Multicultural Psychology. Jennifer T. Pedrotti
worldviews in a country with political stability versus one in the midst of war), materialism (e.g., comparing worldviews from those in a developing nation to one that is prosperous), and education (e.g., comparing worldviews between countries that have different ideas about the value of education for different groups of people).
Worldview Related to Disability Status
I just got my class schedule for my junior year at college, and this is the first time I haven’t been thrown off by a bunch of new classrooms and buildings. My campus is pretty large, and it’s not too wheelchair friendly in some parts, and because I am a paraplegic, I have to plan my day out pretty carefully. My first year this meant I had to visit all of the buildings ahead of time to find out where the elevator was and where the ramps I could use were. Some of the older buildings have stairs in the front, but the ramp has been added to the back or somewhere else when the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements were put into place—you can’t always see it unless you know where that entrance is. One year, I thought I had the whole thing mapped out, but then my class was moved to another building at the last minute. I was really stressed out because I knew I’d be late. Most teachers are pretty nice about that, but I know that I might have some other illnesses or issues associated with my health at a different time in the quarter, so I don’t like to ask for very much in the beginning to save a little good faith for later. Anyway, it’s surprising to others sometimes how many times a day I have to think about my disability to just make everyday plans.
—Luisa, age 22
As is made clear here, disability and one’s interaction and status with this particular identity facet can impact daily life rather strongly. In the example here, Luisa has many different pieces to consider each day that surround her experience with her identity. These impact her choices, her ability to succeed in college, and the types of communication and navigation skills she has had to develop in order to cope with these daily experiences. Though Luisa has a physical disability, there might be a similar impact for those who are dealing with a mental disability, such as learning disability or mental illness, as well. Regardless, the world may look very different to someone who is coming from the worldview of an individual dealing with a disability.
Worldview Related to Age or Generation
The vignette at the very beginning of this chapter provides some great examples of differences that can occur due to generation with regard to worldview. Recall that Johanna was frustrated by what she interpreted as the younger women she was watching spending less time with children and family, and more on themselves and career pursuits. At the same time, the younger women showed some disdain for lack of technology in times past. As we have noted several times in this chapter, our worldviews are shaped by our experiences, and growing up in a particular generation has an enormous impact on the types of views we develop.
Implications of Different Worldviews
There are many examples throughout history of the impact of different worldviews on entire groups of people. Perhaps one of the greatest examples is provided by the experiences between White settlers and American Indians and other Indigenous peoples in the beginnings of immigration from Europe to the Americas. In the National Museum of the American Indian in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, there is a full collection (see Spotlight Feature 3.2) that depicts different transcripts, letters, and ideas recording the worldviews of Andrew Jackson and other White officers and those of the leaders of a variety of Native American tribes. Woven throughout these records are fundamental differences in worldview in many different areas, including land and ownership, religious ideals, and social interactions. One of the starkest surrounds a depiction of the different beliefs about oral versus written agreements. Whereas in the European worldview at the time, a written agreement stood as law, there was less value in an oral agreement made without writing. The exact opposite worldview was held by the American Indian groups—oral agreements were binding and important, while writing something down had less value. Just this one difference alone led to many circumstances that ended in violence and distrust between these nations.
Source: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (2014).
As we have noted thus far, there are many implications of interacting with people who come from different worldviews. It is often the case that differences in these views can be a source of tension between groups, and this may be particularly true for those who have not had exposure to many people who are different from themselves. When we are young, we interact most often within our family structure, and during our childhood, our parents’ views often become ours as well. We learn what is “normal,” and what is “right” at this time, and as our families are often our biggest influence at this time, we may subscribe to our family’s worldview simply because it is the only one we have ever heard. In many cases this may extend to friends’ and community ideas, if one’s community network is homogenous.
When individuals who have had this experience first encounter a view that is different from their own, they may experience a kind of cognitive dissonance, or a shaking of the foundation of their beliefs. This dissonance may be greater if they have a strong relationship with the person who has the different worldview. As individuals grow into adolescence, they begin to enter new spaces without their families (e.g., via friends, others’ houses, etc.). This also commonly occurs during the college years, as you may have already experienced, as it is sometimes the first true move away from family that an older adolescent experiences. In a positive outcome of this type of scenario, individuals learn that not everyone sees the world the same way, and they start to become aware that other worldviews may also be viable. In other cases, however, they might double down on their worldview and reject that another could be true. It is in this type of scenario that tensions may arise between people with different worldviews. Recall the previously discussed vignette involving Alex, the African American college student. If you recall, Alex had many behaviors that he engaged in based on his expectation that he might experience stereotyping and potential discrimination without them. Consider this response to Alex from one of his White classmates:
I don’t get why Alex thinks he has to do all of that stuff with professors. I never do any of those types of things (like going up and introducing myself), and I only go to office hours if I really need to—I just don’t have the time. Regardless, I’ve never had an experience where my professors think ill of me for doing that. I just let them find out what I’m like naturally instead of being so forced like Alex. They always learn my name pretty quickly, and I’ve never been mixed up with others in the class. Also, I know Alex worries sometimes that someone might think he doesn’t belong on campus if he’s somewhere by himself. I think that’s being way too paranoid. Just because that has happened to a couple people on the news doesn’t mean that it will happen to him. Besides, if someone called the police on me and said I didn’t belong somewhere, I wouldn’t sweat it. I would just explain that I did belong there. I never think about my race, and as a result I don’t get bothered about it very much. He should take a lesson from me.
—Connor, age 19
Think for a moment about the impact that these different worldviews might have on the friendship between Alex and Connor. What tensions could these different views lead to in their relationship? One thing that is important to consider here is the fact that many researchers say that most racial and ethnic minorities have a greater knowledge and understanding of worldviews within the dominant culture than the average White person has about racial and ethnic minority worldviews (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1983). One major reason for this difference is that nondominant groups have had less power in society and thus must have this knowledge in order to get by in a society that is largely supportive of endorsement of this worldview. Alex likely understands some of the arguments that Connor makes, and Alex may find some of Connor’s answers naïve due to Connor’s