ma: WYI" A I QEQPL? 1 IV‘ESI.) RETURNING MATERIALS: % P1ace in book drop to LIBRARIES remove this checkout from .ggszcezslu. your record. FINES wi11 be charged 1f book 15 returned after the date stamped below. JUN 3’): Q? vii ’ {-1 AJ, lflorgfisg 20L) A FEB Q3513 53333 4.23113}? ”A“ __ 1_ ”yeasts-- msmmmmwy “‘33 ifBRAR'Y 3Lhnvcnéqf 33w. CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AS A TOOL IN THE CASEWORK emerges-4 STUDY OF 11:; mum: mom: IN LANSING, MICHIGAN by Edward A. King and Forrest D. Gregg A PROJECT REPORT Submitted to the School of Social Work Michigan State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements gor the Degree 0 MASTER CF SCCIAL WORK June Approved : s WWW \Chgirman, Researchwaommittee 1961 TH 5815 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With sincere appreciation the writers wish to acknowledge the helpful guidance of Dr. Ernest B. Harper, Mr. Arnold Gurin, and other members of the School of Social Work faculty. The writers also express their appreciation to the four local Social Service Agencies who have helped make the completion of this project possible. Special thanks is extended to the Reverend William J. McKeon, President of the (Rational) Catholic Council for the Spanish-Speaking, and Director of the Spanish~ Speaking Apostolete for the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, and to the members of his various committees for their valuable assistance. The writers also wish to acknowledge the patient and understanding assistance of Mrs. Betty Heilbronn, and Mrs. Barbara Sulla, office personal of the Michigan State University School of Social Work. Finally the writers wish to express their gratitude to their respective wives for their patience, understanding, and help during the preparation of this study and to their children for the inconvenience they have experienced. Edward A. King 11 Forrest D. Gregg TABLE OF CONTENTS RCKNOWLEDGEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF TABLEst 0 O O O O 0 O O O O O O O 0 O O O 0 CHAPTER I. II. III. IV. V. INTRODUCTIOIqQQOOOOOOOOto... CONTRASTING MEXICAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES METHODS AND FINDINGS: INTERVIEWS . . . . METFODS AND FINDINGS: CASE RECORDS . CONCLUSICNS AND RECOMMENDRTICNS . . . BIBLIOGRAPHL................. APPEYIDIXOOOO00.00.000.000... 111 11 iv 13 28 36 n1 1.5 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Social workers' responses to questions posed in interview schedule. . . . . . . 19 2. Problems presented to Mexican clients that ten social workers consider most diffi- cult to work With. 0 o o o o o o o o I 0 2h 3. Major problems presented by Mexicans in case records 0 o 0 o c o o o o o o o o o 30 h. Major problems Mexicans presented in reading of case records at Catholic Social Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5. Evaluating social workers' case records in reference to cultural awareness in working with Mexican clients . . . . . . 3% iv CHhPTER I I N TBODUC TI ON Lansing, an industrial city with a population of approximately 105,000 persons, is the capital of Michigan and is located near the center of the state. Adjoining the city of Lansing is the city of East Lansing--a college town. East Lansing is the home of Michigan State Uni- versity and is annually populated by some 20,000 college students. Thus, Lansing, appropriately, has been called the city where industry, government, and education meet.1 For the past twelve years approximately, the sur- rounding rural communities near the Greater Lansing area have been using migrant farm labor. Each year a greater number of these migrant workers decide to move into the city proper, and try to establish a permanent residence there.2 These people optimistically hope to work in factories or commercial enterprises, receive higher wages, and in general, better their living conditions. Unfortu- nately, this has not always been the result. 1H0wdy Neighbor- Green Bay, Wisconsin: Jaynard Publishing 0., Inc., 1960, p. 7. (A booklet prepared for the Lansing merchants and sent to new arrivals to this community.) 21m Catholic Weekly, May 19, 1961, p. 1. Most of the migrant workers are Spanish-speaking Mexicans who have come here from Texas. Many of them were born in Mexico and moved to Texas after they were grown. Many others were born in Texas, but are the children of parents born in Mexico. In either case, living in segre- gated areas in Texas has done little to encourage their as- similation of American culture. is related by Lyle Saunders: "When peOple move, their culture goes with them. find if one wishes to know the 'why' of their behavior, he must look to the old environment as well as to the new."3 50 it is, that if one is to understand the problems of the Mexican, he must be aware of the differences between the two cultures. This is of particular importance for social workers who will be working closely with the Spanish-speaking peOple. The main purpose of this study is to discover how much awareness social workers have of the cultural differences in their clients' backgrounds, and particularly how much use social caseworkers make of this awareness of cultural difference. This study was begun with the assumption that much of the present knowledge of cultural differences is not being utilized dynamically by social caseworkers. Why have social workers been selected as the focal point of this study? There seems to be a good reason. While America has traditionally been a nation that welcomed peeple from various cultures, it still has not completely 3Lyle Saunders, "English-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking People of the Southwest," Social Perspectives on Behavior, ed. Herman D. Stein and Richard A. Cloward IGIencoe, Illinois: The Free Press, 1958), p. 157. overcome the many problems that are inherent in such situs ations when people find themselves in a struggle between their old culture and the new. As stated by Welter A. Friedlander in his discussion of the objectives of social work: "'Social work seeks to assist individuals, groups, and communities, to reach the highest possible degree of social, mental, and physical well-being'"h’Therefore, it seems perfectly logical and fitting that social workers should be of prime importance in helping any new American become a happier, betteruadjusted, and more productive citizen. Next, it might be asked why have the Mexicans been chosen when there are other cultures represented in the area. The reasons for selecting the Mexicans are numerous. As stated above, the Mexican pepulation is a large cultural group in the Lansing area, and its size is still increasing.5 Also, the Mexicans are the most available for study. Another reason is that both of the students conducting this research plan to work with.Mexicans after graduation, and feel this information will be valuable to them. Still another reason is an increasing interest being eXpressed on_ the national level regarding Latin America and Mexico as indicated by President John F. Kennedy's special efforts ling.” _CMJ n “w ~1m-.—— ‘7..