Diversity in Human Services

Diversity in Human Services People are both similar and different; diversity is the recognising and valuing difference. Diversity relates to distinction such as gender, age, religion, race, culture, education, occupation, language, attractiveness, health, physical appearance. Cultural diversity is one aspect of diversity with a multitude of differences which come from our cultural heritage. Every aspect of life is touched by culture, culture affects how people perceive things, and it influences how people attribute meaning to communication. When cultural communication systems are unknown or ignored, messages are likely to be misinterpreted resulting in barriers to communication. To ensure effective communication Human Services workers require awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences to enable them to successfully serve a diverse range of people. This essay examines effective cross cultural communication for the Human Services worker, as culture refers to the language, knowledge, rituals, values that connect any group of people, in the scope of this essay the context of cultures is that from different countries. Firstly, it looks at some of the differences and problems when communicating cross culturally. Then the essay proposes solutions to reduce communication barriers and, finally proposing principles human service agencies should adopt to enhance communication. Working cross culturally the human service worker faces many challenges to effective communication because of the complex nature of culture, intercultural behaviours, core values and expression provide much possibility for misunderstanding. According to Fouad Arredondo communication patterns, styles, symbols and gestures are highly culture bound and unconsciously scripted. (Fouad Arredondo 2007 p42). Several variables can be considered to assist in the understanding of cultural differences to identify why problems arise, individualism versus collectivism is one variable. Individualistic cultures are where emphasis is on individual achievement as contrasted to collective cultures where importance is on what is best for the group. Counselling itself is a culturally specific activity having evolved from a Western philosophy of individualism, asking a client from a collective culture to focus on hyperintrospection and hyperindividualism will not resonate result in a lost opportunity. Whi lst not speaking the same language is a more obvious barrier to communication, consider the communication barrier created when a client for whom English is a second language is expected to verbalise highly complex emotions. (Wheeler 2006 p150) Cultures can also be distinguished as having low context or high context communication, in low context cultures such Australia or America communication is direct, the meaning is in the message. Asian, Mediterranean and Arab cultures are high context where communication is indirect and it is equally important to look at the implicit meanings and body language. Misunderstandings arise when there is a lack of awareness in the different style of communicating. For example, Indigenous Australians would consider it rude to directly ask a question and instead hint (Mundine 1999, p. 1). This is similar to Asian concept of saving face indirect communication is used to prevent discomfort for either party. In some Asian cultures this is extended to some not disclosing physical abuse for fear of losing face or embarrassing the family (Devito 2009, p. 281), however withholding such information creates a barrier to communication for the human services worker. Non verbal communication is another factor which in which meaning differs between cultures, and if these differences are not understood leads to communication breakdown. In some cultures nodding the head means no, or the nod of a head from a Chinese person does not implicitly mean that they agree. In Western culture direct eye gaze is considered a sign of honesty, in cultures such as Japan however, direct eye gaze is a sign of disrespect. De Vito (2009, p. 133) concludes try visualising the potential for misunderstandings that eye communication alone could create. A Human Services worker lacking awareness of cultural-based norms, such as family structure and gender rules, risks violating these rules, their behaviour impeding trust and confidence. For example, married Muslim women cannot touch a man other than their husband. Lack of awareness or sensitivity to these norms creates conflict and a lost opportunity for engagement. Another barrier to communication results where the Human Service worker consider their own culture to be superior to others cultures. Gamble and Gamble conclude that ethnocentrism is key to failed intercultural communication efforts. (Gamble Gamble 2009, p.27). Finally, cultural stereotyping is a barrier to effective cross cultural communication, whilst it is necessary to group people to simplify understanding differences, it is problematic perceive that all are the same. For example, to believe that all immigrants from the Middle East are unable to assimilate into Australian society is cultural stereotyping. Stereotyping demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of diversity leading to a breakdown in communication. This paper has