Multicultural Understanding - Research Paper Example

Multicultural Understanding A scholar practitioner learns from experience. He/she formulates theories and verifies or alters them by undergoing certain experiences. This is essentially learning by applying theory to practice. Anybody that learns from practice in the contemporary society must have a sound understanding of the term “multiculturalism”, multiculturalism being amongst the most prominent feature of the society in the present age. Multiculturalism, as the name indicates, is a diversity of cultures.

This means a diversity of norms, values, beliefs, trends and traditions and such other social elements. A scholar practitioner that aims at effecting the social change must place “an emphasis in the awareness of the societal conditions in which treatment is occurring” (Jalbert, 2009). Therefore, he/she must be able to comprehend and manipulate the effects of multiculturalism. Social change is essentially a change approved by the society as a whole. Such a holistic effort cannot be developed unless the individualistic conflicting traits of the different cultures are understood and brought in harmony with one another.

My understanding of multiculturalism will enable me to be aware of the norms of individual cultures. As a social practitioner interviewing a client, I would be able to tell the good intentions of the client from bad behind his/her specific gestures, activities and/or plans. Different cultures have their respective norms and values. My awareness of the traits of the various cultures of the clients would enable me to have a more effective interview because I would be knowing the client as a person.

For example, I would take the kissing on the cheek by an English man differently from the kissing on the cheek by an Arab as I know that Arabic men have a culture of hugging and kissing each other on the cheek while meeting. It is a sign of greeting and well-wishing in the Arab culture, whereas kissing on the cheek of a man by another English man speaks of the homosexual interest of either or both of them as kissing is not a part of greeting in the English culture. Thus, my knowledge of the significance of the gestures made by the clients in context of the background events and situations would enable me to make my observations more accurate.

As a scholar practitioner who wants to bring a social change, I would have to convince the people individually. “Social change is a movement and a process of change, and this is propagated by people who want to see change and growth for the better” (Essay Tree, 2011). In order for the scholar practitioner to make the conversation effective and fruitful, it is imperative that the speaker knows what satiates the concerns of the listener, what makes him/her angry and how can he/she be pleased.

I would not be able to bring the social change as a scholar practitioner unless I know the right point to hit the ball at. People coming from the underdeveloped countries are generally more reserved as compared to the others that belong to the developed countries. Hence, to convince the former would require me to tell the religious significance of the proposed change while convincing the latter requires the analysis of change from a modernistic perspective. References:Essay Tree. (2011). Scholar-Practitioner Who Effects Social Change.

Retrieved from http://essaytree.com/psychology/scholar-practitioner-who-effects-social-change/. Jalbert, J. (2009, May 22). What does scholar-practitioner mean? Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/grad-school-in-los-angeles/what-does-scholar-practitioner-mean.