Ethiopians and the Hmongs: A comparative study in cultural narrative from a family therapy perspective
Author(s):
Ben-david, A.; Good, I.J.
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Journal Of Family Psychotherapy, Volume 9, Issue 1 (1998). pp. 31-45.
Language:
English
Abstract:
There is a growing recognition that family therapy has an obligation to meet the unique needs of ethnic minorities within a given population by offering services which are culture-sensitive. This becomes even more critical when the minority clients are governed by fundamentally different cultural ethos from those that drive the dominant culture. The United States and Israel (each an embodiment of a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and multi- cultural society) offer interesting possibilities for a comparative study. The Ethiopians in Israel and the Hmong in the United States are two distinct cultural entities whose unique needs necessitated that the professionals question the efficacy of the existing therapy methods. The article has two overlapping themes. Firstly, it explores some basic characteristics which the two groups share in common and as such validate the case for a comparative study. Secondly, it offers guidelines for creative culturally-grounded narrative approaches.