Cultural Informant Project (20% of grade)
This assignment has two parts: a brief literature review and an interview.
1. Brief Literature Review (9 points; 10%) The literature review familiarizes you with the
chosen community. Find literature relevant to the community, addressing aspects salient to that
specific community. Possible considerations include mental health utilization rates, cultural
values, mental health stigma, treatment, or implications for working with this community.
Highlight a current body of work or theory relevant to professional practice with this community.
The paper should be at least 3-4 pages long. Resources must be recent (within the past 10
years) and from peer-reviewed journal articles or academic texts.
2. Cultural Interview and Reflection (15 points; 10%) After the literature review, interview
someone from that community who strongly identifies with the group, acting as a “gatekeeper”
for their culture. Ask about subtle cultural aspects and their influence on potential clinical issues.
Pay attention to systemic issues of oppression/social injustice (sexism, racism, heterosexism,
classism) and contextualize the individual within their societal/social-political-economic and
cultural-historical background. Clarify the impact of these issues on how the person functions in
different cultural contexts. Finally, identify whether clinical, counseling, or communication skills
might need modification to increase effectiveness.
Submit a 2-3 page reflection paper on your general thoughts/reactions about the
interview and what you learned (e.g., feelings during the interview, self-learnings,
implications for practice).
Do not provide a verbatim transcript or summary of the interview.
Discuss how the information from the interview contrasted with your literature review
findings