One of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. is made up of people who identify as multiracial and are frequently asked about their racial background (Tran et al., 2016). Many students will experience self-perception and identity development during adolescence, which is a lifelong process. It was not until the “2000 national censuses in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada [which] allowed individuals to identify with more than one race for the first time in their respective histories” that our society finally allowed people to choose more than one race (Tran et al., 2016). The number of people who identified as multiracial in the 2010 U.S. census increased by 32% to nine million, more than any other race since 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2012). Knowing the school’s demographics and where our multiracial students are in terms of their development within the Psychosocial Development Stages and the Racial/Cultural Identity Development Model (R/CID) is crucial for me as a school counsellor. James Carter, a multiracial male student in the 10th grade at Riverbend City School, is having difficulty with his classes and keeping up a relationship with his parents.
The Carter Family
James has a strong academic history, but his grades have been dropping since he started high school, and he is in danger of failing three courses. James Carter’s parents are Sara Carter, an African American woman, and Raymond Carter, a Caucasian man, about whom he has expressed worry ever since they discovered that James was returning home smelling alcohol and marijuana. James claimed during a meeting that he thinks his parents are worried about his “hip-hop style” and that “Dad is never going to know what it’s like to be black and Mom’s never going to know what it is like to be a brother.” (Carter Family Case Study n.d.). It is important to consider James’ age and gender as well as the race and gender of the parents when working with a multicultural family like the Carters. His parents, who are monoracial and unable to comprehend the complexities of their biracial son, are more worried about his grades and the influence of his new friends than anything else. James also exhibits characteristics of Erik Erikson’s Identity vs Role Confusion stage because he reflects on his inability to comprehend his identity, which has led to repudiation behaviour, in this case, the rejection of his previous upbringing. (Wong et al., 2016).
Explain Biopsychosocial Characteristics and Systemic Dynamics
Their biopsychosocial traits directly impact counselling, so this must be considered when evaluating the R/CID. Conformity, dissonance, resistance and immersion, introspection, and integrative awareness are the five stages of development that oppressed people go through as they struggle to comprehend themselves in terms of their own culture, the dominant culture, and the oppressive relationship between the two cultures, according to the R/CID (Sue & Sue, 2016). James appears to be at a point in his dissonance where he is developing a growing mistrust of the dominant group (his dad) while also finding aspects of his race (hip-hop) and members of his group, which James determined to be black, to be attractive as friends. He may have started to question how his parents have raised him until now because some characteristics of one of his races are starting to appeal to him. The diversity of James School is also called into question because multiracial students find it difficult to identify with a particular race or culture. Multiracial youth only had positive psychological outcomes in schools with a majority of African Americans, according to a study by Brown (2001), when they rejected their Whiteness.
The advantages of using R/CID and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development models are that they provide an understanding of James’s current cognitive, emotional, and social experiences. Additionally, it might shed light on potential future events and outline the best strategies for James’ success. The fact that cultural models are merely conceptual frameworks that should not be taken too literally and that they do not account for factors like gender, age, and sexual orientation are some of their limitations. A culturally competent counsellor must understand how sociopolitical influences and factors shape identity.
Identity Development Models
The racial/cultural identity model (R/CID) outlines the five stages of development that people of different races and ethnicities go through as they try to comprehend who they are about both their own culture and the dominant culture. According to Sue & Sue (2016), there can be four stages in the R/CID model: (1) conformity, which is a preference for the dominant cultural values with ambivalence toward or rejection of one’s own culture; (2) dissonance, which is when one questions their prior negative beliefs about their culture; and (3) resistance and immersion, which is where one fully embraces their own culture’s values while rejecting those of the dominant culture. (4) introspection, where it becomes apparent that one may have rigidly embraced non-dominant cultural views that do not align with personal beliefs; and (5) integrative awareness, where the person finds inner security and can strike a balance between the distinctive elements of their culture and those of the dominant society.
Cultural diversity is not the only factor influencing identity development; our society also plays a role (Sue & Sue, 2016). Despite their adherence to advocacy tactics created by the American Counseling Association, the counsellor’s race and gender could be another restriction (ACA). James probably will not open up until he has checked the counsellor’s sincerity and reliability (Johnson & Jackson Williams, 2015). James is currently having trouble trusting his parents, so failing to establish the right relationships and receive the appropriate education could result in a lack of communication because a significant portion of his private identity is only revealed in close relationships.
Strategies That Will Help James
The Carter family should seek out family counselling so that James can express his feelings and his parents can gain an understanding of his particular perspective within his identity crisis. This is an appropriate strategy for resolving conflict within the Carter family. Additionally, it would enable Raymond and Sarah to become more conscious of how their parenting of their biracial son may be negatively impacted by or even in conflict with their monoracial beliefs and values. Finding ways to reassure and support James in developing his own identity however he sees fit could be easier for his parents if they evaluated any negative attitudes, behaviours, or beliefs. In order to give James the support he may need to succeed and to give him a safe place in school if he feels any social pressure from his new friends, James should also continue to meet with the school counsellor to discuss his academic performance and attitudes toward school, drug and alcohol use, and his plans.
Conclusion
The number of multiracial families in the United States has grown over the past few years and is still rising. Mental health professionals should not presume that children of multiple ancestries are more accepted in monoracial minority communities. Many children in today’s society who come from diverse backgrounds struggle to define their identities. Because white is considered to be the dominant race, many children with white parents are frequently viewed as being of a single race. The Carter family is similar to other multicultural families who deal with various issues, so I must keep learning about multiracial people in my role as a counsellor.
References
Carter Family Case Study (n.d.). [Capella]. Retrieved October 30, 2020, from http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/COUN5336/Carter_CaseStudy/wrapper.asp
Hope, D. A., & Chappell, C. L. (2015). Extending training in multicultural competencies to include individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, and bisexual: Key choice points for clinical psychology training programs. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 22(2), 105.
Johnson, A., & Jackson Williams, D. (2015). White racial identity, colour-blind racial attitudes, and multicultural counselling competence. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(3), 440.
Sue, D. W., Sue, D., Neville, H. A., & Smith, L. (2022). Counselling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Tran, A. G., Miyake, E. R., Martinez-Morales, V., & Csizmadia, A. (2016). “What are you?” Multiracial individuals’ responses to racial identification inquiries. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 22(1), 26.
Wong, D. W., Hall, K. R., & Hernandez, L. W. (2020). Counselling individuals through the lifespan. Sage Publications.
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