looked at some cross cultural communication differences and problems that arise that can be covered in the scope of this essay, the paper now proposes solutions to enhance communication and reduce communication barriers. To enhance communication and reduce barriers in cross cultural communication the Human Services worker develops knowledge and skills. Integral to this is self awareness, being aware of and challenge ones perceptions and bias. Workers must to increase intercultural communication competence by developing knowledge of different cultural differences, Gamble Gamble confirm it is vital to make the unknown known we need to conduct ourselves in a manner designed to reduce the strangeness of strangers; that is, we need to open ourselves to differences by adding to our storehouse of knowledge, by learning to cope with uncertainty and by developing an appreciation of how increasing our cultural sensitivity positively affects our communication competence (Gamble Gamble 2009, p. 30). It would however be uninformed to believe that a person can ever completely understand another culture making it necessary for Human services workers to be comfortable dealing with ambiguity. As important as it is to be familiar the difference in culture conversely it is important not to allow cultural traits to hinder understanding nor to focus excessively on differences. Clients are individuals; human services workers serve a person, not a culture (Egan 2006). Empathy listening skills are integral to effective communication and equally so when communicating interculturally. The Human services worker should put themselves in their clients shoes to imagine what is like from his or her world view point. Listening skills and careful observation of cues such as non verbal signals should be taken into account interpret full meaning, particularly when communicating with a person from a high context culture. To enhance communication the human services worker should also regularly seek confirmation of understanding. A deeper level of trust and confidence may need to be built with people from some cultures before they disclose emotional or what they consider to be shameful. To enhance communication with these people it may take patience, time and also an appropriate level of self disclosure on the workers part. To reduce communication barriers the worker may ask permission before asking sensitive a sensitive question. Workers should also be aware an d sensitive to taboo subjects, in some Indigenous Aboriginal communities it is shameful to talk about mental illness, to reduce communication barriers workers would avoid using certain words or lables (XXXXX). Working with people who speak English as a second language poses another set of challenges in communication, to reduce barriers workers should speak slowly, be patient and allow pauses, alternatively an interpreter could be offered. (Kenny 2009). To reduce communication barriers for their diverse range of stakeholders it is vital for Human services agencies should foster their own culture where diversity is embraced and celebrated. A philosophy of respect of individuality and uniqueness which commitment to self development and ongoing learning is promoted. This philosophy should be brought to life by encourage a diverse range of workers with difference backgrounds and experience. A culturally specific approach to training programmes, developing intercultural communication competencies when working and human services workers be regularly reviewed against competencies identifying areas for development. Culture influences everything about people, including the meaning attributed to communication, this poses challenges for the human services worker when working cross culturally. This essay has considered some of the communication differences and issues that Human Services workers face working interculturally, it has also looked at ways to enhance communication and also principles agencies should adopt to reduce communication barriers. The essence however is that ultimately no two people even those from the same culture are the same, innumerable differences makes each person unique. Human Services workers require cross cultural competency to effectively communicate with the diverse range of people that they meet the most fundamental of these abilities being willingness to learn and respect of all individuals. Biblography DeVito, J 2009, The interpersonal communication book, 12th edn, Pearson Education, Boston, USA. Egan, G 2006, Skilled helping around the world: addressing diversity and multiculturalism, Thomson Higher Education, Belmont. Fouad, NA Arrendondo, P 2007, Becoming culturally oriented: practical advice for psychologists educators, American Psychological Association, Washington. Gamble, TK Gamble, M 2009, Communication works, 10th edn, McGraw Hill, New York. Kenny, S 2006. Developing communities for the future, 3rd edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne. Mundine, J 1999 Face to face: communication protocols, viewed 12 August 2010, http://www.nipaac.edu.au/Face2Face_CommnProtocols.pdf. Wheeler, S (ed) 2006. Difference diversity in counselling: contemporary psychodynamic perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid Training and research program. Cultural considerations communication techniques: Guidelines for providing mental health first Aid to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. Melbourne: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne and beyondblue, the national depression initiative 2008 Viewed 20 August 2010 http://www.mhfa.com.au/documents/guidelines/8307_AMHFA_Cultural_guidelinesemail.pdf ;

