2.4 Learning about Families
Elizabeth B. Pearce
One of the most important aspects of learning about families and equity is you, the learner. In order for your brain to change, adapt, and assimilate new information, you will need to work at it. Reading, writing, and discussing the material is not enough. It’s a start, but the disposition that you bring to this experience will make a large impact on what you learn.
- Are you willing to set aside existing assumptions and ideas when you read something that doesn’t make sense to you at first?
- Are you willing to question beliefs that may be ingrained in multiple generations of your own family or kinship group?
- Are you willing to be uncomfortable during this learning process?
- Will you work to listen to others that have different social identities than your own?
Being open to trying out new ideas and ways of thinking will help you learn and your brain grow new understandings and neural pathways. We will talk about three learning dispositions in the following sections.
Cognitive and Emotional Perspective-Taking
To understand the diversity of family experiences in the United States, you as students will need to practice “putting yourself in another person’s shoes.” Seeing that people have beliefs, values, emotions, and responses that can overlap with and differ from our own will expose the richness and depth of family life. It is important to note that we cannot always predict how we (or someone else!) will respond given a particular circumstance. Instead, it is our work as students to listen, understand, and learn more about what families experience and how they function in the United States. In particular, it is critical to listen to those we perceive as belonging to different social groups than ourselves. By adopting an attitude of listening, rather than an attitude of judging, we will increase our knowledge base.
Objectivity and Humanity
Every human being has a unique set of characteristics, experiences, and beliefs. Part of what makes us human is the ability to think, reflect, and form conclusions based on our particular set of circumstances. This is likewise true of social scientists, the human beings who study other humans, our social groups, and interactions. We rely on empirical research—data collected and analyzed by social scientists—to learn about individuals and families. These scientists emerge from a variety of disciplines including anthropology, education, human development and family sciences, psychology, and sociology.
Sociologists embrace the research principle of objectivity, the act of setting aside their own beliefs and experiences in order to conduct unbiased study or analysis of their subjects. Creating objectivity is considered crucial to the scientific process, which includes formulating a hypothesis that is then tested via the collection and analysis of information. At the same time, we must acknowledge that this method was created and validated almost exclusively by people of one gender and one race (male and European or White) and there is room for refinement of this thinking.
The feminist perspective (described later in this chapter in “Theoretical Perspectives and Key Concepts” and the table in figure 2.14) introduces some complexity to the idea of objectivity by emphasizing that in order to truly understand our social structure, researchers must acknowledge that every human being (themselves included) brings their own viewpoint based on their unique set of social characteristics to their work. The intersection of our gender, ethnicity, race, age, sexuality, ability, and other identities along with our own life experiences makes each of us unique. Scientists must understand their own perspective, or bias, in order to do their best to both recognize the impact of their own viewpoint and to attempt to set it aside while collecting and analyzing information.
Cultural Humility
Cultural humility is the ability to remain open to learning about others’ experiences related to their social identities while acknowledging one’s own lack of competence and recognizing power dynamics that impact the relationship (figure 2.4). Within cultural humility, it is important to engage in continuous self-reflection, recognize the impact of power dynamics on individuals and communities, embrace “not knowing,” and commit to lifelong learning. This approach to diversity encourages a curious spirit and the ability to openly engage with others in the process of learning about a different culture. As a result, it is important to address power imbalances and develop meaningful relationships with community members in order to create positive change.
As our world becomes increasingly diverse and interconnected, understanding different cultures becomes crucial. Without a basic understanding of the beliefs and experiences of individuals, people can unintentionally contribute to prejudice and discrimination or negatively impact relationships and interactions. To understand cultural experiences, it is important to consider the context of social identity, history, and individual and community experiences with prejudice and discrimination. It is also important to acknowledge that our understanding of cultural differences evolves through an ongoing learning process (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998).
The next section includes dimensions of diversity that are related to culture. You will notice that many of these dimensions correspond with the social identity wheel that was introduced in Chapter 1 of this text.
Dimensions of Diversity within Families
Although it is impossible to discuss all of the dimensions of human diversity in this section, we present some common dimensions that will be discussed in this text. The authors also acknowledge the importance of intersectionality, which was described in Chapter 1, as well as the process of cultural humility in understanding diversity.
Culture
“Culture is something that unites people.”
