Running head: MULTICULTURALISM 1

Multiculturalism

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliation
MULTICULTURALISM 2

Multiculturalism

Multicultural Interview and Introduction

Multiculturalism refers to the cultural diversity of people in a given society. In

Psychology, multiculturalism is associated with ways through which culture impacts the means

through which people think, feel and act. Culture guides how people discern and express

themselves in a given society. Nonetheless, culture is influenced by the characteristics of people

and their daily activities and practices. Culture is manifested through shared principles, believes,

behaviors, values and traditions. In addition to inherent diversity in all individuals,

multiculturalism involves the sociopolitical conditions within which individuals operate. This

paper aims at discussing various aspects of multicultural identity and their influence on

therapeutic activities concerning the Jewish community.

Interviewee Profile

Davis is a 39yeas olds, single male of Jewish-American origin staying in New Jersey.

Davis’ parents have Jewish ethnic background, and they practice all Jewish religious traditions

such as celebrating major Jewish holidays including Passover, Hanukkah and Yom Kippur. They

also attend synagogue services and adhere to the Jewish tradition of keeping the kosher homes.

Davis was born in the United States, and he is a native speaker of English. He also has a

bachelor’s degree as most of the Jewish people in the U.S. Davis’ family have high-income level,

and they uphold high accordance with their Jewish heritage.

The interview orientation was based on the client’s availability. Davis is a Jewish

workmate hence easily accessible. Also, the participant comes from a family which is

predominantly Jewish, thus perfect selection for the interview. Both physical and social access to

the participants was gained through seeking permission from the interviewee. In this regard, the
MULTICULTURALISM 3

participant signed the consent form, which permitted him to participate and choose to withdraw

or refuse to answer other questions at will. Through the consent form, the participant was also

notified of the purpose of the assessment. He was also given a chance to ask questions before the

commencement of the interview. Moreover, this broaching incorporated the purposeful quality of

ethnicity, race and culture using the addressing Model.

Multicultural Analysis

Multicultural Background of the Jewish Community

Judaism originated around 2000BC and is the oldest ethical monotheistic religion (Flasch

&Fulton, 2018). It is challenging to discuss Jewish culture and Judaism separately since Jewish

people have a shared history in addition to shared religious beliefs. Unlike Christianity, opinions

and religion are secondary practices among the Jews. This aspect explains why some people

identify as Jews despite not being affiliated to the temple or even not believing in God. Unlike

Christians, Jews are unified with shared history rather than religion; thus, Jews practice religion

because they are Jews, not the vice versa (Flasch & Fulton, 2018).

According to Dashefsky & Sheskin (2013), about 4.2 million people are Jewish by

religion in the United States, while 1.1million recognize as secular Jews who report as Jews

regardless of their faith. The earliest Jews to arrive in America originated from Portugal and

Spain, the second group immigrated from Eastern Europe and Germany primarily due to

economic pressure or prosecution. However, the largest group of Jews entered the United States

between 1880-1942 from Romania, Austria, Hungary and Russia. According to Flasch & Fultan

(2018), the Jewish population has decreased from 5.5 million to about 4.2 million since 1990;

this decline is primarily attributed to falling birth rates, ageing, and intermarriages. Many Jews

are aged 65 and above while young people of Jewish origin are likely to identify themselves as
MULTICULTURALISM 4

having no religion. Jewish represents the most liberal groups in the United States. According to

Dashefsky & Sheskin (2013), 70% of the Jews in the United States support the Democratic

Party; however, a group of Jews identified as Orthodox Jews describe themselves as conservative

supporting the Republic party.

Racial/Cultural Identity of the Jewish Americans

According to Flasch &Fulton (2018), Jewish people have multiple identities. One of the

Jewish identities is their historical events, including the holocaust as well as the historic

repression encountered by the Jewish people. Jews are also identified by the ancestry and

traditions in addition to religious beliefs. While some Jewish individuals do not publicly identify

as Jewish, others are bicultural. Bicultural Jews identify with both Jewish and American cultures.

