Conflict vs. Cohesion

Abstract The languages spoken in the context of family and work life transmit ethnicity from one generation to the next, presenting each with cohesive cultural identity as well as strain and conflict. Yet conflict appears to be prevailing over cohesion all too often in work organizations. Today's Employee Assistance Program professionals should take on ethnic-sensitive practice because no workforce can afford to ignore systemic problems such as racism, poverty and discrimination. Applying group-work and psychodynamic theory to a non-clinical environment, this article describes and analyzes an EAP-based model of cross-cultural training. This type of program goes far in developing the sensitivity and awareness so necessary to genuine multi-culturalism.