—Anastasiya O., Russia
While numerous definitions exist, the key components of culture include shared meanings and shared experiences by individuals in a group that are passed down over time with each generation. That is, cultures have shared beliefs, values, practices, definitions, and other elements that are expressed through family socialization, formal schooling, shared language, social roles, and norms for feeling, thinking, and acting (Cohen, 2009).
Culture can be examined at multiple ecological levels to understand its impact. This means that culture can influence the norms and practices of individuals, families, organizations, local communities, and the broader society. For example, cultural influences can have an impact on how members function and interact with one another. Further, culture should be understood within a broader context of power relationships and how power is used and distributed (Trickett, 2011).
Race
While physical differences often are used to define race, in general, there is no consensus for this term. Typically, race has been defined using observable physical or biological criteria, such as skin color, hair color or texture, facial features, and so forth (figure 2.5). However, these biological assumptions of race have been determined to be inaccurate and harmful by biologists, anthropologists, psychologists, and other scientists.
Instead, we should think of race as something that has been socially constructed and has different social and psychological meanings in many societies (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993). In the United States, people of color experience more racial prejudice and discrimination than White people. The meanings and definitions of race have also changed over time and are often driven by policies and laws (for example, the one-drop rule). If you’d like to know more about the one-drop rule, click here. It can be concluded that although race is not based on biological differences, it has still fundamentally influenced our social structures and has harmed dark-skinned people in many ways.
In Focus: Is Race a Selected Identity?
Rachel Dolezal, also known as Nkechi Amare Diallo, was born to White parents with no known African ancestry. As a young adult, she became involved in civil rights, became a college instructor of Africana studies, and began self-identifying as a Black woman. She even became president of the Spokane, Washington, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
She resigned from her position with the NAACP and was dismissed from her role as an instructor after information surfaced casting doubt upon her racial heritage. She later acknowledged that she was born to White parents but continued to insist that she strongly identifies as a Black woman. The changing and varied ways that definitions of race change over time show that it is a social construction as shown in figure 2.6
Ethnicity
Ethnicity refers to one’s social identity based on the culture of origin, ancestry, or affiliation with a cultural group (Pinderhughes, 1989). Ethnicity is not the same as nationality, which is a person’s status of belonging to a specific nation by birth or citizenship. For example, an individual can be of Japanese ethnicity but British nationality because they were born in the United Kingdom. Ethnicity is defined by aspects of subjective culture, such as customs, language, and social ties (figure 2.7; Resnicow et al., 1999).
While ethnic groups are combined into broad categories for research or demographic purposes in the United States, there are many ethnicities among the ones you may be familiar with. Latine, Latino/a/x, and Hispanic all refer to persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Spanish, Dominican, or many other ancestries. Asian Americans have roots in over 20 countries in Asia and India, with the six largest Asian ethnic subgroups in the United States being the Chinese, Asian Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Koreans, and Japanese.
Origin and First Language
Origin refers to the geographical location where a person was born and spent (at least) their early years in. This includes regions of the United States as well as other countries. A person’s origin will impact the cultural norms that influence them during their early childhood development, or perhaps longer. In addition, it may mean that their first language is not English. First language refers to the language learned in early childhood. This language may be learned in the home, in a childcare setting, and in greater society. Even within the United States, there are regional differences in language.
Origin and first language are closely tied to culture and ethnicity, but there are differentiations as well. For example, a Filipino person may have grown up in the Philippines, the mainland United States, or in Hawaii. In the Philippines, while the official languages are English and Filipino, there are 183 living languages, many of which are Indigenous. A person growing up there might speak one or more of these languages. A Filipino person growing up on the mainland of the United States would likely learn English but may also use the Filipino language at home. A Filipino person growing up in Hawaii might be exposed to English, the Hawaiian language (although banned in 1898, there are still remnants), and the Filipino language. Because the Hawaiian language and Filipino language are from the same language family, there may be an additional crossover. As this simplified example illustrates, there is the possibility of great diversity both among and within people who share a similar origin or first language.
Gender and Sex
Gender refers to the socially constructed perceptions of biological sex, and used to be focused on the binary of male and female in society. Gender is now considered to have broader interpretations in society, including the gender identity of non-binary. Gender is different from sex, which is a biological descriptor involving chromosomes and internal/external reproductive organs (figure 2.8) that is typically assigned at birth. As a socially constructed concept, gender has magnified the perceived differences between females and males, leading to limitations in attitudes, roles, and how social institutions are organized and the emergence of non-binary identities.
