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Cultural Background Paper Assignment

Overview

In the Cultural Background Paper, you will describe the background of your parents or primary caregivers regarding family culture and how this background impacts you both personally and professionally as a counselor. If you have a multi-racial background, pick the 2 most predominant cultures represented from your family background. You will consider how your cultural background influenced the family system patterns found in your family of origin, your identity development, and the role of culture and social justice in your counseling theoretical perspective. Specifically, you will look at some of the research describing people from your background, explore internet resources related to your culture, and interview your parents/significant care givers or other significant family members to get information. Below you will find further information.

Instructions

Please utilize the guidelines noted below in completing this assignment:

• This paper should be around 2000 words. Please note that the quality of your answer is important, and use the approximate words count noted in each section (#1 – #4) as you craft your responses for each section.
• Please use the current APA style which is the 7th edition of the APA publication manual that includes information on appropriate formatting for section headings, levels of section headings, in-text citations (narrative and parenthetical), and references. In addition, review the sample professional paper for further specifics on APA formatting. For more information on APA formatting and sample papers, please see the APA Format Quick Guide link listed under the Resources header on the assignment page.
• Scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources are required and must be published within the last 5 years. A minimum of five scholarly (5) sources are required for this assignment, and you are welcome to use more as needed in your research.

Cultural Background Paper Assignment

• Acceptable scholarly sources include journal articles, scholarly websites, relevant chapters from the McGoldrick et al. supplemental e-book. (E-book link for McGoldrick et al. located in syllabus.) NOTE: The Hays and Erford can be used as one of required sources.
• In addition to the five (5) scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources, a minimum of two (2) Internet/media sources related to your culture should be utilized. These can include (but not limited to) periodical websites (newspapers, magazine) and organizational websites. (Online journal databases would be scholarly sources and not internet/media sources.)
• First person may be used in this paper.
• For clarification, the Cultural Background Paper is not a focus on your family history, family genealogy, or family biography, but rather a focus on your cultural identity as it relates to the questions you will address in the assignment.

For the two parts of this assignment, address the following prompts, and organize the paper based on the prompts using appropriate section heading and subsection heading format:

Cultural Background Paper Assignment

1. Identify 1 or 2 predominant cultures represented from your family background. You may describe your culture(s) by discussing the following (approximately 750 words):

• Personal background and identity (your background may include a single heritage or multiple heritages (e.g., multiracial, multiethnic); you may choose to include information about one or all; include the ones that have had the most influence if not all).
• When and how did you first become aware of your cultural background, and how did you respond to this (e.g., your specific group(s) and its impact on you of this awareness of being part of a specific or multiple groups).
• Prominent customs, practices, values, and behaviors to your family’s background (communication patterns, gender roles, marital roles, educational and vocational pursuits). The McGoldrick et al. (2005) textbook is a strongly recommended source.
• Influence of cultural background on spirituality and/or religion as appropriate
• Information about your family’s cultural background not previously known (new information).

2. Describe similarities and differences between your family of origin and other cultures whom you have encountered in the country/region where you grew up. Include a discussion of the positive AND negative experiences between you and the other cultures (approximately 250 words).
3. Provide a clear and in-depth exploration of how your research and knowledge gained about your family’s cultural background influences your perspective on the importance racial/cultural identity development for other individuals. As part of your narrative, integrate information from at least one model from the chapter titled “Cultural Identity Development” (chapter 2) of Hays/Erford into your response (approximately 500 words).
4. Provide a clear and in-depth exploration of how your research and knowledge gained about your family’s cultural background shapes your view of conducting social justice and client advocacy for others (approximately 500 words). Use APA referencing style.