Notes on the article by David R. Hodge “Working with Hindu Clients in a Spiritually Sensitive Manner”

The article was written first of all for social workers who may encounter Hindu consumers. In order to facilitate a minimum cultural sensitivity Hodge makes an attempt to summarise Hindu cosmology. 

He explains such central to Hindu religion concepts as dharma, karma, moksha, and the non-self-centred view on life of the Hindu population. He then demonstrates how some traditional Hindu ways of life may be different from the western mentality and, thus, would be often met with prejudice and judgement. 

For example, the sacred dharma that prescribes different roles for women and men is referred to an “ideology” that serves to “camouflage injustice” while deceiving women into desiring a position of “bondage” (p. 33). 

“Cultural sensitivity is demonstrated by recognizing that Western Enlightenment-derived theories are not universally applicable, and correspondingly, adapting clinical strategies to comply with the psychological and value orientation of the Hindu cosmology (Roland, 1997).” (p. 34)

The above quote seems to summarize the essence of the article, spreading its meaning further than just in relation to Hindu religion. Cultural sensitivity is not as much about the exact knowledge of other people’s culture, but more so in the recognition that the western cultural approach is not universal and in learning to adapt one’s approach to whatever cultural background of their patients.