— t’Walter A. Friedlander, Concgpts and Methods 9; Social Work (Englewood Cliffs, New ersey: Prentice-Ha l, c., 1958), P0 70 5The Catholic Weekly loc. cit., 1, to improve relationships, and have more understanding between the United States and its southern neighbors. These factors seem to indicate that studies concerning Mexican culture are essential and timely. In order to understand the contrast between the Mexican and American cultures, and to become better informed of the present thinking regarding cultural influence on the client- worker relationship, an intensive library research was car- ried out by both students. In addition the students reviewh ed previous studies bearing on the relationship between cultural elements and social work. The literature read was divided into two parts; one student reading about Mexican culture, and the other reading about American culture. Notes were compared by the students in an effort to establish the differences between the two cultures. Both students reviewed additional literature regarding social roles, social psychology, and personality development. An attempt was made to formulate some criteria which could be applied to case records in determining the extent to which aculturation.has taken.place in any one case, and how this may be affecting the client-worker relationship. The information obtained from reading the literature indicates that for many years social work books and Journals have stressed the importance of knowledge of cultural in~ fluences in order that the worker may better understand the problems of the clients. In May, 1951 the Social Casewozg 5 Journal carried a lengthy article written by William Gioseffi concerning the importance of having the caseworker understand the relationship of culture to the principles of casework. as further stressed that workers also need to apply this knowledge. Gioseffi pointed out: "Our case records may often reveal a recognition of cultural patterns different from our own, but do not as often reveal how we made specific and differential application of that knowledge to the situation itself."6 A study made to find out how sociocultural factors affect the use which families make of children's psychi- atric clinics found that the records of nine psychiatric clinics in the New York and San Francisco area, did not contain certain identifying and descriptive sociocultural data, suggesting the social worker's lack of attention to the potential significance of such information in under- standing the individual case.7 In 1959 Dr. Thomas Rhys Williams stressed many of the same ideas as did Gioseffi in 1951. The disturbing factor is that after eight years of talking about the importance of culture to social workers, Dr. Williams was still able to say: "I have been studying informally the insight ex- hibited by those trained workers with whom I have talked 6w1111am Gioseffi, "The Relationship of Culture to the Principles of Casework,” Social Casework Journa , XXXII (May, 1951), p. 191. 7Herman.D. Stein, "Sociocultural Factors in Psychiatric gi§nicslfor Children,” gpcial Service fieview (March, 1956,) ’9'“ 90 about the question of the personal-cultural equation. For the most part, I have found that many social workers display a disconcerting lack of understanding of the importance of this factor.“8 In social work the personal-cultural equation refers to the problem faced by the social worker as he works directly with people in a close personal relationship. Unlike the natural scientist who can measure values objec- tively without becoming emotionally involved so as to effect the results, the social worker, by the very nature of the worker-client relationship, can easily allow his own personal cultural background to influence his approach to the problem, thereby affecting the results. With the foregoing information serving as a background, three methods of obtaining data were utilized in this study, including interviews with Spanish~5peaking people, inter- views with social workers serving Spanishpspeaking clients, and the reading of case records in three social service agencies in Lansing. Throughout the study, the work was distributed equally between the two investigators with the exception of the inter- Views with the Mexican people. One investigator conducted the interviews with the Mexican people because of his per- sonal relationship with many Spanishnspeaking persons. It was felt that he would be able to obtain more meaningful data. 8Thomas Rhys Williams, ”The Personal-Cultural Equation In Social Work and Anthropology,” §ocial Casework Journal, XL (February, 1959), 78. CHAPTER II CONTRASTING MEXICAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES Probably the most obvious and also one of the most important cultural differences between Mexicans and Americans is language. The American social worker usually speaks English; the Mexican client, Spanish. Language difference can be a barrier to communication between worker and client in more than one way. While one can easily see the impos- sibility of communication when worker and client speak different languages, often overlooked is the fact that even if one has a little speaking knowledge of a foreign language, he seldom knows it well enough to eXpress those different shades of meaning so necessary when dealing with feelings. One may translate word for word from one lan- guage to the other, but not be able to translate the true feeling tone involved. Clyde Kluckhohn stated it very concisely and effec- tively when he said: ”Every language is also a special way of looking at the world and interpreting eXperience."9 9Clyde Kluckhohn, Mirror for Men (New York: Fawcett World Library, 1957), p. I55. 7 Another cultural difference that can be expected to exist between the American social worker and the Mexican client is the attitude toward family life and roles within the family. The American family tends to be smaller, more inde- pendent, and have few feelings of responsibility for kin— folk outside of the immediate "nuclear family"10 consisting of husband, wife, and their children. Mexicans, on the other hand, have a deep respect and feeling of duty toward their parents and old kinfolk. The Mexican husband feels a sense of duty toward his parents as he does his wife and children. One Mexican gentleman stated it very nicely when he said in reference to their attitudes towards old folks: "Mexicans tend to think in terms of what to do for them-«Americans tend to think in terms of what to do with them." The Mexican family tends to remain in close relation- ship. Also, god parents are included in the "family" as are others related by affinity. This large family helps each individual in time of need or disaster. The Mexican takes it for granted that his family will and should help when he needs them. American families tend more to look for help outside the family circle. 1OHerman D. Stein and Richard A. Cloward, Social gerspectives on Behavior, (Glencoek Illinois: The Free ess, 1953), p. 2. 9 Before leaving the discussion of family life, it may be well to compare the roles of the members of the Mexican and American families. In the American family of today, "...the father is seen on the periphery. The mother comes first; she is the important parent: In effect, the father sits in the she- dow; he is the 'f01gotten man'. The significance of the father's role is played down; the mother's role is drama- tized."11 How does this compare to the Mexican father's and mother's role in their family? Frequently, Americans are inclined to think of the Mexican father as posessing a strong role in the family. Hewevor, on close examination one may be surprised to see that the Mexican father is not the unquestioned head of the family he tries to appear to be, but that this strong role front is in reality ”a reaction formation against the anxiety produced by an excess of feminine identification.“12 Dr. Santiago Ramirez and Dr. Ramon Darres have done a study in which they pointed out that the Mexican child is kept very close to the mother during the first year and then is weaned rather quickly because the mother is expecting another child. The child feels abandoned. The girls maintain a closer relationship with the mother and 1lN'athan W'. Ackerman, The szchod§gamics of Family Life (new York: Basic Books, Inc., 19 , p. 179. 