Personhood, culture and family therapy

Abstract

This paper argues that ideas about personhood and relationships vary cross-culturally and that although it is not always obvious or easy to discover, this variation is particularly salient to family therapy. This argument is supported by a dual definition of culture emphasizing both continuity of cultural themes (generative aspect) and the reconstitution, redefinition and change of such themes through interaction and communication (interactive aspect). The effectiveness of interventions which are isomorphic with ideas which families themselves hold about personhood is demonstrated through work with two families, one Punjabi and one Bangladeshi.

Examining the Interplay Among Family, Culture, and Latina Teen Suicidal Behavior

“…As Krause explains (1995), people engage others in social worlds—in cities, neighborhoods, work and school environments, and families. In this engagement, individuals configure and reconfigure cultural elements within the context of their own lives to make sense of everyday social experiences (Krause, 1995).…”

“…As Krause explains (1995), people engage others in social worlds—in cities, neighborhoods, work and school environments, and families. In this engagement, individuals configure and reconfigure cultural elements within the context of their own lives to make sense of everyday social experiences (Krause, 1995). For researchers engaged in cross-cultural studies, the purpose of cultural analysis is to throw into relief those shared worlds of interpersonal experience (Ware & Kleinman, 1992).…”

Issues arising from intra‐cultural family therapy

“…Cultural and religious identities are both social realities and collections of beliefs which are subject to change (see Krause, 1995). With this dualism in mind, the therapist can move between a position of respect for beliefs perceived as constant or even divine, and a position of curiosity about how beliefs and identities can change.…”

“…Because of this interconnection, the therapists need to include themselves and the agency in their thinking and to adopt a stance of cultural and religious reflexivity. By cultural reflexivity I refer to a process in which therapists observe themselves as 'active listeners' constructing cultural realities in therapy (Mendez et al, 1988;Krause, 1995).…”

Young Adult Graduates Living in the Parental Home: Expectations, Negotiations, and Parental Financial Support

“…Talbani & Hasanali, 2000) with neither parents nor their children expecting rent. In England, Finch and Mason (1993) found those who came closest to talking about the norms governing the notion of obligation were those of Asian descent: the connectedness of family relationships is emphasized more than in English kinship systems where separateness and the individual are prioritized (Krause, 1995). In the case of the South…”