Gender is not just a demographic category but also influences gender norms, the distribution of power and resources, access to opportunities, and other important processes (Bond, 1999). The attention to other gender identities is increasing, both academically and publicly. One example is the case of Nicole Maines challenging her elementary school’s restroom policy, which resulted in a victory when the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that she had been excluded from the restroom because of her transgender identity (Maines, 2015).
Age
Age describes the developmental changes and transitions that come with being a child, adolescent, or adult (figure 2.9). Power dynamics, relationships, physical and psychological health concerns, community participation, life satisfaction, and so forth can all vary for these different age groups (Cheng & Heller, 2009). Although the field has started to include aging issues in research, Cheng and Heller found that this segment of the population has been neglected (Cheng & Heller, 2009).
Socioeconomic Status
Like the other components of diversity, socioeconomic status is socially constructed and can affect our choices and opportunities (figure 2.10). Socioeconomic status includes a person’s income or material wealth, educational status, and/or occupational status. It can include assumptions about where a person belongs in society and indicate differences in power, privilege, economic opportunities and resources, and social capital.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to a person’s emotional, romantic, erotic, and spiritual attraction toward another in relation to their own sex or gender (figure 2.11). The definition focuses on feelings rather than behaviors because individuals who identify with a minority sexual orientation experience are likely to experience significant stigma and oppression in our society for their behaviors (Flanders et al., 2016) . Sexual orientation exists on multiple continuums and crosses all dimensions of diversity (e.g., race, ethnicity, first language, ability, religion, etc.).
Over time, gay, lesbian, asexual, and bisexual identities have extended to other sexual orientations, such as pansexual, polysexual, and fluid, and increasingly more research is being conducted on these populations (Kosciw et al., 2015).
Ability/Disability
Disabilities refer to visible or hidden and temporary or permanent conditions that provide barriers or challenges and impact individuals of every age and social group. Traditional views of disability follow a medical model, primarily explaining diagnoses and treatment models from a pathological perspective (Goodley & Lawthom, 2010). In this traditional approach, individuals diagnosed with a disability are often discussed as objects of study instead of complex individuals impacted by their environment. A social model of ability, which is the perspective of these authors, views diagnoses from a social and environmental perspective and considers multiple ecological levels, as shown in figure 2.12. The experiences of individuals are strongly valued.
It is important to consider how intersectionality impacts the experience of disability. For example, students of color and other underserved groups have a higher rate of diagnosis of learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and intellectual disabilities (Artiles et al., 2010), which may be due to economic, historical, and social factors. Diagnosis must be considered as disabled youth are at a disadvantage, leading to more substantial disparities later in life.
Comprehension Self Check
Licenses and Attributions for Learning about Families
Open Content, Original
“Learning about Families,” “Cognitive and Emotional Perspective Taking,” “Objectivity and Humanity,” and “Origin and First Language” by Elizabeth B. Pearce. License: CC BY 4.0.
Open Content, Shared Previously
“Cultural Humility,” “Dimensions of Diversity in Families,” “Race,” “Gender,” “Age,” “Sexual Orientation,” and “Ability/Disability” are adapted from “Respect for Diversity” by Nghi D. Thai and Ashlee Lien in Introduction to Community Psychology: Becoming an Agent of Change, Rebus Community. License: CC BY 4.0. Adaptations: addition of “Origin and First Language”; addition of images; edited for clarity and relevance.
Figure 2.4. Photograph by RODNAE Productions from Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/stylish-men-talking-while-leaning-on-the-concrete-wall-8126592/.
Figure 2.5. Photograph by OpenClipart-Vectors. License: Pixabay License.
Figure 2.6. Photograph by johnhain. License: Pixabay License.
Figure 2.7. “Elderly Japanese Women” by Teo Romera. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Figure 2.8. Photograph by OpenClipart-Vectors. License: Pixabay License.
Figure 2.9. Photograph by OpenClipart-Vectors. License: Pixabay License.
Figure 2.10. “Homeless” by born1945. License: CC BY 2.0.
Figure 2.11. “SCOTUS APRIL 2015 LGBTQ 54663” by Ted Eytan. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Figure 2.12. “20180611_Special Olympics_01687” by Special Olympics nationale Sommerspiele 2018. License: CC0 1.0.
References
Artiles, A. J., Kozleski, E. B., Trent, S. C., Osher, D., & Ortiz, A. (2010). Justifying and explaining disproportionality, 1968-2008: A critique of underlying views of culture. Exceptional Children, 76(3), 279-299. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291007600303
Betancourt, H., & Lopez, S. R. (1993). The study of culture, ethnicity, and race in American psychology. American Psychologist, 48(6), 629-637.
