Justification of Diversity - Assignment Example

Diversity refers to the inclusion of people, who belong to different cultures, races, ethnic groups, and gender, in an organization or any group (Sue, 2006). This enables people to understand that each person is unique, as well as recognize individual differences. Knowledge and awareness of cultures, races, ethnic groups, and gender will be helpful to therapists and other professionals to avoid cultural oppression. The training of various professionals, such as therapists and corrections officers has considered diversity as a significant tool for encouraging quality among different individuals. According to Sue (2006), professionals, who lack the knowledge of diversity, treat people differently by gender, cultural, ethnic, and racial differences. This discussion will consider ethnocentric monoculturalism and how worldviews affect how people relate to others.

Ethnocentric monoculturalism refers to a belief in which people consider their own cultures or heritages to be superior to other people’s cultures and heritages (Leahey, 2003). Social workers and other professionals should be aware of the increasing diversity within human societies. This is because they have a high likelihood of meeting new clients with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, races, gender, and social classes. It is necessary to note that these changes may lead to problems in how caregivers and other professionals will interact with new clients, who belong to different backgrounds (Sue, 2006). However, some observers believe that these differences will impact how social workers and health workers interact with their clients irrespective of universal psychology. According to Leahey (2003), it is true that few professionals work with universal psychology, but most professionals follow the orientation of ethnocentric monoculturalism.

The aftermaths of ethnocentric monoculturalism orientation lead to conflict by cultural antagonism, as well as inappropriate lifestyles and values of individuals in a culturally diverse community (Leahey, 2003). Therapists and healthcare professionals have asserted that counselling and psychotherapy may be under the influence of oppression, status quo, and value transmitters of a society. This shows that ethnocentric monoculturalism has dysfunctional aspects, which hinder the effective delivery of services in society. Therefore, ethnocentric monoculturalism has a significant influence on the formation of goals and processes of social systems that deal with service delivery (Leahey, 2003).

It has been evident from various studies and observations that the presence of repressive factors in societies can hinder the economic progress of some people (Lum, 2010). Therefore, societies can limit some people’s rights and freedom. Therapists and healthcare professionals can oppress some clients based on differences in gender, sexual orientation, and race. Social assumptions, beliefs, values, and practices in social sectors, such as healthcare sectors, influence how some groups of people will get access to services. For instance, healthcare professionals may fail to attend to lesbians and gays or people of colour in an effective way (Lum, 2010). This is because healthcare professionals do not like the cultural values and beliefs of other cultural groups. People have criticized American psychology as being ethnocentric and biased against gays, lesbians, women, racial minorities, and other groups of different cultural backgrounds. Many societies possess stereotypes that oppress minorities, including people of colour and women (Lum, 2010).

Therapists and other professionals should deconstruct and uncloak the values, assumptions, and biases due to monoculturalism (Leahey, 2003). This is because the monoculturalism leads to cultural oppression and cultural encapsulation. Social service providers must understand that ethnocentric monoculturalism results in ageism, sexism, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression in society. Understanding the worldviews of people from different cultural groups will enable a professional to deal with various clients without partiality (Sue, 2006).

A person may consider the culture of other people as less qualified, unpopular, having undesirable traits, and less intelligent (Leahey, 2003). The professionals, who belong to the superior group, have a high likelihood of influencing the actions and practices that take place in the sectors that they represent. For instance, the Whites perceive the Blacks as individuals, who belong to the minority group (Sue, 2006). They impose standards and beliefs on those individuals who belong to other groups, especially the perceived minority groups. Various professionals must devise and implement practices and policies that will discourage ethnocentric monoculturalism values. This will ensure that people will get equal and fair access to services in various sectors.