Assignment: Culturagram

When attempting to assess fully a new client, it is important to assess them within their cultural context. To stop there, however, could lead to overgeneralization and stereotyping.

In this Assignment, you implement an assessment tool—the Culturagram—that can assist you in developing a fuller understanding of diverse clients. It can also shed light on interventions and strategies that may be more successful and respectful than others.

BY DAY 7

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper and include the following:

• Based on the case study you selected for your Week 1 Discussion, explain the relevance of the Culturagram to assessment.
• Complete a Culturagram diagram (using Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint) depicting each of the 10 elements of the culturagram, using information from the case study.
• For any information missing from the case study, indicate two questions you would ask to gather the needed information and why these questions might be relevant for your assessment.
• Include the case study as reference, as well as any additional material used to formulate your assessment questions.

Working With Children and Families:

The Case of Hamza. Hamza came to my office after his teacher said he “did not fit” in her classroom. Hamza is the 12-year-old son of an Israeli family who recently moved to a small Midwestern town to join other family members. I was the school social worker, and Hamza arrived in my office on the fourth day of the new school year with a note from the teacher that said, “He doesn’t get along with the other kids in the classroom.” As part of my assessment, I asked the teacher, teacher’s assistant, and Hamza’s parents to complete a child behavior inventory. No specific information came back on the inventories to suggest a problem. At that time, I asked Hamza’s parents and his teacher to attend a case conference. During the conference, Hamza’s parents disclosed their recent immigration and their lack of documentation to remain in the United States. At that point, Hamza’s teacher exclaimed, “I knew it; he should not be here [in the U.S.], and he definitely should not be in my class!” As the school social worker, I felt conflicted. On the one hand, Hamza’s teacher apparently held animosity toward Hamza and his immigration status. On the other hand, Hamza’s educational, emotional, and social well-being was my concern. I was responsible for ensuring a that strengths perspective was embraced and surrounded each of our students. In the following weeks, I worked with the teachers and parents to place Hamza’s needs as priority. Each agreed to set aside their political differences. © 2016 Laureate Education, Inc. 2 During the next six weeks, I worked with Hamza’s parents and teachers to acknowledge without compromise the barriers that would exist for Hamza in the education system. The third six weeks brought change. Hamza was encouraged to excel at school, his parents accepted my efforts as the school social worker and the efforts of the teachers, and the district authorities embraced a unified social/emotional educational plan for Hamza, along with other undocumented Middle Eastern students