Cross‐Cultural Awareness Development: A Conceptual Model

Abstract

Stages in the development of cross-cultural awareness are outlined, including similarities and differences in the experiences of majority and minority groups.

Sensitizing Counselors and Educators to Multicultural Issues: An Interactive Approach

“…The program was based on the premise that with intensive learning experiences requiring total immersion and participation, it would be possible to increase an understanding of those who were culturally different and to promote a personal assessment of one's own misconceptions and prejudices. In fact, the total experience seemed to parallel the conceptual model of Christensen (1989). The stages of the model are (a) unawareness, (b) beginning awareness, (c) conscious awareness, (d) consolidated awareness, and (e) transcendent awareness.…”

“…Consequently, the students have tended to evaluate themselves relative to others in society. This process of self-evaluation has been recognized by Burrell and Christensen (1987), Triandis (1987), and Christensen (1989). The insidious aspect of this self-evaluation is that it may perpetuate political, social, and economic oppression that has contributed to a sense of being powerless (Atkinson, Morten, & Sue 1989;Goldenberg, 1978).…”

“…Children are in the early stages of cultural awareness and may not recognize that their experiences differ from others and that there may exist forms of discrimination. A major developmental task is to discover and integrate one's ethnicity, culture, and race as these affect oneself and others (Christensen, 1989). Children may internalize the beliefs of the majority about their own cultural group.…”

A model for bicultural assertion training with asian-pacific american college students: A pilot study

“…Research on ethnic identity development has explored various models of identity development (Christensen, 1989;Cross, 1971;Helms, 1985;Parham, 1989;Parharn & Helms, 198 I). These models may be summarized in a four-stage model that consists of the following levels of awareness or consciousness:…”

“…Ethnic identity has been considered an important variable when considering referrals for therapy. According to various models of ethnic identity development (Christensen, 1989;Helms, 1984;Parham, 1989), there are times in the individual's life span when he or she needs to be immersed in his or her own ethnic culture. It is during these times that one's ethnic cultural identity can be enhanced and the individual can be affirmed for his or her ethnicity (versus denied or oppressed by the dominant culture), College-age students who Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:11 26 December 2014 are developing a sense of self and identity often grapple with the meaning of being a member of an ethnic group, such as AsianPacific American, especially when on a predominantly White campus.…”