There are many cultural, racial, and ethnic differences to appreciate in understanding human behavior far too many to consider in any book, let alone one this size. Fortunately, your other classes should have discussed many of these issues as they affect people’s perception, experience, and behavior. In addition, it is important to remember what we said about the four great “isms” that we are all prone to, consciously and unconsciously : racism, sexism, ageism, and classism. Your internship is likely to be focused on or deal with certain groups more than others. However, there are some general forms of diversity we can at least point out here. Before you read through some of the possibilities that follow, it might be a good idea to reflect on your own conscious and unconscious views and feelings about each one. That way, you may also gain some insight into your worldview.
Differing Age Related Perspectives
Age is something we all deal with when it comes to diversity since each developmental stage involves facing its own challenges. Further, as we move through the life cycle, our perspectives change. For example, a child sees things differently than an adult and an older adult may see things differently than a younger one. These are age related factors you may encounter in your internship, which create a diversity of perception and experience. Many internships involve working with just a portion of the life cycle, such as agencies that specialize in various age related populations ranging from children’s services through geriatric services. Other internships involve a wide range of ages. Whichever the case, this aspect of the internship becomes more complex when there is a significant gap in the age of the intern and the clientele the agency serves.
Working with Children
Agencies that provide services primarily to children, such as those in daycare or educational settings, are the most likely to have clear guidelines and rules governing internship behavior. As a group, children share more similarities than adolescents, adults, or the aged because they have not had as much time to differentiate themselves. Still, depending on how diverse the center’s clientele is, there may be many differences you encounter because parenting expectations and practices reflect cultures as well as backgrounds.
Because children are a vulnerable population, you are likely to encounter such things as background checks, state rules, specific agency requirements, and close supervision in these settings. In addition, most students who intern at these sites either have experience with children or a strong interest in them. If sitting on the floor, getting down on your hands and knees, participating in spontaneous play, and dealing with rapid changes in behavior are not a part of your personal style, then this type of setting may not be for you.
Working with Adolescents
Adolescence is often a time when young adults struggle to do well in a given area or areas, and the clinician can point them in a positive direction. However, working with adolescents is sometimes said to be similar to walking a tight rope: If a professional leans too much in one direction, they risk appearing authoritarian, which may lead to a loss of trust or even rebellion by the adolescent. If the professional leans too far toward being a buddy, then they will likely lose their authority, which means they may not be taken seriously. Effectively dealing with age related diversity requires keeping a good balance between what is needed for the client to succeed and helping that adolescent take the necessary steps they need to get there without doing it for the individual. Walking this tight rope can be difficult and exhausting at first, but like many things, ability comes with practice.
When working with adolescents, it may help to think back to your adolescent years, especially if they were challenging. For example, it might be a good idea to remember what it was like to make decisions on your own for the first time. Sometimes adolescents feel that they know what is best for them, and they perceive everyone else as stupid, especially adults which can include you! In this case, telling someone what to do is unlikely to be helpful.
Simply asking questions to ensure that adolescents have thought things through fully might be more effective. Sometimes, of course, the decisions adolescents make are not the best choices. When that happens, be careful not to be quick to judge but instead to view this development as an opportunity to talk to them about what they have learned from the decision. When working with adolescents, it is easy to feel like your work does not matter because no one is even listening. However, it is often the case that they may be paying more attention than meets the eye through such processes as observational learning or modeling!
Working with adolescents is a skill that comes with education, practice, and field experience because, in part, different cultures expect different types of interactions with adolescents. Are you a human services worker aiding a family that expects children to be seen and not heard? Or, are you working with a family that gives children and adolescents free reign to express themselves in whatever manner they choose? In either instance, it may be helpful to realize these cultural and socioeconomic differences are active in each family or social situation. Similarly, it is important to know about and to recognize adoles cent subcultures that affect your client. Learning subculture and counterculture behaviors may assist with better understanding and provide more accurate and appropriate methods of helping the client.
Working with the Elderly
There are at least two important factors related to age to keep in mind when working with older populations. One is that people become increasingly diverse in terms of their background and preferences as they age. After all, they have had more time to experience the possibilities life has to offer! Everyone has their own story that they have played an active role in creating. The other dimension to consider is that for the most part, the intern is much younger than the client in this setting. That difference creates special challenges. The greater the age gap, the more drastic the differences can be. Some cultures genuinely appreciate the elderly. In general, however, ours tends to value youth more than the aged. Like any other challenge, differences in age can be worked through. In addition, working with a population that is further along on life’s timeline than you are can be viewed as an important learning opportunity. If the human services worker is considerably younger than the client, the client may have difficulty seeing the intern as credible. How could the client trust what the human services worker is telling them if that person has not lived as long and experienced what they have? Sometimes an interesting reversal occurs when an intern happens to be older than the supervisor or instructor. In either case, the general guidelines are the same: Be respectful, keep an open mind, and focus on the matter at hand. Sometimes it is helpful to acknowledge the age difference and talk about it as a way of bridging these gaps.