Bond, M. A. (1999). Gender, race, and class in organizational contexts. American Journal of Community Psychology, 27(3), 327-355.
Cheng, S. T., & Heller, K. (2009). Global aging: Challenges for community psychology. American Journal of Community Psychology, 44, 161-173.
Cohen, A. B. (2009). Many forms of culture. American Psychologist, 64(3), 194-204.
Flanders, C. E., Robinson, M., Legge, M. M., & Tarasoff, L. A. (2016). Negative identity experiences of bisexual and other non-monosexual people: A qualitative report. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 20(2), 152-172.
Goodley, D., & Lawthom, R. (2010). Epistemological journeys in participatory action research: Alliances between community psychology and disability studies. Disability & Society, 20(2), 135-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590500059077
Maines, N. (2015, November 2). I am proof that bathrooms should be gender-free. TIME. https://time.com/4096413/houston-equal-rights-ordinance-nicole-maines/
Kosciw, J. G., Palmer, N. A., & Kull, R. M. (2015). Reflecting resiliency: Openness about sexual orientation and/or gender identity and its relationship to well-being and educational outcomes for LGBT students. American Journal of Community Psychology, 55, 167-178.
Pinderhughes, E. (1989). Understanding race, ethnicity and power: The key to efficacy in clinical practice. Basic Books.
Resnicow, K., Braithwaite, R., Ahluwalia, J., & Baranowski, T. (1999). Cultural sensitivity in public health: Defined and demystified. Ethnicity & Disease, 9, 10-21.
Tervalon, M., & Murray-Garcia, J. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(2), 117-125.
Trickett, E. J. (2011). From “Water boiling in a Peruvian town” to “Letting them die”: Culture, community intervention, and the metabolic balance between patience and zeal. American Journal of Community Psychology, 47, 58-68.
ensuring that people have what they need in order to have a healthy, successful life that is equal to others. Different from equality in that some may receive more help than others in order to be at the same level of success.
the social structure that ties people together (whether by blood, marriage, legal processes, or other agreements) and includes family relationships.
a systematic investigation into a particular topic, examining materials, sources, and/or behaviors.
the act of staying free from the influence of personal experiences and opinions.
the process of formulating hypotheses, making observations, gathering and testing data, drawing conclusions, and modifying hypotheses.
a socially constructed expression of a person’s sexual identity which influences the status, roles, and norms for their behavior.
the categorization of humans using observable physical or biological criteria, such as skin color, hair color or texture, facial features, etc.
the organization of institutions within society; this affects the ways individuals and families interact together.
the shared social, cultural, and historical experiences, stemming from common national, ancestral, or regional backgrounds, that make subgroups of a population different from one another.
the developmental changes and transitions that come with being a child, adolescent, or adult.
the pattern of romantic and/or sexual attraction to others in relation to one’s own gender identity.
the focus on staying other-centered in order to learn about and understand the experiences and viewpoints of people with social identities different from your own.
the shared meanings and shared experiences passed down over time by individuals in a group, such as beliefs, values, symbols, means of communication, religion, logics, rituals, fashions, etiquette, foods, and art that unite a particular society.
the unequal treatment of an individual or group on the basis of their statuses (e.g., age, beliefs, ethnicity, sex).
a person’s sense of self as defined by and in relation to the combination of social characteristics, roles, and groups to which they belong.
an approach originally advanced by women of color that finds it critical to look at how identities and characteristics (such as ethnicity, race, and gender) overlap and influence each other to create complex hierarchies of power and oppression.
the geographical location where a person was born and spent (at least) their early years in.
influenced by personal experiences and opinions.
the language learned in early childhood.
usually used to refer to non-parental care of a young child, often in a paid provider’s home or in a childcare center.
a biological descriptor involving chromosomes and internal/external reproductive organs.
a social construct composed of two parts that are framed as absolute and unchanging opposites.
the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
a person’s emotional, romantic, erotic, and spiritual attractions toward another in relation to their own sex or gender.
a negative or discriminatory attitude toward others related to a specific characteristic or difference, often of a marginalized identity.
the visible or hidden and temporary or permanent conditions that create barriers or challenges in one’s life.
a view of diagnoses from a social and environmental perspective that considers multiple ecological levels.
a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life.