The final assignment will require you to see the movie, “Precious,”
Written assessment includes your understanding of the main character and family by looking through the lens of a developmental, ecological and cross-cultural mental health perspective.
Please Email your paper on the last day of class.
NOTE: All papers must be typed and must conform to APA style formatting. Assignments will be graded with attention to clarity of exposition, mastery or the material, accuracy of information, correct spelling, grammar, and use of APA style.
Gibbs & Huang (2003), chap: introduction, pp. 1-33 and chap.11, pp. 444-471
will guide you for this outline.
Assessment – 5 Major Domains of Functioning
1. Individual level of psychosocial adjustment
2. Relation with family
3. School adjustment and achievement
4. Relation with peers
5. Adaptation to the community
I. Individual Level of Psychosocial Adjustment
1. Physical appearance
a. Diet may be a factor, malnutrition, hair/weight, color – value
2. Affect
a. Expression influenced by cultural norms. Some animated and some reserved
b. Expression not confused with lack of affect
3. Self Concept/Self Esteem
a. Value of characteristics – different attributes are valued
4. Interpersonal Competence
a. Value certain interpersonal skills does child/adolescent – interchange appropriately
b. Behaviors that is valued in one group. May be considered inappropriately in another
5. Attitude – Autonomy
a. Difference emphasis on early training for independence and later encouragement of adolescent autonomy
b. Does family violate own norms
c. Adaptive to child’s life
6. Achievement – Views of family but also society
7. Management of Aggression/Impulse Control
a. Different cultural views – e.g. use of shame, induce guilt harsher discipline
b. To develop internal controls, delay gratification and sublimatory channels
8. Defense Mechanisms
a. Different coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety
b. What is cultural preference – acting out or acting in
II. Assessment Family Relation
1. Roles and functions of children
a. Family structure, size, tradition, communication and expectation are influenced by ethnicity and social class
b. Sex, birth order – set norms and expectations
c. Physical characteristics: skin color, physical or mental disability
• It’s defined by hierarchies, obedience to parental authority, respect elders community values
• Chores – some begin early – not parentified
• Compensation – free or not
III. School Adjustment/Achievement
– Psychological adjustment to school setting
– Behavior adjustment in school
– Academic achievement
– Relation with peers
1. Psychological Adjustment
a. Sometime minority has different transition and home and school
b. What is parent’s educational background
c. Lack of familiarity of norms
d. No school experience
e. Language problems
f. Lack of fit between school and home culture has been associated with poorer school preference (e.g. school phobia, separation anxiety enuresis, etc.)
g. Adolescent – School phobia/truancy may represent fear of violent school environment or fear of social rejection due to culture, racial or economic differences
2. Behavioral Adjustment
a. Behavioral problems may be underlying psychological and physical problems – e.g. acting out, gangs, sub abuse, fighting
3. Academic Achievement
a. Low-income children/adolescent – not performed as well on standardized achievement test.
b. ESL – Verbal skills, study habits, motivation, level of family support, attitude re: school
4. Peer Relation
a. Have 2 sets of peer relation school vs. community “having best friend”
b. If acting out teen – does behavior conform to peer group culture – ghettos or barrios
5. Adaptation to Community
a. Assess child’s interest, mobility in community, sense of security about non-family activity behavior adjustment and quality of relation with other adults
b. Sometimes taken members of community groups sometimes scapegoated
Implications for Treatment – entry point, establishing a relationship, thoughts about the treatment or what you would do differently
