Culture is complex and dynamic and it is often easier to ignore culture than to deal with its complexity (Connerly & Pederson, 2005). However acknowledgement of ones own cultural heritage contributes to gaining awareness of culture (Connerly & Pederson, 2005). This is particularly important in counselling as cultural sensitivity facilitates therapy, resulting in better outcomes for clients with diverse backgrounds (Ridley, Mendoza, Kanitz, Andgermeier & Zenk, 1994). In contrast, cultural insensitivity decreases the effectiveness of therapy (Ridley et al., 1994). Therefore, in this essay I will explore my own cultural heritage, identify aspects of both discrimination and privilege, and identify its impacts, to gain an understanding of the complexity
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I am a second generation Australian, whose parents migrated to Australia from England just prior to my birth. As a result, I was raised with an English cultural background. However, due to the similarities between Australian and English culture, stemming from the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788 (Moreton-Robinson, 2003), English culture and its role in colonisation means that it is the dominant and privileged culture in current Australian society (Moreton-Robinson, 2003). Therefore, it is hard for me to identify any cultural differences. Consequently, I began to dig deeper into my family …show more content…
Growing up, I was often bullied because of the way I spoke. The subtle differences in mannerisms were targeted during my adolescence, even things as small as the way I said “pasta” were taunted. Consequently, I found myself speaking in a more ‘Australian’ way when around peers. Even now, I speak in this ‘Australian’ manner when around other Australians, but revert to ‘English’ when I’m with my family. Interestingly, I am not the only member of my family who has dissociated from our culture, but I believe that we should try to embrace our culture, as to turn our backs on part of our culture is to turn our backs on part of ourselves. Although we have distanced ourselves, the genetic contributions to our physiology are ubiquitous, and it is possible that these genetic factors may have impacted my experiences of discrimination and
I am a second generation Australian, whose parents migrated to Australia from England just prior to my birth. As a result, I was raised with an English cultural background. However, due to the similarities between Australian and English culture, stemming from the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788 (Moreton-Robinson, 2003), English culture and its role in colonisation means that it is the dominant and privileged culture in current Australian society (Moreton-Robinson, 2003). Therefore, it is hard for me to identify any cultural differences. Consequently, I began to dig deeper into my family …show more content…
Growing up, I was often bullied because of the way I spoke. The subtle differences in mannerisms were targeted during my adolescence, even things as small as the way I said “pasta” were taunted. Consequently, I found myself speaking in a more ‘Australian’ way when around peers. Even now, I speak in this ‘Australian’ manner when around other Australians, but revert to ‘English’ when I’m with my family. Interestingly, I am not the only member of my family who has dissociated from our culture, but I believe that we should try to embrace our culture, as to turn our backs on part of our culture is to turn our backs on part of ourselves. Although we have distanced ourselves, the genetic contributions to our physiology are ubiquitous, and it is possible that these genetic factors may have impacted my experiences of discrimination and