How important are staff/management relations? Essay

A good relationship between staff and management is one in which each party respects and trusts one another, communicates with and understands one another and understands clearly what is expected of each other. Each party must make a fair contribution towards satisfying the interests of the other party. Demands placed on each other must be reasonable. Compromise and co-operation both play important roles in safeguarding the interests of the business while also satisfying the conflicting interests of it’s workforce. It is imperative to build and maintain healthy staff/management relations for the following reasons. Good relations help to prevent disputes and if conflict does arise it can be better resolved between staff and management who have already developed a good working relationship which helps to ensure as little disruption to normal operations as possible. Good staff/management relations lead to high morale amongst a workforce. A happy workforce is a more productive one. The employer will also find it easier to retain its employees. Poor relations can lead to an unhappy workforce and dissatisfied management which is likely to result in reduced productivity and the overall failure of the business. The interests of a company and the interests of it’s workforce are often in conflict with each other. A number of practices must be in place in order to simultaneously satisfy the needs of both the business and of it’s people. When an employee first joins a company, they must be given a contract which clearly states what is expected of them in their role and what remuneration he/she will receive. The contract, terms and conditions must make it clear what the employee can expect from it’s employment. The employee must also be made aware of all relevant company polices and procedures particularly regarding conduct, sickness, disciplinary procedures and grievances possibly via a company handbook, intranet website or induction. Without having been given the necessary information in the first place, it is unreasonable for any employer to expect compliance with rules. There must be a clear organizational structure in place so that staff members know who they report to and this helps to instill a respect for authoritative positions. However in order to earn respect from it’s staff, management must undergo regular training to ensure they possess the necessary skills to manage the workforce well. Sufficient training must be given to staff members to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out their role. Performance appraisals should take place to assess performance, identify problem areas and to reward excellence. This is beneficial to both the company and the staff member as poor performance can be corrected and well performing staff members benefit from recognition. Reviews of conditions and pay should take place in order to keep up with change and competition. Competitors may not only ‘steal’ customers but could ‘steal’ a workforce if they can offer them more. Retaining a workforce will keep recruitment and training costs to a minimum. Monetary rewards are not always enough to motivate staff. It may be necessary in some situations to motivate staff using other incentives such as awards, promotional prospects, shares and staff discounts. It is necessary that management and staff have effective methods of communicating with each other such as email, newsletters or meetings. Staff must have means of expressing themselves and providing feedback upwards which can be done through surveys or even informal discussions. With effective communications, problems can be identified early and resolved quickly. Using the above mentioned practices a better working relationship can be established between management and staff ensuring the success of the company and the well being of its workforce.

Spanish Prepositional Pronouns

The easy part about learning the grammar of pronouns in Spanish is that they follow a structure similar to the pronouns of English, serving as subjects as well as objects of verbs and prepositions. The tricky part, at least for people whose first language is English, is remembering which pronouns to use. While English uses the same pronouns as objects of prepositions and for direct and indirect objects of verbs, Spanish has a different set of pronouns for each usage, and those sets overlap. The subject pronouns and prepositional pronouns are identical except in the first-person singular and familiar second-person singular forms. How To Use Prepositional Pronouns As you can probably guess, prepositional pronouns are those that come after prepositions. In a sentence such as Tengo una sorpresa para ella (I have a surprise for her), para (for) is the preposition and ella (her) is the prepositional pronoun. Here are the prepositional pronouns of Spanish along with examples of their usage: mà ­ (first-person singular, equivalent of me): El regalo es para mà ­. (The gift is for me.)ti (informal second-person singular, equivalent of you; note that there is no written accent on this pronoun): El regalo es para ti. (The gift is for you.)usted (formal second-person singular, equivalent of you): El regalo es para usted. (The gift is for you.)