Exploring power in multicultural counselling encounters

Power is a central dynamic in multicultural encounters. Yet many people, especially counsellors, are reluctant to discuss their experiences with power and what it means to them. As a result, power remains an often unspoken, disturbing issue in multicultural counselling and counsellor education. This article addresses this silence by: a) clarifying the relationship between power and cultural racism; b) discussing what counsellors need to know about power; c) presenting an experiential powerlab that counsellor educators and trainers may use to explore various aspects of power; and d) suggesting a processing format, issues and supportive resources for debriefing this exercise.     

Use of a Personal Cultural Perspective Profile (PCPP) in developing counsellor multicultural competence

This article explores the origin, design, applications and advantages of the Personal Cultural Perspective Profile (PCPP) in developing counsellor multicultural competence.     

Portugal

In the library literature, a great deal of interest in patron-driven collection development has recently been expressed, especially in those programs that link acquisitions with interlibrary loan. However, the implementation of such programs has been limited, at least in part because of concerns over the potential for wasteful spending. The authors will attempt to address this common concern by assessing whether monies spent via a patron-driven acquisitions program were more or less effective than monies spent via traditional modes of acquisition.     

Filial Daughter, Woman Warrior, or Identity-Seeking Fairytale Princess: Fostering Critical Awareness Through Mulan

New immigrants and their children need to develop the ability to reconcile perceived dissonances between the worldviews of their parents and grandparents and those of their peers. This pursuit is made more difficult when they find that their newly adopted homeland misrepresents their cultural heritage. This article examines the historical evolution of the Mulan ballad along with issues of cultural authenticity in folktales. The analysis of three English adaptations of the ballad demonstrates clear contrasts that either support or complicate identity formation. We suggest that this text set could be used to inform critical classroom discussions regarding the plurality and fluidity of culture as well as those pertaining to Chinese heritage and cultural authenticity.     

Academic Mentoring and Dropout Prevention for Students in Math,Science and Technology

In this study, we examined the impact of a new academic mentoring program aimed at preventing student dropout in math, science and technology. The MIRES program entails bimonthly meetings between students entering college and university students completing their undergraduate degree in science and engineering. A randomized pretest-posttest control group design was used to evaluate the program’s short-term impact. At the end of the program, mentees (n = 150) presented significantly higher levels of motivation, a more positive career decision profile and enhanced institutional attachment and social adjustment than students in the control group (n = 157). MIRES mentees also showed success and persistence rates (mainly male participants) that were significantly higher than those of students in the control group.     

Tests of English Language as significant thresholds for college-bound Chinese and the washback of test-preparation

Tests of English language mark significantly high thresholds for all college-bound students in the People’s Republic of China. Many Chinese students hope to seek their fortunes at universities in the United States, or other English speaking countries. These students spend long hours, year after year, in test-preparation centres in order to develop the testwiseness deemed necessary to increase their scores. This study critically explores what might be learned from involvement in test-preparation courses via an examination of the experience one of the authors had as she sought to balance a short-term focus on testwiseness with long-term language and literacy goals in a People’s Republic of China test-preparation centre. Discussion focuses on the nature of the washback and its potential impact on foreign language learners.