In this regard, some people pride in Jewish heritage while others hide their Jewish origin,

especially due to historical hostility and prejudice associated with being a Jew (anti-Semitism) in

the United States. Despite Davis’ family adherence to the Jewish Orthodox, Davis identifies

himself as a bicultural and he can only speak English which is his native language. Cultural

diversity is one of the critical considerations for counselors with Jewish clients.

Discrimination/Prejudice against the Jewish American People

Research shows that Jews Americans have long been a victim of prejudice and

discrimination. According to Dashefsky & Sheskin (2013), prejudice against the Jews involves

overt actions such as direct anti-Semitism, assaults and vandalism as well as negative beliefs and

attitudes by the non-Jews. The statistic reported that 1,163 hate crimes were recorded in the

United States in 2013; these crimes based on the religious stereotype, of which 59.2% were anti-

Semitic. (Sue et al. 2019). Further research on anti-Semitism revealed that adult Americans

exhibiting these beliefs asserted that the Jewish Americans had supreme power in the business,
MULTICULTURALISM 5

movie and television industry, as well as news media. Moreover, other results state that the anti-

Semitic belief against the Jewish American was due to the negative response to the Israeli in the

Middle Eat (Sue et al. 2019).

Davis reposts experiencing lack of sensitivity towards the Jewish culture in significant

institutions in the United States. In this context, major institutions have demonstrated a high

preference of Christians over Jews, especially during multicultural discussions. Despite Jewish

individuals making significant success in the United States, they remain primary targets for

discrimination and prejudice. Further research reveals that about 43% of Jewish Americans have

experienced discrimination, while about 15% have been verbally abused and socially snubbed

for being Jews (Sue et al. 2019).

Privileges

As Davis says, it have been dangerous to be Jewish not only in America but throughout

the world. However, this has changed over time due to the assimilation of Jews to the white

community. Davis further states that antipathy to the Jewish people in the United States is not

significant as anti-black prejudices and structural racism. In this context, Black Americans are

likely to experience discrimination and police brutality than any religious group. The Jewish

people are protected under the white privilege notion, which makes it challenging to identify the

anti-Semitism.

Nonetheless, Jewish Americans have also been linked to socio-economic privileges.

According to Sue et al. (2019), about 44% of the Jews families have an annual income of more

than $ 100,000. This compares to 19% of all other Americans. Moreover, about 75% of

American Jews possess high education certificates. About 31% of this category has attained a

graduate degree compared with 11% of general Americans. In this regard, most highly prized job
MULTICULTURALISM 6

opportunities in the United States have been attracted by the Jewish Americans (Botticini &

Eckstein, 2005). These privileges have positioned the Jewish Americans at the topmost economic

level in the United States. However, Davis states that the socio-economic position of Jewish

American has been the primary reasons for modern anti-Semitism.

Specific Challenges of the Jewish Americans

According to Sue et al. (2019), the Jewish people experienced massive oppressions and

prosecutions since the middle ages. Moreover, Jewish Americans have been scapegoated during

periods of financial stress in the United States. They have also been stereotyped as hungry for

control, power and wealth. Jews remember the Holocaust period when the Nazi German killed

over 6 million men, women and children of Jewish origin. These historical events are the

primary factors that constitute Jewish ethnic identity. As Davis says, the Jewish Americans feel

oppressed when the Christian religion and holidays are recognized while Jewish events are

invalidated or ignored. Moreover, the American Psychological Association has considerably few

programs covering Jews as a specific cultural group (Dashefsky & Sheskin, 2013). Nonetheless,

the Jewish community also exhibits cultural strengths.

Cultural Strength

Unlike other religions, Judaism is a culture rich in traditions and experiences which

makes the members affiliated to the cultural norms with senses of commonality and acceptance.

