May 6 - 8, 2002
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Providing Culturally Competent Disability Services
to Persons Born in other Countries May 6 - 8, 2002 |
Yin and Yang of Chinese views of disability and rehabilitation: A dialectical analysis of the impact of Chinese culture on attitudes toward disability
Hampton, N.
Department of Counseling and School Psychology, GCOE
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, Massachusetts USA
nanzhang.hampton@umb.edu
Abstract
The literature has indicated consistently that people in China tend to have a negative view of disability. This view is derived from the belief that having a disability is punishment for past-life sins. When Chinese people emigrate to Western countries su ch as the United States, they tend to maintain similar beliefs and have more negative attitudes toward disability, compared with their Caucasian counterparts. Little is discussed in the literature about the positive perspectives of the Chinese culture wit h regard to disability and rehabilitation. I will explore Chinese views of disability and rehabilitation, using a dialectical analysis approach. Positive and negative perspectives of the Chinese culture with regard to disability and rehabilitation will be discussed. Specifically, I will elaborate on the strengths of the Chinese culture in fostering resilience that helps Chinese people with disabilities and their families dealing with difficulties imposed by a physical/mental disability and societal prejud ices. I will explore implications for American rehabilitation professionals in terms of how to empower recent Chinese immigrants with disabilities, and how to improve rehabilitation services for these individuals.