Eliminating cultural oppression in counseling: Toward a general theory.

Abstract

A general working theory of how race- and culture-specific factors interact in such a way as to produce people with differing world views is proposed. Empirical and clinical data are reviewed that indicate two psychological concepts—locus of control and locus of responsibility—may be useful in explaining how world views are formed and their consequent dynamics. Four world views are identified: (a) internal locus of control- internal locus of responsibility, (b) external locus of control- internal locus of responsibility, (c) external locus of control- external locus of responsibility, and (d) internal locus of control- external locus of responsibility. It is proposed that the internal locus of control and responsibility world view is most characteristic of western counseling approaches and assumptions. Cultural oppression occurs when this world view is blindly imposed upon the culturally different client. Implications of each world view are discussed with respect to counseling in the United States. Counseling and psychotherapy are perceived by many to be "handmaidens of the status quo, " (Halleck, 1971) transmitters of society's values, and instruments of oppression