THE MANY PROBLEMS OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITY.

O'Donohue, William; Benuto, Lorraine

Cardemil (2010) examines the problem of the generalizability of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) to certain cultural groups and provides some interesting and astute suggestions regarding how to determine when cultural adaptation is necessary; regarding ways cultural adaptations should be made; and regarding how these culturally adapted treatments should then be empirically evaluated. We proceed to discuss the problem with the (lack of) operational definitions for "Culture" and "Sensitivity"; what needs to be known and enacted in order to be "Sensitive"; the importance of differentiating between access problems and issues of cultural sensitivity; and finally we pose the question: is the cultural sensitivity movement's real aim to placate White guilt and not actually addressing the needs of disadvantaged minorities?

CULTURAL awareness; SOCIAL groups; CULTURAL movements; OPERATIONAL definitions; GENERALIZABILITY theory; MINORITIES

Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 2010, Vol 7, Issue 2, p34

1538-4985

Academic Journal