12Santiago Ramirez and Ramon Parres, "Some Dynamic Patterns in the Organization of the Mexican Family, International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 3 (1957-58), p. 18. 10 can work through some of these feelings, but the boys usually anticipate and identify with the aggressive mother who deserted them.13 At about fifteen or sixteen years of age, the Mexican children are considered to be adults. The boys are free to do much as they please. This means that most of them quit school, and being too young to work in the community, find this new emancipation less rewarding than they had hoped. The girl at this age is treated the opposite of the boy. While he is turned free to do as he pleases, the girl is carefully chaperoned until she marries. The American boy will probably stay in school several years longer than the Mexican boy and then be able to go to work. The American girl will continue school several years longer than the Mexican girl. The American girl will date, and when she finishes school, she will either get work or get married. The Mexican children will have several years they will be out of school with nothing to do resulting in a longer period of adolescent conflict for them. As a husband, the Mexican male will be Jealous in a way that is close to sibling rivalry. He will not trust his wife and fears that she will desert him. There is much folklore about the women deserting the men, but in actual practice there is much more desertion hymen.1h lBIbid, luln their study Dr. Santiago Ramirez and Dr. Ramon Parres found 25 per cent of the men had abandoned their‘wiveso loc. cit, 11 The American father can and does enjoy playing with his young son, while the Mexican father fears to do this because he will lose face or lower his dignity. While the American wife has long ago declared her equal status to her husband in the home, the Mexican wife has been content to accept her secondary role. There has been some speculation as to why she has not spoken out. Some who have lived in Mexico or who are familiar with the culture have ventured a guess that this can be traced back to the fact that early Mexicans were Indians. They suggest that perhaps the role of the Mexican wife has been influenced by the role of the Indian wife. It has also been observed (again no study has been published) that Mexican wives, who come here and get financial aid from the welfare agencies, tend to be less concerned about being deserted by their husbands. Another cultural difference between Americans and Mexicans is the attitude toward acceptance and resignation. Saunders has said that the Americans have the "...feeling that a person ought to rebel against circumstances and ought to master and control them."15 The Mexican, on the other hand, simply says: "Such is the will of God-~it is the obligation of man to accept it."16 This resignation of Mexicans shows up in many ways. They are less inclined to be upset by sickness or attempt 15Saunders, loo, cit,, p. 16%. lélbid. M 12 to do much about it; particularly, if the sickness is not ' painful. They find it difficult to ask for help and when they receive help, they see it more as a answer to their prayers than a result of their own activities. While it is recognized that what has been said in con- trasting the two cultures is by no means complete, it is felt that what has been offered here will be sufficient to give some background for understanding how culture pene- trates the whole personality. Also, it will help the reader to understand how culture affects many different problems and why it is so important for social workers to be aware of these differences, and help the client adjust to a new Culture. CHAPTER III METHODS fiND FINDINGS: INTERVIEWS lpterviews with Mexican; Three individual interviews and one group interview were held with various Mexican people in the Lansing com- munity. The purpose for holding the interviews was two- fold; to learn more about the Mexican culture, and to determine what they perceived as being conflicts resulting from cultural differences. Two of the Mexicans are professionally trained and work with the recent Mexican arrivals to the Lansing area. It was felt that their higher education plus their personal experience would make them valuable resources of information. One Mexican interviewed is a member of a "skilled" occupation-the nature of which is not disclosed in this study in an effort to protect his identity. The individual Mexicans interviewed were chosen because they were well known in the area to be persons with a good understanding and appreciation of the problems confronting the Mexican people in the Lansing area. The group interview with Mexicans consisted of seven persons with occupations ranging from laborer to semi-skilled. The group members were selected by a Mexican man who felt 13 1% that these people would reflect the thinking of the local Mexicans. The group members gave their opinions and through group action reviewed their deeper feelings and analyzed them. They seemed to enjoy both the answering of questions for the interviewers and the Opportunity to examine their own feelings in the matter. The Mexican people interviewed reflect the more socially adjusted as well as the more culturally assimilated persons. They also represent varied social classes and a wide range of educational achievement. Although the back- grounds were varied, their answers seemed to be in agree- ment. All of the Mexicans interviewed, individually or as a group, were friendly, cOOperative, and displayed consi- derable effort toward being objective in answering the questions. Five openoend questions covering general areas of significance were asked the Mexican people. Question I: Do you feel comfortable being a Mexiggg in this communitx? Most Mexicans interviewed stated they did feel com- fortable. Several stated that they had been treated im- politely on occasion because they were Mexicans, but that they did not feel self-conscious about it in their relation, ships with other people. There seemed to be a tendency for those who “looked Mexican” to have more of a problem in this area than those who did not "look Mexican". Also, there 15 seemed to a direct correlation between feeling com- fortable, and the degree of assimilation of the American culture. Question II: What are the problems facinggMexicen§ in this communitxi The Mexicans seem to feel that their largest pro- blems were lack of understanding the American laws, and how to obtain help when they need it. Also, Mexicans cone sidered themselves proud and unwilling to aSk for help outside of their family circle. They appreciate help when offered, and accept it gratefully considering it as an answer to their prayers. They seem rather trusting, and tend to accept advice from trusted friends without expressing their own feelings about it. Their unquestioning adherence to advice given by a friend sometimes complicates their problem more than it simplifies it. The Mexicans' different value system regarding marriage relationships, parent/child relationships, religion, health, etc. complicates obtaining help from American workers. Along with this, MexiCan people find it difficult to organize, thereby, hindering efforts to help themselves. Quasar WM: memes-4- Esiiiéés and 1f 80!:Ehzz The Mexicans acre generally pleased in this area, and felt that many well-meaning Americans are trying to help. They admitted that possibly some helped for business reasons, but in general, the Mexicans felt that the help offered was sincere, and they would not place themselves in a position of Judging their benefactors' motives. They seemed grateful rather than suspicious. 