The practice of Judaism serves not only as a religion but as a protective a shield against

discrimination and prejudice. Orthodox Jews are accorded with higher levels of religious belief

which are affiliated with constructive mental health. The Jewish Americans are highly esteemed

by the majority of Americans primarily due to their religious faith and their involvement in the

cultural life of the United States. Furthermore, Jewish Americans are held in high regards due to
MULTICULTURALISM 7

their leadership, ethical living, as well as equal rights and justice. Davis adds that the Jewish

people have a relatively high sense of humor which is part of Judaism.

Spirituals Values

Judaism is one of the ancient monotheistic religions in the world. The Jewish people

believe in an omnipotent God who created humankind and set up a covenant with the Jews in

which he revealed the ten commandments that guided them (Raphael, 2008). As previously

stated the degree of adherence to religious tradition among the Jews varies. Orthodox Jews are

the traditional believers who interpret and adhere to all Jewish traditions. However, the

Conservative Jews are more flexible in the interpretation of Jewish laws and customs. As Davis

puts, the Orthodox Jews rejects the contemporary secular society while the conservative norms

allow individuals to exercise their choices about the traditions to practice. In this regard, many

people are Jewish due to similitude in the culture, history and experiences rather than their

religion (Raphael, 2008).

Multicultural Assessment, Counseling and Treatment

There is a demand for cultural relevance in counseling in respect of race, culture and

ethnicity. Traditional counseling theories were developed in a predominantly Euro-American

context thus may be limited in the case of cultural diversity. In this case, the counseling will

employ the multicultural counseling theory.

Multicultural Counseling and Therapy Theory (MCT)

This is a helping role and process that uses modalities and demonstrates the goals that are

consistent with the precise life experiences as well as the cultural values of the clients such as

gender, ethnicity, culture race and sexual orientation. According to Sue & Ivey (1996), MCT

recognizes the clients’ diverse identities and seeks to include the individual and universal
MULTICULTURALISM 8

dimensions in counseling. MCT uses the comprehensive as well as precise cultural techniques in

the healing process of the clients. In the case of Davis, who is a Jewish with American identities,

MCT is appropriate in balancing the individualism as well as collectivism diagnosing, assessing

and treatment of the client.

MCT holds the belief that individuals of different racial and ethnic orientation can

respond best to culture-specific strategies. Research by Sue & Ivey (1996) revealed that Jewish

American shows more responsiveness to authentic counselors and in their disclosure and uses

active and directive approaches counseling. Due to the historical significance of the American

Jewish heritage, it is essential to apply a perspective that acknowledges the people’s existence as

individuals, groups as well as universal dimensions. MCT uses a broad view of enhancing

relationships through a balance between the individualistic approach and collectivistic aspects.

This involves realizing the impact of people’s families, cultures and gender on their situation in

societies (Sue & Ivey, 1996).

Action steps in Multicultural Counseling

In this context, the four-step Model of multicultural counseling competency would be

employed regarding the Jewish American (Davis).

Cultural awareness – this is the initial step of competent multicultural counseling. It

involves the development of awareness of how clients’ cultural orientation may affect the

counseling process (Robinson et al. 2000). Culturally aware counselors should develop

knowledge of how their cultures differ from that of their clients and how this difference impacts

the counseling process. In this stage, I will determine how my cultural orientations may affect

my definition of what is reasonable as well as my relationship with the Jewish American client.
MULTICULTURALISM 9

Exploring the cultural dynamics - This step involves analyzing the dynamics of the

multicultural perception encountered during training and interactions and how these dynamics

are likely to influence the counselor-client relationship. This aspect revolves around the

identification of the impact of the individual relationship with the counseling supervisor and how

this relationship is expected to impact the counseling process of the Jewish American client

(Robinson et al. 2000).

Cultural assumptions of traditional counseling theories - Traditional counseling

theories have been linked with significant limitations in multicultural counseling. This step

involves the comparison of conventional Euro-American counseling theories and their impact on

the clients of multicultural orientation (Robinson et al. 2000). In this context, I will analyze the

dynamics of cultural orientations of traditional theories and how they were inappropriate in

meeting the multicultural counseling competencies as well their contribution in counseling.

