People from various ethnic groups are often pressured to give up their beliefs and ways in favor of adopting the ideals and customs of the dominant culture. What do you think your approach would be in working with clients who feel such pressure? How might you work with clients who see their own ethnicity or cultural heritage as a burden to be overcome? Make sure to ask a question.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: Embracing Cultural Diversity: Empowering Clients to Embrace Their Ethnicity
Introduction: In a world that is becoming increasingly diverse, it is essential to recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of each individual’s ethnicity and cultural heritage. However, many people from various ethnic groups feel pressured to abandon their beliefs and customs in favor of assimilating into the dominant culture. As a therapist, my approach would be centered around empowering clients to embrace their ethnicity and cultural heritage, fostering self-acceptance and resilience. This essay will explore strategies to support clients who feel pressured to conform and those who perceive their ethnicity as a burden.
Body:
Validating Experiences:
Actively listen to clients’ experiences and validate their feelings of pressure to conform.
Encourage open dialogue to create a safe space for clients to express their concerns without judgment.
Empathize with their struggles, acknowledging the complexity and challenges they face.
Education:
Provide education on the importance of cultural diversity and the negative effects of assimilation.
Highlight the benefits of multiculturalism, such as increased creativity, adaptability, and empathy.
Share success stories of individuals who have embraced their ethnicity and achieved personal fulfillment.
Promoting Self-Acceptance:
Help clients explore their unique cultural identity and understand its significance in shaping their values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Encourage self-reflection, helping clients identify the positive aspects of their heritage and how it enriches their lives.
Foster self-acceptance by focusing on strengths, resilience, and the value that their cultural heritage brings to society.
Cultivating Cultural Pride:
Facilitate connections with cultural communities or organizations that celebrate and preserve ethnic traditions.
Encourage participation in cultural events, festivals, or activities that reinforce a sense of belonging.
Promote intergenerational dialogue to bridge the gap between older generations’ traditions and younger generations’ experiences.
Advocacy:
Empower clients to challenge societal pressures by promoting inclusivity, diversity, and cultural understanding.
Encourage clients to speak up about their experiences and educate others on the importance of embracing cultural differences.
Collaborate with community organizations to create awareness campaigns that challenge stereotypes and promote cultural acceptance.
Conclusion:
Working with clients who feel pressured to abandon their ethnicity or perceive their cultural heritage as a burden requires an empathetic and empowering approach. By validating their experiences, providing education, promoting self-acceptance, cultivating cultural pride, and advocating for inclusivity, therapists can help clients embrace their ethnicity and celebrate their unique cultural heritage. By doing so, we can contribute to a more inclusive society that values diversity.
Question: How do you think society can better support individuals who face pressure to conform to the dominant culture?