16 The only complaint made in this area was that they felt there was a tendency for Americans to be more concerned about the seasonal migrant worker than for those Mexicans who were trying to become a part of the community. Question IV: What do you see in the future for the Mexiganfiin this community? In general they were optimistic.' They felt that the Mexican was learning to work together to help themselves more. They felt that the Americans, who are trying to help them, are gaining insight and understanding regarding the Mexicans and their problems. They pointed out that they now have a social center of their own, and while there is much to be done, they are moving in the right direction. In time the center will be used for many activities other than social events. Physicians, attorneys, realtors, home economists, and social workers within the community can meet with the Mexican people to give them information that would be helpful in assisting them in their adjustment to the American society. Question V} What should social workers be awar of in order to be better e§ui§fie§ £0 work with Mexican people One important step, according to the Mexicans, would be to learn Spanish. They felt that the younger generation of Mexicans speak English, but are influenced by their parents who do not. They stated that if the workers could speak Spanish, they could help the younger people by being better able to gain the cooperation of the parents. An example offered by them was the problem of encouraging 17 Mexican youth to appreciate the value of an education. The Mexicans who were interviewed felt that it was not the Americans who discouraged the children; rather, it was the childrens' 'wn parents. The Mexicans also felt that social workers should have a good understanding of Mexican attitudes toward marriage, parent/child relationships, roles in the family, and placing family members in hospitals or institutions of all kinds. It was considered important too that the social worker understand etiquette among the Mexican people such as when to use first names and other customs. This would help to create an overall relaxed atmosphere con- ducive to successful treatment. In addition to the interviews with the Mexican people, an interview was held with the Reverend William J. McKeon. Father McKeon is the President of the (National) Catholic Council for the Spanish~Speaking, and is also the director of the Spanish—speaking apostolate for the diocese of Lansing, Michigan. He was particularly helpful in arranging the many bits of information into a most compact picture. Interviews with Social Workers The interviews with social workers were carried out in four social service agencies in Lansing including the Catholic Social Service of Lansing, Lansing Family Service, Ingham County Bureau of Social Aid, and the State Department of Social welfare. The agencies were chosen so as to be representative of sectarian and non-sectarian agencies as well as state, county, 18 and private services. The agencies difiered in regards to services rendered; ranging from service to families with emotional problems to the giving of direct relief. iuthorizationg_ Permission to interview the social workers was secured from the directors of the four agencies. The interviews were scheduled according to the convenience of the individual workers and were held at the workers' desks. Ten workers were interviewed; each for approx- imately forty-five minutes. At times it became necessary for the interviewer to redirect the workers back to the particular question as they tended to give examples of individual cases, thus losing sight of the original question. In order to conduct organized and systematic inter- views as well as to be certain that each interviewer asked identical questions of each worker, an interview schedule and a questionnaire were employed. The schedule and questionnaire were devised jointly by both students. Schedulg (see appendix B): The "schedule" consisted of five open questions. These questions were focused toward determining whether the workers recognized a hindrance in the casework relationship because of cultural differences. The questions were arranged in such a manner as to allow space for taking notes after each question. The data obtained through the use of the schedule is presented in Table 1. 19 Table 1 SOCILL WORKERS' RESPONSES TO QUYSTIONS POSED IN IKTBRVIEW SCFEDULE Questiongl. In comparing the type of problems brought to your agency by Mexican and American clients, do you find the problems to be similar or different? Explain Answer: Number of Social Workers (8) Similar000000000003 (b) Different........iz_ Total.... 0 ¥%estion 11. Do you think that the Mexican client finds more ifficult to form a relationship with American workers than do the American clients? Explain Answer: number of Social Workers Ea) YBSeocoooooooooooo5 b) NOooooeooooooooeo Total....l Question 111.1: you were supervising a new worker or a student worker who would be working with Mexican clients, would you consider it necessary to give special advice? EXplain Answer: Number of Social Workers (8) YGSOOOOOOOOOOOOOIoJ-o (b) rIOOOOIOOOOOOOOIOOfi Total....10 guestion 1V. Do you believe that special training or .now e ge s needed for caseworkers who work with Mexu icans? EXplain answer: Number of Social Workers (3) YESooooooeoooooooo7 (b) Hoooooooooooooooo Total.... 0 Question V. What do you consider to be the problems most frequently presented by Mexican clients? Answer: (1) Budgeting...u..u6 (2) MaritaloooOOOoOoo-2 (a) ITealth-oooeooooooool ( ) Contraceptive dGViCESoooooooooo 1 TOtEloooeta 20 The data in Table l are analyzed in detail below: Question I: In comparing the type of problem brought to your agency by Jexican and American ents do on find the_problems to be similar or different? Explain Three workers stated that they believed the problems presented by the Mexican clients were similar to those presented by the American clients. Of these three, two qualified their answers by explaining that while they con- sidered the problems to be similar, they thought the pro- blems had to be handled differently because of the Mexicans' cultural background. The other worker expressed feelings of being unqualified for further comment because of having only one Mexican client. The remaining seven workers stated that they felt the problems were different explaining that what they meant by "different” was not that the presenting problems of Mexican and American clients were so different, but that the Mexicans' problems seemed more concentrated in certain areas. These workers also said that they felt the problems should be handled differently with Mexican clients because of cultural differences. It was found that nine of the ten workers agreed in their answers with one suggesting self-disqualification on the basis of limited experience. The nine workers agreed that cultural factors do play an important role in working with Mexican clients. 