Running Head:CARTER CASE ANALYSIS
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Family Therapy Carter Case Analysis
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CARTER CASE ANALYSIS
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The carter family is an excellent example of various challenges that individuals from
multiracial origins face, primarily children and adolescents. According to McDowell, Goessling,
and Melendez (2012), individuals from multiracial backgrounds are subjected to the same
discrimination and oppression as individuals who identify as nonracial. Any individual's life,
independent of racial status, is characterized by various psychological challenges and pressure,
such as poor self-regard and contradictions involving personal capability. The issues are more
prevalent when a person is criticized for identifying with multiple races (Mallot and Schmidt,
2012).
The 'One Drop rule' of the 1600s is used by various scholars to explain the origin of this
maltreatment (Sue and Sue, 2016). The 'One Drop Rule' employs the concept of hypodescent,
which asserts that individuals from multiracial origins will be associated with the
underprivileged in society. Consequently, these individuals desist from identifying with multiculture links. Instead, they are forced to identify with a particular culture and, as a result,
disregard the other culture. And yet, notwithstanding their decision, these individuals are still
subjects of discrimination and preconceptions from both the dominant and minority communities
that constitute their multicultural inheritance. Such individuals may feel ashamed of their origins
and culture, and they may be unwilling to disclose their backgrounds.
According to Sue and Sue (2016), the racial/cultural model outlines five phases that
shape people's experiences in an effort to understand and identify with the dominant culture, with
respect to their own culture. They include conformity, dissonance, resistance and immersion,
introspection, and integrative awareness. This model is made on assumptions that individuals
prioritize their experience of identifying with a particular race over any other experience (Sue
and Sue, 2016). In the case of the Carter family, Sarah is in the conformity phase, which,
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according to her, is the most pertinent concern. The conformity phase is characterized by
individuals from the minority group's unambiguous preference for dominant culture at the
expense of their own. Sarah exhibits such features in her attempts to make James identify and
conform to the dominant white culture, which in this case, is the white culture present in their
area of residency.
After analyzing the Carter family case study, it is evident that James is in a transition
phase between resistance and immersion and introspecting stages. In the resistance and
immersion stage, an individual from the minority groups starts to self-discover themselves. They
tend to reject stereotypes directed towards the minority while at the same time endorsing values
of the minority culture; they begin to identify with the minority culture. In this case, James is
contradicting his parents' views on the culture of the minority, African American. He is starting
to change his mode of dressing and taste of music to match that of the African American, the
minority culture. During his interview, James claims to have a deep connection with his peers of
African American origin, a relationship his parents fail to internalize. The introspection phase is
evident from James' negative behavior, such as underage drinking.
There are various biopsychosocial characteristics that are essential when interacting with
a multiracial family. They include socioeconomic status, age, and gender. In my opinion, Sarah's
and Raymond's cultural background should be prioritized when dealing with the Carter's family.
Their cultural background shave shaped the way they look at other cultures. For example, they
tell their son not to identify with the music and dress code of the 'low-class' African Americans.
James' family have come to recognize with the dominant white community as they reside in a
dominantly middle-class neighborhood. They do not want to associate with the African
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American culture, which in most cases, is regarded as inferior. Their actions limit James's
interaction with the African American, a people he shares typical cultural value with.
A race/cultural identity model is beneficial to both the client and the therapist. In this
case, the client being the Carter Family. According to Sue and Sue (2016), being knowledgeable
about cultural identity is vital in understanding the impact of oppression on the life of an
individual. A therapist having such knowledge will be able to know the ideal approach to employ
when dealing with clients, regardless of their color, socioeconomic status, or community's
perceptions of a particular culture. Besides, it enables a therapist to relate with marginalized
people or communities cordially.
The race/cultural identity model has several limitations. One such restriction is
identifying a client's emotional state. This occurs when a client exhibits spontaneous impressions
when transitioning from one phase to another, and it becomes a challenge to tell whether they are
ready to let go and move on. In the case of James, the therapist must understand his emotional
state that is whether he is indeed prepared to assimilate with the African American values fully.
In the case that a therapist fails to identify James's state of mind, it may lead to wrong
conclusions, which may prove costly to the therapist, James, and James' family. Such a failure
from the therapist will ruin his/her working atmosphere with the Carter family as his assessment
of the situation will be incorrect.
According to Mallot and Schmidt (2012), an excellent way of overcoming the challenges
of the R/CID model is improving the therapist's knowledge of clients of color. The model stands
minimal chances of success without it. Mallot and Schmidt are for the opinion that an ideal and
skilled therapist should be capable of marinating cultural sensitivity and competence. This
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involves understanding and recognizing their own culture and how it defines their relationship
with a client. Once a therapist can identify with their own culture, they will be able to respond
and relate with clients from other cultures other than their own.
To resolve the conflict between James and his parents, I would recommend family
therapy sessions, specifically relationship counseling, with all the parties involved. Relationship
counseling sessions will be ideal as it will assess all the perspectives and views of the Carter
family on the culture at a neutral level. However, as Sue and Sue (2016) note, in most situations,
African American youths are not willing to attend counseling sessions. To overcome this
challenge, as a counselor, it would be critical to creating a comfortable counseling environment
for James. I would use circular questions to get their opinions from which I would discuss each,
where I would point out how their different outlooks might be fuelling the problem. I would
recommend separate sessions for James and his parents, then later hold a session with the entire
family.
As a counselor, my initial step will understand James's emotional state. I will aim to
assist him in his self-discovery process. For instance, pose questions regarding his ideal kind of
friends, preferred subjects, whom he spends much time with, and on his relationship with his
parents. My second step will be to engage James on a conversation about African American
culture and multi-culture. Specifically, what attracts him to the African American culture and
how he thinks it relates to his family? Through these questions, it will be possible to gauge
James' position on culture. Finally, to help James with his drinking problem, I would understand
the various legal structures associated with underage drinking and crimes. At this point, the
parents will be included in the therapy sessions.
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On James's parents, I would point out the importance of establishing a positive outlook
towards multicultural heritage. This is because the whole situation has been created by their
negative perception and failure to appreciate African American culture. As a result, James feels
conflicted and misunderstood. By changing their perception, James will have an easy time, and he
might desist from his defiance.
Based on the case study, I can't help but think that James's parents are afraid that their son
might be stereotyped by the white community in a negative way. Their fear might be based on the
fact that they reside in a dominant white neighborhood. I think it will be necessary to pint out this
issue to ensure the sessions are proactive. Finally, I will suggest better ways for James to select his
friends and improve his grades.
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CARTER CASE ANALYSIS
References
Ackerman, C. (2020). What Is Family Therapy? + 6 Techniques & Interventions. Retrieved 8
May 2020, from https://positivepsychology.com/family-therapy/
Malott, K., & Schmidt, C. (2012). Counseling Families Formed by Transracial Adoption. The
Family Journal, 20(4), 384-391. doi: 10.1177/1066480712451231
Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (7th ed.).
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.