Internalized Culture, Culturocentrism, and Transcendence

Abstract

Internalized culture is introduced as a psychological, rather than anthropological, construct most useful to counselors. It addresses explicitly both between-group and within-group variations resulting from individual differences in enculturation, and helps to sensitize counselors against overgeneralization and stereotyping. An explication of the construct leads to the problem of defining cultural boundaries. Serious difficulties in definition arise especially when three classes of phenomena are encountered: cultures in transition, cultures in contact, and bienculturation and multienculturation. Arguments are presented to advance the thesis that there is a basic continuity from intracultural to intercultural understanding. In a sense, all interpersonal encounters are cross-cultural in nature. Accordingly, all counseling requires an awareness of cultural processes and the transcendence of one's internalized culture.

Cross-Cultural Counseling: History, Challenges, and Rationale

“…Most anthropologists also claim that there are four basic components of a culture: (1) it is socially transmitted through enculturation; (2) knowledge (people share enough knowledge that they can behave in ways that are acceptable and meaningful to others, so that they do not constantly misunderstand one another); (3) there are shared behavioral regularities or patterns; and (4) there are shared collective experiences of a specific group . Ho (1995) also discussed a definition of culture from an anthropological perspective. He indicated that culture can be conceptualized externally or internally.…”

Buddhist Moments in Psychotherapy

“…people cany their own version of that culture making individuals unique in their sense of cuiturai identity. As was ernphasized by Ho (1995). it is the intemaiized culture that is rnost significant in understanding diverse indi~lduals.…”

The Practice of Supervision: A Sociocultural Perspective

“…assimilation, and accommodation can inform this part of supervisors' work. This literature suggests that each supervisory experience may be considered a cross-cultural experience: each person brings to supervision unique life experiences bound in culture and each person integrates knowledge about the professional culture also in a unique way (Ho, 1995). First, supervisees observe professional counselors to vicariously learn acceptable cultural attitudes or stances (e.g., ethics).…”