21 Question II: Do you.tbink that_the Mexican lient finds it more ifficult to form a relation- .ip with American worker than do the fimerican Elients? xp ' On this question, there was an even Split in the answers given by the ten workers. The reasons given for the affirmative answers were that cultural background and lack of education made it difficult for the Mexican client to understand the functions of the agency and the role of the worker as well as what is eXpected of them as clients. The five workers answering ”no" displayed, however, some understanding of the cultural aSpects affecting the Mexican clients' efforts to form the relationship. Some added that in certain cases with which they were familiar, the Mexican clients formed a relationship more quickly than might be eXpected of an American client, when the worker demonstrated a real interest in understanding the Mexican client. Also, in those cases where the Mexican client felt that the worker was attempting to understand him, the client continued to ask for that worker by name years after the worker had left the agency. It seemed apparent that both affirmative and negative groups were saying the same thing-that the relationship depends a great deal upon the ability of the worker to see through the cultural barrier. In connection with this, it was noted that two varksrs stated that language is a difficult obstacle to overcome in forming a client-worker relationship. One worker felt that the difficulties between worker and client were not Mexican culture vs. American culture, bat middle class vs. lower class standards and values. 22 Question III: If_you were supervising a new worker or a student worker who would be wort with Mexican clients, would you consider it neg: nessary to giye special advice? Explain a All ten workers answered "yes”, indicating a un- animous feeling that special advice should be given a new worker who would be working with Mexican clients. All ten workers felt that a new worker should be taught the significance of cultural influence in order to better understand the Mexican client and his problem. This question gives considerable evidence that the ten workers interviewed were aware of cultural elements, and felt the need for special training in working with Mexican clients. Question IV: Do you believe that special training pr_know;edge is needed for caseworkers who work ngg Mexicans? Explain In reply to this question, seven workers answered, "yes"; three answered "no". However, one of the workers giving a negative answer explained that a better under— standing of the Spanish language is needed as well as knowledge of the Mexican culture. Another worker who answered "no" stated that while special training and know» ledge is not necessary, it would be helpful. This answer was further qualified by the explanation that the worker assumed "special training and knowledge" to mean academic classes to be included in the M.S.w. curriculum. After reviewing the qualified statements of the workers who answered "no”, it sees: apparent that two of these rec- ognized the need of some special training. Therefore, only one worker expressed no need for special training and know» ledge when working with Mexican clients. 23 Question V} Most frequently presented pro em. The replies of the ten workers as indicated in Table 1 may indicate that Mexican clients are more in need of economic assistance than of any other type of help. It may also mean that the Mexican client finds it easier to accept material assistance than help with emotional problems from an American worker. Questionnaire (see appendix C): The questionnaire was filled out by the worker subsequent to the interview. It consisted of two parts; information of the characteristics of the workers, and a question concerning the request for assistance considered to be the most difficult to handle. The biographical data were gathered through the use of nine questions regarding the worker's nationality, sex, education, agency, main.service offered, title, years at agency, size of present case load, and per cent of the pre» sent case load that is Mexican. The question regarding education was divided into the following parts: B.Afl___, Major; B.S._____, Major“; M.A.___, Major“; 14.8.", Major_; M.S.W.____; Other___. The final section of the questionnaire required the worker to designate from a list of eleven requests for help, the three that he considered most difficult in working with Mexican clients. In making his selection the worker was to place the numeral one, in the space following the request he considered the most difficult to work with; numeral two in the Space after his second choice; and numeral three after 2% his third choice. In addition, the worker was requested to give reasons for each of his choices. In order to establish which problems the caseworkers considered most difficult to work with, it was decided that various numerical weights would be given to each of the three choices. For the workers' first choice a numerical value of fifteen was recorded on a chart under the appro- priate problem heading. For each second choice a numerical value of ten was recorded. For each third choice, a value of five was recorded on the chart. By adding all of the values under each problem heading, a total weight for each was established. Through this process, the problems con- sidered to be the most difficult to work with were deter. mined. The results of this procedure is presented in Table 2. Table 2 PROBLEMS PRESENTED BY MEXICAN CLIENTS TYfii TEN SCCILL WORKERS CCESIDER MOST DIFFICULT T0 WCRK WITH Problem sank and Choice Total Reasons Given for Choice of Problem by Score of Problem Case orker Value I 2’ 3 Housing 1 h l 60 (a)Mexicans accept inade- quate housing.(b)Land- lords discriminate against Mexican tenants. parent/ 3 0 1 50 (a)Conflict of cultural Child values.(b)Parents‘ apathy Con- toward formal education. flict (concluded on next page) 25 Table 2. (concluded) Problem} Rank and Choice Total of Problem by Score .gasewcrker ,Value .._.__l__J Employ- 2 l 1 #5 ment problems Juvenile O 1 h 30 offend- 'ers Marital l 1 1 30 Finan— 1 l O 25 cial Language 1 0 0 15 Placing children 1 0 0 15 Placing 0 l O 10 aged nersons Health 0 l 0 10 Diffi- o o 1 5 culty id chool Reasons Given for Choice of Problem Lack of education and training (a)Different cultural standards between parents and children.(b)Poor understanding of the youths' needs by work- ers.(c)Lack of initiative for schooling; Poor environment.(d)3ultural conflicts regarding autLurity. (a)Hany Mexicans are involved in marriages that are invalid accord- ing to their religion. (b)Econcmic situation of the family. (a)Cultural differences regarding money manage- ment.(b)Lack of residency; not eligible for assistance. Inability to express them- selves in English. Culture--they feel they must care for their own. They feel they must care for own. Extended family ties. Chronic disease—no heavy labor. Lack of education dictates ggly heavy labor. Parents do not like to con- tact school when problems arise. 26 0f the ten workers who completed the questionnaire, five held a M.S.W. degree while the other five had less than a master's degree in any field. In analyzing the answers and statements made by all ten workers, there appeared to be no significant difference between the two educational levels. Both groups tended to be about equal in their awareness of cultural factors in their work with Mexican clients. From a analysis of each worker's Case load, it appeared that there was no positive relationship between the pro- portion of Mexicans in the worker's case load and his awareness of the cultural elements involved. The data gathered through the use of the questionnaire indicated that housing was considered to be the most dif- ficult problem to work with, while childrens' difficulties in school were felt to be the least difficult problem to handle. Financial problems are located far down the list indicating that the workers, as a whole, did not feel that financial problems were very difficult to work with, although they were the presenting problems more often than any others. The purpose for analyzing the workers’ reasons for their choice was to determine the extent the worker re- cognized culture as being a factor in rendering the pro- blems difficult to work with. It was found that, although