à ©l (third-person masculine singular, equivalent of him or it): El regalo es para à ©l. (The gift is for him.)  Miro debajo à ©l.  (I am looking under it.)ella (third-person feminine singular, equivalent of her or it): El regalo es para ella. (The gift is for her.)  Miro debajo ella.  (I am looking under it.)nosotros, nosotras (first-person plural, equivalent of us): El regalo es para nosotros. (The gift is for us.)vosotros, vosotras (second-person informal plural, equivalent of you): El regalo es para vosotros. (The gift is for you.)ustedes (second-person formal plural, equivalent of you): El regalo es para ustedes.  (Th e gift is for you.)ellos, ellas (third-person plural, equivalent of them): El regalo es para ellos. (The gift is for them.) Sà ­ as a Pronoun There is also another prepositional object that is occasionally used. Sà ­ is used to mean himself, herself, the formal yourself, the formal yourselves, or themselves as the object of a preposition. For example, à ©l compra el regalo para sà ­, he is buying the gift for himself. One reason you dont see this usage often is since the meaning is usually expressed using the reflexive form of the verb: Se compra un regalo, he is buying himself a gift. Pronouns for It Either à ©l or ella can mean it as the object of a preposition, although as a subject there is no Spanish word used for it. The word used depends on the gender of the noun it replaces, with à ©l being used for masculine nouns and ella being used for feminine nouns.  ¿Dà ³nde està ¡ la mesa? Necesito mirar debajo ella. (Where is the table? I need to look under it.) ¿Dà ³nde està ¡ el carro? Necesito mirar debajo à ©l.  (Where is the car? I need to look under it.) Similarly, ellos and ellas, when used as a preposition pronoun meaning them, can be used to represent things as well as people. Use ellos when referring to nouns that are masculine, ellas for feminine nouns. Ellos also is used when referring to a group that includes both masculine and feminine nouhs. Contigo and Conmigo Instead of saying con mà ­ and con ti, use conmigo and contigo. Él va conmigo.  (He is going with me.)  Ella va contigo.  (She is going with you.) You also should use consigo instead of con sà ­, although this word isnt very common. Él habla consigo. (He  talks with himself.) Exceptions: Prepositions Followed by Subject Pronouns Finally, note that yo and tà º are used with the following six prepositions instead of with mà ­ and ti, respectively: entre (between)excepto (usually translated as except)incluso (including or even)menos (except)salvo (except)segà ºn (according to) Also, hasta is used with the subject pronouns when it is used in the same way as incluso. Examples: Es la diferencia entre tà º y yo. (Its the difference between you and me.)Muchas personas incluso/hasta yo creen en las hadas. (Many people including me believe in fairies.)Todos excepto/menos/salvo tà º creen en las hadas. (Everybody except you believes in fairies.)Es la verdad segà ºn yo. (Its the truth according to me.)

The Issue Of Domestic Violence - 1312 Words

In February 2014, Ray Rice, a professional football player for the Baltimore Ravens, got into a physical altercation with his fiancà © in a casino elevator in Atlantic City, NJ. Rice was indicted and charged with aggravated assault and the NFL suspended him for two games. Many thought the NFL’s punishment should have been harsher, but the story quickly faded away. Later, in September of 2014, a full video of the altercation in the elevator surfaced and was released to the media. The video shows Rice and his fiancà © arguing and hitting at each other; the video ends with Rice knocking his fiancà © unconscious and literally dragging her out of the elevator. He stood there calmly, as if this was a normal occurrence, while casino security and others were trying to help her. Rice, being a public figure, brought the issue of domestic violence to the forefront of all media outlets. For several weeks this was the topic of all new stations, magazines, and internet sites. The public was appalled at Rice’s actions and many were angry at his fiancà © for sticking by him. Many questions arose about Rice’s case and domestic violence in general. For example, â€Å"Doesn’t he know any better†? â€Å"Why did she go on to marry Rice a month after the altercation instead of leaving him†? Should he be allowed to play professional football any longer†? All of these questions and public concerns led me to investigate domestic violence further and the epidemic of it in this country. The main question IShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Domestic Violence959 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Mandatory arrest policies oversimplify the issue of domestic violence, offering a one-size-fits-all solution to a complex social problem† (Zelcer, 2014, p.560). Mandatory arrest laws were created to protect and help victims of domestic violence. However, there have been many issues with this law. Understanding the positive strides made by this law and the negative or unintended consequences allows for a better understanding of mandatory arrest laws and social issues that face society today. Examining theRead MoreThe Issue Of Domestic Violence926 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans generally don t prefer the topic of domestic violence. Us Americans pay the five bucks for People magazine and US Weekly in the checkout line to catch up on the hottest trends and the newest celebrity gossip to carry us through the day, but why is that we skim over the domestic violence ad in the back and don t ponder twice about what they are trying to convey? On the other hand, other countries have recently been speaking their minds loud and clear about this controversial topic. 