CONTEXTUAL MODELS Family Diversity Variability within and among families Culture A group of people who share meaning habits customs rituals concepts Affects worldview perspective Culture Specific Perspective Emphasis on specific attitudes beliefs feelings and behaviors that characterize members of a Strengths Provides valuable information about differences between ethnic groups allows for particular ethnic or racial group comparison develops sensitivity to these cultural differences assumes homogeneity among all members of an ethnic group Weaknesses Ignores variations that exist even among families of a particular ethnic group Multidimensional Perspective Examines cultural diversity beyond racial and ethnic parameters Multiple factors takes into account many sub cultural influences and varieties of contexts that shape peoples lives Includes ethnicity race religion sexual orientation SES family structure gender life stage Other factors of consideration Setting rural vs urban language nationality employment Emphasizes the uniqueness of each family system and the need to assess each education occupation political ideology migration and stage of acculturation Strengths family s ecological fit within its own broader context family to other similar families more difficult This definition of cultural diversity makes generalization from the individual Weaknesses Acculturation Changes in attitudes values and behaviors made by members of one culture as a result of their contact with another Adaptation a la carte Dynamic occur abandon change Assimilation Minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the dominant culture in degrees Considerations of Identity It is critical to pay attention to the ways in which culture race ethnicity class SES and acculturation affect the strategies that families employ in their efforts to execute the tasks of family life All families evolve themes which may reflect the ethnic and cultural heritage of the family Such ethnic traditions and cultural themes provide the family with a framework of meaning and orientation that may influence the priorities of goals of the family the values and attitudes of family members and the strategic manner in which issues such as power decision making intimacy and child rearing are managed
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