The humanitarian services sector is much more accepting of diversity in others because community care practitioners establish a connection between these challenges and cultural identities to empathy. It considers the contrasts and affinities between someone’s culture and other cultures. I decided to look into family conflict since it is a significant problem in our culture. Statistics show that more families are divorcing due to conflict, which causes disagreements. Family conflict is the proactive antagonism amongst family members based on various topics, resulting in disputes about specific issues in the household (Zhang et al., 2019, P.715). Family conflicts can be physical, verbal, sexually, differences in thinking, or money-related. Every marriage has upwards and downwards; however, there are numerous facets to the disparities and problems between cultural married couples and families. Conflicts across cultures typically result from disparities in beliefs or values. Our core values have a big impact on how we handle conflicts and how we address them. The way individuals accept responsibility and place blame for their acts differs greatly between cultures. Gender and roles are also other cultural identities that lead to family conflict. People may disagree in various households over who should fill the positions because of disparities in gender roles. Abilities as cultural identities cause friction in families. Conflicts within the family may occur whenever an individual is more capable of doing certain things than the other therefore bringing differences.
The majority of intercultural marriages have increased in different countries, such as the US, and family conflicts may likely arise due to cultural differences. Individuals with similar values are more likely to be together; however, conflicts may develop if they don’t, especially when couples arise from different cultural backgrounds. It is vital to have some degree of intercultural communication and cultural adaptability, especially where two married couple shares different cultural norm and values (Zhang et al., 2019, P.710). Communication between the partners is likely to bring about conflicts, especially when they experience different views and cannot reach a common agreement. When dealing with two couples from different cultural backgrounds, I would question many aspects of their cultures to understand the two better. I would question the gender responsibilities in their cultures. I would also ask about the values, norms, and various beliefs the practice of their culture to better understand their cultures. I would also examine the couples’ financial security, and it is possible to determine who the most secure member is in this regard. From the above aspects, it is necessary to establish what is bringing family conflicts and deal with the cultural identity appropriately, showing respect for the diversity of cultures.
Empathically relating to the problems of intercultural families should foster an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and important. According to Hook et al. (2017), the capacity for therapists to accurately determine the situation of clients from different cultures, have an understanding of the culture, and show an appreciation of the cultures is known as cultural empathy (P.11). Counselors who are aware of the clients’ differences in culture are better able to grasp individual issues and offer suitable solutions. One quality of empathy is the capacity to comprehend someone else’s emotions. It is a crucial means of value addition to the therapy session. By doing this, the therapist will place themselves in the client’s position and make an appropriate decision on the current situation hence determining the cause of family conflict and possible solution. The counselor can view the present problem or worry from the client’s perspective by being empathetic. For instance, if my client perceives that I am passing judgment upon them, they may withdraw and stop communicating with me. Managing emotions involves more than simply learning about feelings; it also involves controlling one’s language, actions, and eyes (Hook et al., (2017, P.45). These practices are all related to empathy. It is crucial to decide the criteria to utilize to fix the client’s problem after the counselor clearly understands it. Counselors learn the implications of the dispute for the client using empathy. As a result, they must come up with effective solutions to the problem to achieve their objectives. The Bible in 1st Peter 3:8 urges us to show empathy to others and value them the way God values us (KJV, 2022, 1st Peter 3:8). We should show compassion, humbleness, and love for one another whenever dealing with an issue affecting one party.
In conclusion, empathy is important because it helps the intervention fulfill the goal of meeting clients’ concerns. Empathy is indeed a quality that benefits client therapy. People’s beliefs have a crucial influence in settling conflict whenever it occurs. Counselors should cinder these cultural identities when solving a problem for a client. Above all, forgiveness is key to solving problems since God forgives us when we repent our sins. In Mathew 5:7, the Bible teaches us the importance of forgiving one another whenever conflicts arise. Nothing is impossible with God’s power and anointing since Jesus died on the Cross to forgive our sins. The future solutions to increasing family conflicts are through showing compassion and urging forgiveness in family conflict.
References
Hook, J. N., Davis, D., Owen, J., & DeBlaere, C. (2017). Cultural humility: Engaging diverse identities in therapy. American Psychological Association.
KJV, (2022), King James Bible, the Preserved and Living Word of God,https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
Zhang, S. N., Li, Y. Q., Liu, C. H., & Ruan, W. Q. (2019). How authenticity enhances flow experience through perceived value and involvement: the moderating roles of innovation and cultural identity. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(6), 710-728.
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