Integrating multicultural issues - This is the last stage after gaining the multicultural

skills, knowledge and awareness. In this context, the integration of the cultural concept in the

counseling process will be enhanced. In this step, I will integrate the traditional counseling

theories and the modern theories (Multicultural Counseling and Therapy Theory) in the

counseling process of the Jewish American client (Robinson et al. 2000).

Issues and Considerations in Counseling Jewish American Clients

Jewish Americans have faced several cases of discrimination and prejudice despite their

economic and cultural success in the United States. Therefore, counselors need to exhibit

awareness of the stereotypic bias that the Jewish American clients may have gone through. One

of the critical considerations in this concept is confidentiality. Research has shown that several

Jewish Americans are resistant in seeking counseling services, especially the Orthodox Jews.
MULTICULTURALISM 10

This trend has been associated with confidentiality issues. Therefore, it is useful to identify how

to deal with confidentiality issues when dealing with Jewish American clients (Sue et al. 2019).

Nonetheless, some Orthodox Jews may be reluctant to seek counseling services due to

concerns that they will be requested to do things that are controversial to their religious beliefs.

Therefore, as a therapist, it is essential to be aware of how Judaism may affect the counseling

process of Jewish Americans. In this context, the therapist may employ collaboration with the

client as well as the rabbi in identifying the issues in question and developing the action

measures; this will prevent conflict between the counseling intervention and the religious beliefs

(Sue et al. 2019). Spiritual principles are highly accorded in Judaism.

In conclusion, it may be challenging to develop a culturally appropriate intervention

when dealing with Jewish Americans. This is primarily attributed to the diversity of Jewish

ethnicity and cultural identity. However, various considerations should be made before engaging

in a therapeutic session with clients of American Jewish heritage. The counselor should be aware

of the Jewish culture and norms and be respectful of these practices. The primary considerations

for Jewish American clients are their values, traditions, and religious rituals which are often

overlooked in favor of Christianity. Lack of knowledge of these values and beliefs may result in

committing micro-aggression by the therapist. Nonetheless, counselors should strive to gain

awareness of the Jewish history of anti-Semitism and how it impacts the identity of the Jewish

Americans in modern society.

MULTICULTURALISM 11

References

Botticini, M., & Eckstein, Z. (2005). Jewish occupational selection: education, restrictions, or

minorities?. The Journal of Economic History, 65(4), 922-948.

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/20477/1/dp1224.pdf

Dashefsky, A., & Sheskin, I. (2013). American Jewish Year Book: 2013. Springer Netherlands.

https://www.academia.edu/download/58965603/Arnold_Dashefsky_Ira_M_Sheskin_-

_American_Jewish_Year_Book_2018_2019_Springer20190419-26177-w3st7s.pdf

Flasch, P., & Fultan, C., L. (2018) Counseling Jewish Americans: Consideration for practice.

Issues and Insights. Vol 64. DOI: 10.1002/CVJ.12091

Robinson, B., Bradley, L. J., & Hendricks, C. B. (2000). Multicultural counselling supervision:

A four-step model toward competency. International Journal for the Advancement of

Counselling, 22(2), 131-141. http://www.wyomingcounselingassociation.com/wp-

content/uploads/Robinson-et-al-2000-Multicultural-Supervision.pdf

Raphael, M. L. (Ed.). (2008). The Columbia History of Jews and Judaism in America. Columbia

University Press.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/606a/e8bf82921a112f4d81181f5497c2520d07f3.pdf

Sue, D., & Ivey, A. (1996) A Theory of Multicultural Counseling and Therapy. ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232443227

Sue, W, D., Sue, D., Neville, H., A., & Smith, L. (2019) Counseling Jewish Americans. In

Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice. (pp. 431-442). Hoboken, New

Jersey. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.