My Worldview

Everyone has a unique worldview. How we view the world forms our perception of it and thus forms our identity. As we are not born with these views, it is important to acknowledge that we get or acquire them from the world itself. Our views are generally formed by our experience of countless happenings in our lives. These things that I have encountered and experienced have directly or indirectly formed my worldview.

            My general worldview has changed over time as I advance in years, knowledge, and experience. At the start of this course, I had a certain worldview regarding issues such as gender identity, sexual orientation, and racial identity, in which some views have changed while others have not. I have developed a different approach and opinion about sexual orientation and ethnic identity through this course. Having grown up in a Christian religious background, my belief on people who are attracted to the same gender sexually was that it is not right and should not be allowed. Nevertheless, this course has changed my worldview about this. My worldview on different races has changed over time, and this course has impacted me on changing my beliefs on stereotypes I once ad concerning other ethnic groups.

            Relating to these changes are some theories that explain how people change their worldviews. First, social comparison theory supports these changes. Psychologist Leon Festinger proposed the theory, and it suggests that people have an inherent drive to evaluate themselves compared to others regularly (Cherry, 2020). The theory of racial development proposes that racial classification has developed over time, but currently, it is being categorized based on skin color. The cognitive theory of gender development suggests that gender identity is the regulator and organizer in learning about gender for children. These theories support these changes in my worldview.

            My worldview now meets the three multicultural competencies identified in class. I have been aware of my cultural beliefs, values, cultural heritage, undesirable biases, emotional reactions, and preconceived notions. This, in return, has helped me respect the beliefs and values of others. On understanding other worldviews, it helps to developed cross-cultural communication and clinical intervention knowledge. This has allowed me to learn about life experiences and community issues regarding other ethnic groups. I have also developed culturally appropriate interpersonal skills. My worldview has developed in a way that I have developed clinical skills for counselling and assessment with other people from different and minority cultures. I can strongly argue that it meets the three multicultural competencies by assessing my worldview.

            As our worldview changes over time depending on our life experiences, my general perception of global psychology has changed due to daily experiences and interactions with other people. My perception of sexual orientation about others has changed, and I can embrace other people’s different beliefs in sexual orientation embrace other ethnic groups by learning more about their cultural values and embracing them. The knowledge of sex, gender, and ethnic identity has affected my mental health since I can identify mental health symptoms, talk about them with others, and seek emotional support from the community. Generally, it shows how my worldview has changed and how better it has affected my perception of global psychology.

References

Cherry, K. (2020). How Social Comparison Theory Influences Our Views on Ourselves. Verywell Mind. Retrieved 31 January 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-social-comparison-process-2795872.

Ibrahim, F., & Heuer, J. (2016). Worldview: Implications for Culturally Responsive and Ethical Practice. International And Cultural Psychology, 51-75. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18057-1_3