Multiculturalism the Case Study Referring

Multiculturalism

The case study referring to the young man from Cambodia, charged with three felony counts of discharging a weapon presents a very interesting perspective on how culture and crime are intermixed. Bartol & Bartol (2004) described multiculturalism as referring to the sensibility to differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and disability. All of these factors are complicated in their own right, making the ideas of culture very difficult to understand and grasp without employing an open mind. This case study provided two helpful points that are useful to help learn more about this topic and apply it in practical and helpful ways that can benefit those around us.

The first multicultural issue regarding the young man from Cambodia is the language barrier. Language, even within this and other countries, are extremely varied. Translations do not always make sense either as numerous slang and local variations are constantly introduced to languages all the time. In order to fully understand the young man, a translator would be very helpful in clearing up many of the miscommunications that had occurred during the interview. This third party interpreter would benefit the situation even more as a cultural interpreter as well. These people can provide helpful insights and make useful comparisons to help develop a standard set or words that can be used.

The APA Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services, suggested that "socioeconomic and political factors significantly impact the psychosocial, political and economic development of ethnic and culturally diverse groups." This applies very much in this case. The second multicultural issue in this case, the young man's history of violence and torture, does not necessarily make him mentally ill. Many soldiers after serving violent and dreadful tours in war often bounce back strong from this exposure and become productive members of society, while some do not.