cultural involvement was not always directly referred to by the workers, fourteen of the twenty reasons offered contained evidence indicating that the workers were aware 27 of cultural elements being present. Culture was not con- sidered to be involved in four of the reasons while the remaining two reasons were placed in a separate section listed as "undecided" as it was unclear as to whether culture was involved or not. These responses seem to indicate that culture was considered to be a hindering factor in fourteen of the twenty reasons offered by the ten social workers. creams 1v anemone MED FINDINGS: ones amazes Permission to read the records of Spanish-speaking clients was granted by three of the four agencies previous- ly mentioned. However, due to agency policy, permission was not given by Lansing Family Service. The task of record reading was devided equally be- tween both students with a total of sixtybnine records being read. Due to the time element and to the large number of records at the three agencies and because of the various filing proceedures between agencies, acci- dental sampling was used with the exception that pre— cautions were taken to assure that approximately half of the sampling were active cases and half were inac- tive. It was felt that the manner of selecting the sample would not influence the findings in that cultural elements could be found in any case regzrdless of how it was chooSen. In order to maintain a systematic approach while extracting material from the case records and at the same time to consider all significant areas, a schedule was formulated. The schedule consisted of six categories as follows: (A Worker gave no indication of awareness of 28 29 cultural involvement; B) Worker is aware of a language dif- ference, thereby indicating at least partial cultural aware- ness; C) Even though the worker did not note in the record that certain behavior was a result of cultural influence, his approach to the case seemed to indicate that he had some awareness of cultural involvement; D) Definitely indi- cated awareness of cultural influence with evidence of utilizing this awareness in the problem-solving process; E) Researcher felt that cultural problems did not seem to be a factor in the case; and F) Researcher not sure wheticr culture is a factor in the case. When reading each record, a check mark was placed in the appropriate category mentioned above. A distinction was made-between active and inactive cases in an effort to deter- mine whether there is a relationship between the reasons for closing and the worker's use or lack of use of cultural awareness in the problem-solving process. The main purpose of the case record reading was to determine to what extent, if any, the social worker made dynamic use of his awareness of existing cultural differences in the helping process. Main problem areas were recorded in order to better assess whether the caseworker approached any one problem with consideration for cultural elements involved. Reading_of Case Records The sixty-nine case records were carefully read and certain information recorded. The data were listed according 30 to the main problem presented. The records were also separated into active and ine tive groups as shown in Table 30 Table 3 MAJOR PROBLEMS esseeemn BY MEXICLHS m ASE RECORDS Major Problem Active Inactive Total Percentage cases cases of total Generel Economic aid 23 27 50 72.5 Aid to Dependent Children 3 5 8 11.6 Marital 2 1 3 “13 Family Relationships 2 0 2 2.9 Child Placement 1 1 2 2.9 Individual Personal Adjustment 1 O l 1.h Boarding Fome Applicant 0 1 l 1.h Reeueet for Ldopticn O 1 l 1.H Reusing O l 1 1.“ Totals 3'2- 3‘7— 3'9— Teble 3 indicates that the majority of presented problems were requests for financial assistance. There appears to be little significant difference between the active and inactive categories. Looking at the sixty-nine cases as one group, if Aid to Dependent Children were included as part of economic aid, fully 8k per cent of all cases involve: a request 31 for financial aid. One reason for this high percentage of financial problems may be that two of the three agencies whose records were used in this study were agencies which gave mainly financial assistance. These two agencies re- presented thirtybnine of the sixtyenine or 56.5 per cent of the records read. In an effort to obtain a clearer meaning of the above data, a study was made of the sixtybnine case records to determine what underlying problems were presented with the requests for finanacial assistance. The results showed that of the fifty-eight economic cases, eighteen involved marital problems, nine involved desertion by the husband, and three involved conflicts as a result of mixed marriages. These results seem to reinforce the idea that Mexican clients are hesitant to talk about their personal problems. Also, the three records involving the mixed marriages seem to indicate the possibility of a cultural clash between the husband and wife. Since over half of the records read were from agencies whose main service is financial assistance, it was felt that the above break down was not conclusive. A second investigation was made. The records of Catholic Social Service were listed separately. It was felt that since this agency was not mainly a financial relief agency, there would be less tendency for the Mexican client to go to them for financial help. It was also felt that since this agency is 32 a Catholic agency and the majority of the Mexicans are Catholic, the Mexican would be more inclined to take per- sonal problems to that agency. Table h MLJOR PROBLEMS NEXICLNS PRESENTED IN READIIG OF CLSE RECORDS LT CfiTHCLIC SCCIP SERVICE | W Major Problem Number of Percentage of cases total cases General ECOHOMIC-coco-ooocooo 19 63 Marital...........u...u...o 3 10 Family Relationships......... 3 10 Child PlacementOOOGOcooeoocco l 3 Individual Personal Adjustu . l ment Boarding Home Lpplicant...... 1 3 Request for Adeption......... 1 3 Housing......o...u...u..." 1 3 Total 30 Table % shows that a larger preportion of personal and marital problems were presented to the Catholic Social Service than to the other agencies involved in the study. However, even in this agency, 63 per cent of the cases were based on a presented problem of economic need. The next step was to try to determine if cultural 33 factors were involved in the client's problem, thus creating a hindrance to the client-worker relationship. Two cate- gories were established for this purpose. Cases involving serious language barriers were placed in category A. Cases reflecting a difference in cultural values between clients and workers were placed in category B. These were chosen on this basis: A case was considered reflecting cultural values only if the record indicated that the client was experiencing difficulty in accepting help; and if the area of difficulty was indicated to be a cultural factor in the related literature previously considered. The results showed that in twenty-four cases, language was a serious handicap. This often meant the need for an interpreter to assist the worker and the client discuss rather personal problems. The interpreter was, many times, a friend or relative of the client which often prevented the clients from speaking freely about their problems. in Table 5, sections A., B., C., and D. refer to the fifty cases in which language or other cultural barriers were considered to exist. In sections E. and F., these factors were found to be either non-existent, or it was im- possible to tell whether they existed. 