African American Ethnicity And Culture Essay

The first page of the text Chemical Dependency by McNeece and DiNitto states that ethnicity and culture have been called the strongest determinants of drinking pattern in a society. The two ethnicities or cultures I chose to write about are Native Indian and African Americans.
Native Indians:
Native Indians have a very permissive attitude towards substance use. They have been accused of enabling alcoholics by paying for their bills, bailing them out of jail, and placing blame on others rather than the alcohol abuser themselves. They strongly believe in non-interference of one’s life rather recognize the destructive effects of alcohol and do something about it. They believe that drinking promotes group solidarity through a shared social activity. In Order to be an accepted member, sometimes Native Indians have to drink alcohol with the group (p. 288). The prevalent drinking habits among Native Indians cause accidents, liver disease, and suicide at a higher rate than other ethnicities. They are the top leading causes of death in Native American societies. Death by alcohol was about 12 percent of all deaths
among Native Americans (p. 290). Native Americans are 1.6 percent of the American population but they are about 2.3 percent of those admitted to alcohol and drug treatment programs.
African Americans:
Media has shaped perception of African Americans in the eyes of Americans in a negative way. They are often portrayed as criminals and drug dealers in movies and on T.V. shows such as “COPS”. A survey that was conducted in Washington D.C. asked 400 individuals (including African Americans) to visualize a drug user and a drug trafficker. Sadly the majority of people saw the image of an African American. The fact remains though that the majority of drug users and traffickers are white (p. 299). African American youth do not start using alcohol until way later in life and when they do start drinking, they mostly drink less than the white youth. The Pittsburg Youth Study shows that at age 17, fewer blacks than whites used alcohol and hard drugs (p. 301). Mutual Help Groups seem to be working for the African American communities. Instilling an ethnic pride is very effective in minority communities. Churches have done a lot to prevent drug and alcohol use. A study of about 300 African American kids who dropped out of school showed that good family relationships and being religious attributes to a positive life (p. 301).
Importance of ethnicity and culture in working with people who use/abuse substance:
People of the same culture and ethnicities tend to understand each other better than people of different cultures and ethnicities.
It is vital to take advantage of the connection of patients and substance abuse professionals regardless of what the connection is as long as it is in the best interest of the patient. There is substantial evidence in the African American communities across the Unites States that they do not trust majority- counselors. Many studies show that people who share common culture and/or rituals trust one another. A professional can use this trust to influence the patient in a positive manner. Learning about other cultures and being a culturally competent counselor is extremely important because knowing what can help or exacerbate the condition of a patient will help a care giver make better and culturally appropriate decisions for the
patient.