INDEPENDENT AND INTERDEPENDENT VIEWS OF SELF - IMPLICATIONS FOR CULTURALLY SENSITIVE VOCATIONAL-REHABILITATION SERVICES

While the majority U.S. and the U.S. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) cu ltures emphasize personal independence and the importance and uniquene ss of the individual, other cultures view the self as an interdependen t part of family and community where group harmony and well being are more highly valued. Since these divergent world views are likely to cl ash when attempting to provide individualistic VR services for persons from collectivistic cultures, the problems inherent in these contrast ing ideologies are discussed. Recommendations are made for providing V R services that are more consistent with collectivistic cultural orien tations and, therefore, likely to be more successful.