0f the fifty cases which appeared to involve cultural differences, eleven workers gave no indication of cultural awareness regarding behavior patterns needing consideration. In twentyAfour of the cases, the workers commented about the Table 5 EVJLUITIIIG SOCIAL WCRKUHS' C18 IN RLJTILATTGU TO CULT-UR} L [I'M RE:- -2135 IN WORKIIIG WITH hnXICP.N CLIEII'TS MRJCW DS Cate—- Degree of Cultural gory M.--‘_.----‘--_M~_.-..-”-.“ a. Awareness in Cases Case Records Active In. active Totall Cases Percentages of Total Cases A. B. C. D. L4 F. Worker gave no in- dication of aware- ness of cultural involvement....... Worker aware of language differ- ence indicating partial cultural awareness......... Even though the worker did not verbalize their approach to the case indicated they had partial awareness of cul- tural involvement. Definitely indi- cated awareness of cultural in- fluence and willingness to handle same...... Researchers feel that cultural problems was not a faCtCP......u.oo{ Pesearchers unde- cidad vztether culture is a facton 15 11 2h 10 10 15.9 36.h 7.2 1h.5 1h.5 13 22 #8 10 2O 18 35 difficulty involved with the language barrier. Hewever, no indication was present as to whether the workers had considered the possibility that other cultural factors may also be involved along with the language difficulty. In five of the case records the workers did not con- sider certain problems to be complicated by cultural fac- tors. However, the handling of the cases by these workers indicated that they were partially aware of cultural fac- tors being involved. In Table 5, category B., twenty—four cases represent #8 per cent'of the total cases that appeared to involve cultural differences. When a client is unable to speak English, it may either indicate that the client has not lived in America a sufficient length of time to learn it; or he has not made an adequate effort to learn.English. In either case, it may be that the cultural distance will be greater than with the Englishs-Spea‘king Mexican clients. In these twenty-four cases, the worker appeared to be aware of language differences, but did not display awareness of any cultural factors. It seems to be significant that in only ten cases, lwhich is 20 per cent of the total fifty cases involving cultural or language barriers, did the workers definitely indicate their awareness of language and cultural factors, and show how they used their awareness in working with the problem. CHAPTER V CONCLUSICNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which social caseworkers make dynamic use of their aware- ness of existing cultural differences in the helping process. The approach to this problem was to divide the problem into three levels of questioning. The first level was to discover whether cultural differences existed that might affect the casework relationship. The second level of questioning pertained to whether the caseworkers were aware of such differences. Finally, the third level of ques- tioning was concerned with the workers' use or lack of use of their awareness in a dynamic manner. In order to find the answers to the first question, considerable reading concerning Mexican culture as compared to American culture was carried out. Also, several per- sonal interviews with Mexican people were held as well as with non-Mexican peeple familiar with the Mexican culture. Conclusions These findings indicated that cultural factors ham- pering the client-worker relationship did exist between American social caseworkers and Mexican clients. Chief 36 37 among these were language, attitudes toward family life, and attitudes toward life itself. In order to answer the second question, direct statements were obtained from the ten social workers interviewed. All workers stated that they were aware that cultural factors were present in the problem situation. However, their feelings as to the importance of such aware- ness varied from not considering it important to consida ering it to be of the utmost importance. The majority felt that culture was an important factor to be aware of when working with Mexican clients. A study of sixty-nine case records was carried out to determine whether the workers made dynamic use of their awareness of cultural factors. Of the sixty-nine records used, fifty indicated that cultural differences were involved. In ten of them, 20 per cent, the workers displayed behavior indicating that they used cultural awareness dynamically. Other workers indicated awareness of cultural involvment, but because of incomplete case records, it was impossible to determine the extent to which their awareness was utilized in working with the client. or the fifty cases in which cultural factors seem to be involved, eleven cases, 22 per cent, gave no evidence that the worker was aware of cultural factors existing. Between these two extremes, lie the 58 per cent in which cultural factors were handled vaguely. It was difficult to know whether the worker used his awareness of 38 cultural differences. Of this 58 per cent, 10 per cent indicated that while not certain, the worker "probably did" use his awareness of culture in the helping process. By adding the ”definitely yes“ to the "probably yes", it is noted that in 10 per cent of the cases the workers used their awareness of cultural differences. The most serious handicap appeared to be the language barrier as was indicated by Mexicans and social workers alike. In conclusion, it can be stated that while social case- workers do seem to recognize that cultural differences inter- fere with the client-worker relationship, they are seldom aware of the real significance of this involvement. They also seem unaware of how to make dynamic use of their cultural awareness in the helping process. Recommendations In view of the findings of this study, it is re- commended that social work schools modify their present curriculum to include more emphasis on understanding cultural influences on the total personality. This could be done by additional courses and/or recommended reading material. In the courses concerned with casework practice, more consideration should be given to the integration of the knowledge of cultural influence with the practical appli- cation of this knowledge. A suitable book for this purpose 39 would bei§ggigsgultural Elements in Caseworkl7which con- tains case studies concerning seven ethnic groups. It is particulary helpful in test it offers case records with ex- planations as to the cultural implications to be found throughout the case. By reading a book of this nature, a student may find it easier to grasp the significance of cultural factors in the helping process. It is further recommended that agencies whose case loads consist of a large percentage of a particular cultural group should provide intraining facilities to better pre- pare at least a portion of their staff to work with this group. Such an intraining program should include a study of cultural factors and some understanding of language differences. Another recommendation is that other studies be made as findings of this study would indicate that a suitable hypothesis is as follows: There is no-oorrelation between the amount of social work education of the worker and his use of his knowledge concerning cultural elements in the helping porcess. ‘ In light of our present day relationships with other countries, particularly with the Latin American countries, it seemed appropriate to close this study with a recom- mendation made in l9hh-at the Texas Social Welfare Association: 17New Jersey-Cultural Project. Socio-Cultural Elements in Casework, (New Yerk: Council on Social Work Education). #0 "In this field, as elsewhere, the language handicap serves as a barrier to mutual under- standing, and a Spanish—speaking caseworker can much more easily inspire confidence in Spanish- speaking people than one who does not speak or understand the language. “Another recommendation emphasized a great need; that all social workers dealing with Latin Americans be intelligently informed on the over- all problems in Texas and its international significance." 