Stereotyping & Cultural Competence

Although the United States has always been a nation of immigrants, it is becoming even more diverse. This is reflected in an increasingly diverse work force that is expected to be more than 50% female and minority by the 21st century, and it is reflected in the practices of occupational therapists.

The intent in the following pages is to look briefly at some of the groups that occupational therapists may encounter in their practice, and some of the ways that occupational therapists can become more culturally competent in working with diverse groups.

Three of the largest minority groups that occupational therapists may encounter are frequently stereotyped in the media and in ordinary daily interactions. These stereotypes may interfere with the provision of good practice. What is important, however, is becoming aware of minority groups in a positive way, understanding some of the tendencies within those groups that are unique and valuable, and that should be considered in an occupational therapy setting. According to Mosey (1986), it is the psychosocial components of occupational therapy which, if properly understood, form the foundation of successful work with clients.

One of the interesting things about looking at ethnic groups is the tendency for diverse populations to be lumped together in one category. For example, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean individuals may al

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ricans in respect to race. Again, racial identity is simply social location. However, racial identification and racial consciousness provide an understanding of how that social location shapes the person's daily life and expectations. In her book about current perspectives and processes, Hagedorn (1995) noted that models of occupational therapy that rely on the individual following simply one standardized set of practices or processes in order to reach the desired goal is inadequate. Instead, according to her, occupational therapists must be able to be creative in responding to the variety of cultures and environments in which clients are located. For the AfricanAmerican client, this can be exceedingly diverse as, really, it can be for any group. However, specific subpopulations of the AfricanAmerican community might have racial identifications which need to be taken into account, as, for example, populations in the inner city may be characterized by female head of household groupings and high exposure to violence. At the same time, individuals might experience significant support from church groups or other community institutions. In interviewing a young AfricanAmerican female client, Ms. L., I tried to learn more abo
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Puerto Ricans, Introduction United, Gay/Lesbian Population, AIDS Psychosocial, CulturallyCompetent OT, Hispanic AfricanAmerican, Japanese Korean, According Mosey, Fidel Castro, Behavioral Sciences, occupational therapists, occupational therapy, health care providers, health care, care providers, ethnic identification, puerto ricans, dominicans puerto, psychosocial assessment, 1986 psychosocial, ethnic identity, dominicans puerto ricans, occupational therapists encounter, simply social location, identity simply social,
Approximate Word count = 1295
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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