towards clients, especially if they don’t know their situation. People’s culture is an integral part of their lives. It influences their beliefs, values, humors, hopes, loyalty, fears, and worries. It is important to understand and have a perspective on the cultures of people when working with them and developing relationships. It is important to recognize the similarities between us as we examine culture. It is stated that Working with Latino Individuals/Couples and Families A toolkit to stakeholders is designed to:
To assist in the retention and recruitment of Latino families within services
To maximize the impact of Latino family members’ providers
Encourage healthy marriages and relationships to be integrated into existing service delivery systems in a family-centered, comprehensive approach to self-sufficiency.
The toolkit can be used to guide you in the following:
To assist in the retention and recruitment of Latino families within services
To maximize the impact of providers on the lives and well-being of Latino families
Encourage healthy marriages and relationships to be integrated into existing service delivery systems in a family-centered, comprehensive approach to self-sufficiency.
To better comprehend Latino culture and its values
To better understand how immigration and acculturation impact Latino families
To increase outreach and engagement for Latino clients.
Find out more about the value of marriage, relationship skills and strategies to integrate them into service delivery.
Our text, Cultural Diversity. a Primer for Human Services, says that “Cultural Paradigms define and determine how human beings experience life” (Diller (2015), p. 95). These are the dimensions for culture
Psycho-behavioral Modality describes the activity mode that is most commonly preferred in a culture.
Axiology refers the cultural teachings of interpersonal values.
Ethos can be defined as a collective belief that is held in a culture and guides social interactions.
Epistemology is a summary of the most effective ways to gain knowledge and learn about the world.
Logic is the kind logic that members of a group adopt.
Ontology is the way a culture sees reality.
Concept of Time refers to the way time is experienced in a culture.
The concept of self is how the members of a group perceive themselves.
Everyone sees the world in a different way and each person is unique. Everybody loves deeply, wants to learn, has hopes and fears, and has experienced pain. However, it is impossible to pretend that differences and cultures are irrelevant. We cannot ignore differences or pretend they don’t exist. The world has become more diverse. People of different religions, languages or economic groups are included. It is becoming apparent that understanding and appreciating many cultures will help us to develop relationships and strengthen alliances with other cultural groups.
Sources
Working with Latino Individuals and Families A toolkit to assist stakeholders. Retrieved from: https://library.healthymarriageandfamilies.org/cwig/ws/library/docs/
Diller, J.V. (2015). Cultural Diversity – A Primer For The Human Services (5th Ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.M2 Content Guide: Social Stratification. Retrieved from: https://moodle.esc.edu/mod/page/view.php?id=1903345