12Read MoreThe Issue Of Domestic Violence944 Words   |  4 Pages(â€Å"At Issue†).† The problem with dating violence is that it s becoming more common within adolescents. Males who are exposed to domestic violence are more likely to be abusive in their own relationship. Many people are gaining attention to the situation through television shows, books and movies, etc. â€Å"In the 1840s the temperance movement brings attention to the issue of domestic violence, which the reformers see as a consequence of alcohol use .In 1992 The U.S. Surgeon General ranks domestic violenceRead MoreThe Issue Of Domestic Violence Essay2183 Words   |  9 PagesDomestic violence is one of the worlds best kept secret, as an estimated fifteen percent of violent crimes are accounted by intimate partner violence (ncadv.org), yet it is rarely reported, or resulted in a conviction. This issue is prevalent in the United States, and it is a widely represented population, as there are many resources available to those that are victims of this crime. For this literature review, I was interested to see how this heinous crime is seen within Muslim culture, specificallyRead MoreThe Issue Of Domestic Violence1988 Words   |  8 PagesThe last decade has seen si gnificant developments in the law surrounding domestic violence, as the topic shifted from the fringes of public consciousness to the forefront of government policy. High profile cases such as the 2010 Raoul Moat manhunt elevated the issue both politically and in the public eye, raising serious concerns as to how domestic violence is handled in both the criminal and civil spheres as gaps were exposed in the protection of more vulnerable members of society. Cavanagh (2007)Read MoreThe Issue Of Domestic Violence2302 Words   |  10 Pages Domestic violence has become a hot topic lately in articles, newspapers and even discussions on popular News channels. The controversial topic’s importance was ultimately ignited by the video released by TMZ of Ray Rice, the Ravens star running back, striking his then fiancà ©, Janay Palmer, knocking her unconscious in a casino elevator. Rice proceeds to drag Palmer’s body carelessly out of the elevator and leaves her lying on the floor, still unconscious. The releases of the videos showing whatRead MoreThe Issue Of Domestic Violence1527 Words   |  7 PagesWhen we hear about domestic violence, we always assumed that it’s about women. Women are not always the victims, also men, children, elderly or mentally/physically disabled people as well. Victimology is a topic that has been intriguing to me for a while. It certainly has come a long way since 1947 when Benjamin Mendelsohn coined the term. According to all the history that has been provided since that time many improvements have taken place. Such as the accessibility to information regarding theRead MoreThe Issue Focused On Domestic Violence966 Words   |  4 PagesThe issue focused on is Domestic Violence; a common yet silent form of battering, harassment , and sexual assault. As explained by Annie, she meets her husband when she was 16 years old. He was five years older than her. Expeditiously they developed a relationship, and she became pregnant. That’s when the abuse began, he would hit her, throw her into walls and leave her helpless in a puddle of her own blood. She was trapped in a world of fear, regret, and slowly began to feel as if all this was herRead MoreDomestic Violence is a Global Issue1347 Words   |  5 PagesDomestic Violence (DV) is a criti cal social issue that negatively impacts not only our own culture in America but as well as all other cultures around the world. Domestic Violence is a global issue reaching across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, racial and class distinctions (Kaur Garg 2008). Domestic Violence is a serious problem that can be seen around every society from families of both developed and underdeveloped countries and of different backgrounds. Although thereRead MoreDomestic Violence : A Global Issue Essay1179 Words   |  5 PagesDomestic violence is a global issue which impacts many individuals in numerous ways. To gain a detailed understanding of both the aggressor and victims of domestic violence I chose to exam the psychological and environmental aspects that may influence this continuous behavior that coincides with the continual cycle of violence. I did this, by taking an in-depth look at the perpetrators who repeatedly use manipulation and violence to dominate and control their victims. Additionally, the victims