Cultural Reciprocity in Sociocultural Perspective: Adapting the Normalization Principle for Family Collaboration

Abstract

The principle of normalization/social role valorization provides a powerful framework for improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. However, the principle needs to be adapted to the increasing cultural heterogeneity of the United States. Decisions about the goals of service provision should be informed by two principles: (1) cultural reciprocity, whereby professionals work in a collaborative manner with families, and (2) a sociocultural view of learning and development, which targets social rather than individual processes. Findings from a collaborative action research project with culturally diverse families are used to illustrate how professionals can provide assistance in a family's zone of proximal development, rather than targeting goals that are normative for the mainstream, but not for the family.

An Analysis of Haitian Parents' Perceptions of Their Children With Disabilities

“…Several authors have conducted studies on parents of children with disabilities to better gain an understanding of the level of their involvement with their children's education, their perceptions of the children and their views on the school system (Harry, 1992a;1992b;Harry et al 1995;Harry et al, 1999). These studies overall concluded that: (a) parents mistrusted school personnel, (b) parents felt that the school setting was cold and uncaring towards them, (c) parents deferred decisions to school personnel even when they did not agree with those decisions, (d) parents felt overwhelmed by all the written communication they received regularly from school personnel regarding their children, (e) culture had a strong influence on parental perceptions of children, (f) engagement with school personnel was limited to a large degree by language barriers and to a small degree by cultural differences, (g) parental involvement decreased over time because parents had limited understanding of the structures, guidelines and procedures of IDEA, (h) professionals had limited understanding of the minor nuances within a group's cultural and ethnic beliefs, and therefore, failed to engage them appropriately, and (i) parental involvement was strongly influenced by values, beliefs, customs and conceptual knowledge that were closely aligned with culture and acculturation.…”

“…Research had concluded that culture played a substantial role in parental involvement and that parents from minority backgrounds often did not possess the knowledge necessary to be active participants in their children's education (Harry, 1992;Harry et al, 1995;Harry et al, 1999;McWayne & Owsianik, 2004;Ouimette et al, 2004). This was also in line with the findings of this research.…”

“…This is a beginning step in identifying how parents formed their perceptions and for professionals to gain insight into the influences on parental behavior and involvement. Harry et al (1999) identified nuances of parental involvement within groups. Therefore, goals for increasing parental involvement must be individualized based on the specific needs of each individual family.…”

“…Darch, Miso and Shippen (2004) suggested a prescriptive approach to parental involvement where professionals recruited parents, developed materials based on their needs, provided training and sought ways to sustain their engagement. Harry, Rueda and Kalyanpur (1999) likewise, suggested professionals needed to understand a particular group's ethnic and cultural beliefs and that goals should be framed around that particular group's needs.…”

Beyond Special and General Education as Identity Markers: The Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of The Effects of Intersecting Sociocultural Identities

“…Cultural competence and responsiveness, however, is especially critical when collaborating with families of students with disabilities (Klinger & Harry, 2006). A family's attitude toward disabilities and toward its role in the child's education may be mediated through a cultural lens that differs from that of the service providers (Harry, Rueda, & Kalyanpur, 1999). Intersectionality framing could potentially enhance preservice teachers' competency and efficacy for working with diverse families.…”