EDCP 612: Cross-Cultural Issues in

Tel: 01638-714264

Office Hours: available by appointment

Course Description:

This course is designed to examine multicultural representations and factors that are pertinent in counseling. A contemporary body of literature will be explored including competencies for multicultural counseling, as described by the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association. Multiculturalism will be addressed as an inclusive and broad construct. The class will include a combination of lectures and student presentations. Students will explore their personal development of racial, social, and political socialization. This course is designed to provide a setting for self-awareness, knowledge of diverse perspectives, and preparation for multicultural counseling skills.

Consistent with the guidelines from the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association, the objectives of this course is to enhance students' knowledge and skills for multicultural assessment and intervention, including abilities to:

1. recognize cultural diversity;
2. understand the role that culture, ethnicity and race play in the socio-psychological and economic development of ethnic and culturally diverse populations;
3. understand that socioeconomic and political factors significantly impact the psychosocial, political and economic development of ethnic and culturally diverse groups;
4. help clients to understand, maintain, and/or resolve their own socio-cultural identification and understand the interaction of culture, gender, and sexual orientation on behavior and needs.
5. develop a conceptual framework that would enable counselors to organize, access, and accurately assess the value and utility of existing and future research involving ethnic and culturally diverse populations.

Sue, D. W. & Sue, D. (1999). Counseling the culturally different: Theory and practice. (3rd. Ed.). New York: John Wiley.

Okun, B., Fried, J., & Okun, M. (1999). Understanding diversity: A learning-as-practice primer. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Other readings will be attached to the class website or will be given out in class.

1. Project Presentation. Students will work in groups to prepare a class presentation of the counseling issues pertaining to a cultural group that may be found in the area. The population chosen for the group must be decided upon by the third class period. The particular group need not be discussed by the text, but must be approved by the instructor and cannot be about American Indians, which will be discussed by the instructor. The population chosen may not be one in which the students belong to. Guidelines for the presentation are:

Your presentation will receive feedback by the instructor and your fellow students, although the final grade will primarily come from the instructor.

2. Self-study project. Using yourself as a subject to further your own multicultural awareness, create a self-analysis of your own cultural heritage. The paper should be approximately 15-20 pages and describe the culture that you belong to. Included in this paper are the influences of social class, ethnicity, religion, geography, and education, as well as personal issues of personality, values, motivation, and family. Also describe your experiences with the issues of race, culture, class, gender and sexual orientation and how they may have influenced your own identity.

3. Mid-Term Exam and Final Exam: These will be take-home essay type examinations and/or case material with one or two choices among the items. You will be given one week to complete the exams. Usually these tests will consist of 3-4 essay items.

4. Contribution to a positive learning environment: This class will be conducted in a "structured seminar" format, rather than a didactic approach. Attendance is essential for the benefit of everyone in class. As well as attending classes, this means participating in the topic discussions, trying to maintain a positive attitude toward working with the material and encouraging your classmates.

Students' performance will be graded based upon a percentage of a total of possible 1000 points obtained during the course. In general, it will be necessary to obtain a minimum of 90% of the course points to achieve an A, at least 80% of the points for B, at least 70% of total possible points for a C, at least 60% for a D, and anything below 60% is a F. The distribution of total grade points for the required tasks are:

1. Project presentation 30%
2. Self-study project 20%
3. Midterm Exam 20%
4. Final Exam 20%
5. Participation 10%

This course will comply with the UMUC-ED policy guidelines regarding attendance, academic honesty, excused absences, make-up exams and assignments, incompletes and withdrawals.