18Pauline R. Kibbe, Latin American in Texa (Alber- queque: The University oflhew Mexico Press,l ), p. 260. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Ackerman, Nathan w. ghe Psychodynamics of Family_Life. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1958. Benedict, Ruth. Patterns of Cultur . Boston and New York: Heughton Miffifi 50., $935. Cerivin, Herbert. Ehere are theflexicang. New York: Regnal and Hitchcock. DeTrevino, Elizabeth B. 'flz Heart Lieg South. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell 00., 9 . Friedlander, Walter A. Concegts and Methog§_oerocial wogg. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1958. w Griffith, Beatrice. American Mexican. Boston: Houghton Miffin COo’ 1958. Kibbe, Pauline R. Latin Americans in Texas. Alburquerquez The University of New Mexico Press, 19%6. Kluckhohn, Clyde. Mirror for Mag. Greenwich Conn.¢ Fawcett Publications, Inc., 1957. Linton, Ralph. Ema Cultural Background of Personality. New Yerk: Appleton~Century-Crafts, Inc., 19 . Linton, Ralph. The gree of Culture. Canada: McClelland and Steward Lts., l9 . Lowrie, Samuel H. Culture Conflict igxgexas 1821-1835. New Ybrk: Columbia University Press, 932. _Marden, Charles. Minorities in American Societies. new York: American Cook Co., 1952. McLean, Robert N. That Mexican. New Yerk, Chicago, London and Edinburgh: Fleming H; Revel Co. #1 b2 McWilliams, Carey. Brother Under the Skin. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 951. McWilliams, Carey. North From Maxi 0. Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott 50., 19M9. Oplen Marvin K. CultureluPsychigtry*snd BMman Values. Toronto, Canada: Byerson Press, 1956: Schriekeé B. Alien Americans. New York: The Viking Press, 193 . Tuck, Ruth D. got with the Fist. New Yerk: Hercourt, Brace Co. Williams, Robin M. American Society. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1951. woods, Sister Frances Jerome. Cultural Values of American Ethnic Group_. New Yerk: Harper and Brothers, 1956. Articles Anderson, Betty B. "International Fellowships for Social wogkers,” Social Casework, XXXI, N0. 9 (November, 19 O . Bosworth, Mary. ”American Cultural Themes and Social work," Social Forces, XXVIII (March, 1950). Ginsburg Sol W. ”The Impact of the Social Worker's Cul ural Structure on Social Therapy," ggpial Casework, XXXII (October, 1951). Gioseffi, Willimm B. "Culture as an Aspect of the Total Personality," Social Casework, XL, No. 3 (March, 1959). Gioseffi, William B. ”The Relationship of Culture to the Principles of Casework," Sgcial Casewogg, XXXII, N00 5 (NEW, 1951). Handley, Katherine Newkirk. "Casework and Intercultural Problems,” Social Casework, XXVIII (February, 19%?). Humphrey, Norman Daymond. "Family Patterns in a Mexican Middletown,” Social Service Revieg, No. 26 (1952). Lee, Dorothy. ”Some Implications of Culture for Inter- personal Relations,” Social Casework, XEXI, N0. 9 (November, 1950). 43 Lindsay Isable B. "Race as a Factor in the Caseworker's Role," Social Casework, xxvnr (March, 19in). Opler, Marvin K. ”Cultural Perspectives in Mental Health Research," American Journa;:of Orthopsychiatry. XXV, N0. 1 (July, 1953). Pollak, Otto.- "Cultural Dynamics in Casework," Social * Casework, XXXIV (January, 1955). Ramirez Santiago and Ramon Parres. "Some Dynamic Pa terns in the Organization of the Mexican Family," International . of Social P" ch atr , Vol. 3, Saunders, Lyle. "English-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking Peeple cf the Southwest," Social Perspectives on Behavior, ed. Herman D. Stein and RiChardfil. Cloward, Glencoe, Illinois: The Free Press (1958). Sottong, Philip C. "The Dilemna of the Parent as Culture Bearer," Social Casework (July, 1955). Teisker, Morton E. "The Concept of Culture," Social Case- ‘work, XXXIX, N0. 8 (October, 1958), The Catholic weekly,(May 19, 1961). Williams, Thomas Rhys. "The Personal~Cultural Equation in Social Work and Anthropology,” Social Casewofik, XL, No. 2 (February, 1959). Woods, Sister Frances Jerome. "Cultural Conditioning and Mental Health,“ Social Casework, XKXIX, N0. 6 (June, 1958). Pamphlets and Booklets Braun, Ruth B. "Homemaking for our Migrant Families," Report of Demostretion Project Ilo-Manitowos County, Wisconsin. Cleveland Ohio: National Consumers Committee for Research and Education, Inc. Willette, Lenora B. "Common Ground," The Cultural Center gpr Migrants in Freehold. New Jersey. Cleveland, Ohio: National Consumers Committee for Research and Education, Inc. Howdy Neighbgg;. Green Bay, Wisconsin: Jaynard Publishing CO. ’ Inc. ’ (1960) o an StUdz New York Cultural Project. Socio-Cultural Elements in Casework. (A case book of seven ethnic case studies). New York: Council on Social Work Education. 3. APPEEEDDK Ir-ITERVIEW SCIEDULE FOR taxman PEOPLE Do you feel comfortable being a Mexican in this community? What are the problems facing the Mexican in this community? What is being done to help Mexicans in this community? Are the Americans helping and if so, why are they? What do you see in the future for the Mexican in this community? What should social workers be aware of in order to be better equipped to work with Mexican people? 45 1. 3. 5. Q6 APPENDlX B IETBRVIEW SCHEDULE FOR SOCIAL CRSEWOEKERS In comparing the type of problems brought to your agency by Mexican and American clients, do you find the problems to be similar or different? EXplain Do you think that the Mexican client finds it more difficult to form a relationship with American workers than do the American clients? EXplain If you were supervising a new worker or a student worker who would be working with.Mexican clients, would you consider it necessary to give special advice? EXplain Do you believe that special training or knowledge is needed for caseworkers who work with Mexicans? EXplain What do you consider to be the problems most frequently presented by the Mexican clients? “7 APPENDIX C QUESTIONTAIRE FCR SOCIAL CASEWOE 3R3 Nationality: Sex: Male_*_, Female___ Education: Check one or more of the following B.A.___Major B.S.____Major M.A.___Major M.S.___Major M. S.W.____ Otheerxplain Name of agency: Main Service Offered (ex. Family Counseling; Financial Aid;) YOur title: Years at agency Size of your present caseload: Approximately what per cent of your present caseload consists of Mexican clients?v From the following list, designate the three requests for help that you consider most difficult to work with in case- work involving Mexican clients. In making your choice, place number one in the Space fol- lowing the request you consider the most difficult to work with; number two in the Space after your choice of the second most difficult request to work with; and number three after your third choice. 1. Request for financial assistance 2. Help for unmarried mothers &. Help for Juvenile offenders . Helping the aged who need institutional care 5. Helping to place a child into an institutio 6. Working with parents who need a better understanding of their children #8 7. Marital problems (involving relationship between husband and wife rather than directly being concerned with the children) 8. Working with children who have difficulty in school adjustment 9. Employment problems 10. Housing problems ll. Others Explain 0n the back of this page give your Opinion as to why each of the chosen three requests are difficult to work with. mllllhllw