While there are many factors that affect the lives of individual families having a member with a disability, relatively little consideration has been given to families' cultural backgrounds. Culture has been defined in many ways (Banks & McGee Banks, 1989). One definition examines the heritage and traditions of social groups, and another views culture as a social group's design for surviving and adapting to the environment. In relation especially to the latter definition, culture can be viewed as having value, as defining and helping to maintain a group of people.
It is important to point out that culture is not exclusive to certain groups of people (African American, American Indian, Latino, Asian American) who are considered to be outside of the dominant culture. Culture is part of all of our lives, though it has often been viewed as something that other people have. We may attempt to understand the differences, and often what are seen as the peculiarities, of people outside the dominant European-American culture, without really seeing our own.
The service system reflects the dominant culture and therefore it is particularly important to recognize and try to understand the values, beliefs, and traditions of people from other cultures. Provision of services without this understanding can be damaging to families, because it lacks knowledge of what is supportive and what might be harmful to particular families. It is equally important to acknowledge the limited access to economic and political power that such groups often face (Cross et al., 1989).
Differences as Deficiencies
Typically, the difference that cultures outside of the dominant culture present have been thought of as deficiencies, and people with certain cultural traits have been viewed as needing to be changed or corrected to fit into the mainstream. In the service system, onus is placed on these particular people to change, to become assimilated into the system as it exists. While this holds true for all families who are offered a service package or program and expected to fit their needs to what is offered, this is particularly evident for people from minority cultures (meaning groups having less power and fewer members) in this country. It is imperative that we begin to view cultural differences as strengths that can help us to better understand our system and what we are striving toward for families of children with disabilities. How might the system change to better meet the needs of all of the families it serves?
To provide appropriate supports for families of children with disabilities, we must understand the meaning of disability within their lives and the cultural contexts within which they live. A family's cultural background is something that strongly affects how they and the people around them relate with each other as well as their child with a disability.
Helpful or Harmful?
What is considered helpful is one culture might be considered an imposition in another. Where families of the dominant culture have struggled to gain more and better access to services, people of other cultures might be bewildered by the number of social workers and support people who come into their homes (Gartner, Lipsky & Turnbull, 1991). Labelling, so prevalent in mainstream U.S. culture, is often something alien to families of other cultures. Their children may take on the mantle of disability only when they are connected with school of services. When they are at home with their families or playing with neighbor children, they are just children, part of the group or family. For example, a Latino family has a child who has been labelled and placed in special education classes. Yet when the child is at home is a regular member of his neighborhood. He knows his way around and plays with his peers.
As researchers observing families from minority cultures, we have seen that children with disabilities often have specific valued roles within the family, depending on their view of disability and the needs of the family. While this may be true in every culture, there are cultural differences in the roles that children as assigned. More research is needed in this area, which is just beginning to receive notice. Also, in some cultures, such as many Latino and Asian-American cultures, the family or extended family provide support that people in the dominant culture seek from services or friends.
Services, including those that have reputations as good, caring, and family centered, may ignore the cultural identities of individuals and families. This is most likely when a person works or lives in a facility operated by a service agency. For examples, at the group home of an Arab-American man labelled mental retarded, the staff were unaware of his Arab identity. To them, he was just another resident. When visiting family, and only the, he was Arab. This simple story is an illustration of how families and individuals may lost their ethnic and cultural identities when they become involved with the services system.
Conclusion
Today, cultural sensitivity is imperative in providing services to families.
We must begin to look at our own and others' cultural orientations, and
learn to appreciate the strengths of families who have learned to adapt
to all that affects and shapes their daily lives and have, in their own
unique ways, supported their members in the process.