Citation

Warrier S. Fam. Court Rev. 2008; 46(3): 537-542.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1744-1617.2008.00219.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This essay attempts to critique the prevailing thinking on culture and cultural competency within the context of domestic violence. Current thinking and presentations of culture usually consists of providing court personnel with essentialist pictures of various groups of people with suggestions on how to work with them. These pictures obscure the reality that cultures are often unstable and generalizations that lead to providing more misinformation. The essay develops a critical framework on the issue and provides specific ways in which a more nuanced understanding of culture is helpful for court personnel as they grapple with how to work with a diverse population.