Cultural diversity in Social Work & Its relevance

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram 1 of 15

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram 2 of 15

12 month faculty at FSU

Lived in India for 30 years Studied and worked in South India

Lived & traveled in different regions in India

In the US for the past 25 years

Chairman, Asian Coalition of Tallahassee

Former President, India Assoc. of Tallahassee

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

3 of 15

1. Role of Family

2. Traditions: Food, habits, and language

3. Communications: Verbal and non-verbal

5. Contemporary issues

6. Relevance

4. Social Work

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

4 of 15

Boys

Dad

Grand Parents

Girls

Mom Peers

Uncles

Neighbors

Cousins

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

5 of 15

Patriarchal society Family comes first Individuals come later Gender roles are important Joint family unit still common Single family in urban areas

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

6 of 15

Older societies w/ firmly held views Homogeneous population Change comes slowly Family & socio-economic rank matter Variations: geography and location

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

7 of 15

Custom Language Food Habit

•English •Regional •Learn •Gestures

•North •Wheat •Tea •Mild

•South •Rice •Coffee •Spicy

•Hand shake •Welcoming •Gender •Home/Work •Traditional

•Savers •Believers •Helpful •Smoking •Tobacco •Drinking

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

8 of 15

• Some are non-vegetarian • Some are strict vegetarians • Eating out is not very common • Food and water safety important • Alcohol still a taboo • Smoking is common but less now

• Movies are very popular • Television is popular too • Internet popular (English) • Night life in urban centers • Entertainers/Entertained • Music movie/classical • Public transportation

Food Fun

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

9 of 15

Verbal and non-verbal important Some Asians can be talkative But some have language barriers Don’t feel shy to speak up Gender roles are bit different Age and experience have values Young and entrepreneurial welcome

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

10 of 15

Make eye contacts Avoid unnecessary body contacts Symbolism important Hands folded Proper greeting Head movements (nodding) Facial expressions important

Radical ideas take time

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

11 of 15

Asia Crowded but connected Bureaucratic and slow Hierarchical and less efficient Socially moderate More tolerant Secular despite some majority religion

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy Somasundaram 12 of 15

People are friendly and work hard Well educated have good skills Easy to please Low violent crimes Lower cost of living Acceptance of others

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy Somasundaram 13 of 15

Recognize the different culture Prepare for language barrier Establish rapport It may take some time to be open Family ties Religious differences exist

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram

14 of 15

Realization of global role Optimistic for a better life Women in bread-winner role Quick change to social fabric Rich but not Wealthy Rural migration to urban centers Disappearance of joint family Widening gap between rich and poor Adoption of Western way of life

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy Somasundaram 15 of 15

Variations based on Geography: North South Location: Urban Rural Language: Hindi Regional Religion: Hindu Muslim Sikh

World is shrinking Economic & Political factors We are all inter-connected Butterfly effect | African dust storms Shanghai | Bangalore | Sao Paulo Migration of people Mingling of culture

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy Somasundaram 16 of 15

02/26/2014 © 2011-14 Thayumanasamy

Somasundaram 17 of 15

Explore by coming Asian festivals Experience Asia (October 11, 2014) Glimpses of India (Nov 2014)

Any Questions? Contact

tsomasundaram@fsu.edu or

somabhanu@gmail.com Thanks