Abstract
Multicultural counseling is often promoted as a core element in counselor development. As such, educational efforts aim to
increase counselors’ cultural relativism, or their ability to recognize their own enculturation and to appreciate the value
of other cultural norms. This mixed qualitative-quantitative study explored the relationship between counselor and human service
professional trainees’ moral development levels and their cultural assumptions after they had experienced a course in cultural
diversity. Four themes were noted: (i) reflexivity about culture, (ii) orientation toward activism and advocacy, (iii) differences
in attitudes toward sexual orientation and religion, and (iv) increased alertness to culture. Implications for culturally
alert practice are discussed.
increase counselors’ cultural relativism, or their ability to recognize their own enculturation and to appreciate the value
of other cultural norms. This mixed qualitative-quantitative study explored the relationship between counselor and human service
professional trainees’ moral development levels and their cultural assumptions after they had experienced a course in cultural
diversity. Four themes were noted: (i) reflexivity about culture, (ii) orientation toward activism and advocacy, (iii) differences
in attitudes toward sexual orientation and religion, and (iv) increased alertness to culture. Implications for culturally
alert practice are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 1-18
- DOI 10.1007/s10447-011-9142-4
- Authors
- Garrett John Mcauliffe, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
- Tim Grothaus, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
- Margaret Jensen, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
- Rebecca Michel, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
- Journal International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling
- Online ISSN 1573-3246
- Print ISSN 0165-0653