'Understanding' breaks cultural barriers!

Successful completion of this course/module will develop your understanding of appropriate practices and procedures within Multicultural Awareness.

"The world is shrinking! The internet, airplanes, emails, mobiles, faster travel, telecommunication. All of these things bring the people of the world closer together. Multicultural awareness will increase your knowledge and understanding of cultures around the world and how we can live together in a more understanding and knowledgeable way. A useful course for anyone living or working in a multicultural environment." Tracey Jones, B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies)

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Cultural diversity
2. Cultural self-awareness
3. Prejudice and racism
4. Working with culturally different clients
5. Barriers to effective multi-cultural relationships
6. Developing cultural competence
7. Multicultural mental health issues
8. shortcomings of Contemporary Counselling Theories and Future Developments

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

• To develop an awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity;
• To understand the cultural awareness of the self through verbal and non-verbal means;
• To understand the origins and influences of prejudice and racism;
• To understand the impact of culture when working with culturally different clients;
• To understand bias toward and barriers against effective multi-cultural relationships;
• To understand the fundamentals of developing and implementing cultural competence;
• To develop an understanding of multi-cultural attitudes toward mental health issues.

• Learn what is meant by the term 'culture', and different cultural groups;
• Discuss 'cultural diversity' and identify problems associated with it;
• Discuss 'intra-cultural' and 'inter-cultural' contact to managing cultural diversity;
• Identify reasons that people and groups make intercultural contact;
• Explore how we communicate non-verbally;
• Identify ways (verbal and non-verbal) that we communicate our identification to a cultural group;
• In what ways a minority culture influence a dominant culture;
• Ways that people and groups adapt to other cultures;
• Explain the term 'individualism-collectivism';
• Define
  • 'ethnocentrism'
  • 'prejudice'
  • 'racism'
  • 'stereotype'
  • 'discrimination'
• Discuss how prejudice and/or racism help a group or person feel more comfortable about other cultures;
• Explore the role of stereotyping by a dominant culture in perceived discrimination by an immigrant community;
• Define 'culture shock';