Publisher Description

Packed with practical pointers and examples, this indispensable, straight-talking guide helps professionals conduct productive interviews while building strong working relationships with culturally and linguistically diverse clients. Chapters cover verbal and nonverbal ways to build rapport and convey respect; how to overcome language barriers, including effective use of interpreters; culturally competent interviews with children and adolescents; and key issues in working with immigrants and refugees. Strategies for avoiding common cross-cultural misunderstandings and producing fair, accurate reports are presented. Every chapter concludes with thought-provoking discussion questions and resources for further reading.

Back Cover

Packed with practical pointers and examples, this indispensable, straight-talking guide helps professionals conduct productive interviews while building strong working relationships with culturally and linguistically diverse clients. Chapters cover avoiding different types of bias; verbal and nonverbal ways to build rapport and convey respect; how to overcome language barriers, including effective use of interpreters; culturally competent interviews with children and adolescents; and key issues in working with immigrants and refugees. Strategies for avoiding common cross-cultural misunderstandings and producing fair, accurate reports are presented. Every chapter concludes with thought-provoking discussion questions and resources for further reading.

Author Biography

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, is a Core Faculty Member in the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology at Union Institute & University in Brattleboro, Vermont. She has dedicated almost two decades to making the social service, mental health, criminal justice, and medical systems more responsive to culturally diverse people. Dr. Fontes edited Sexual Abuse in Nine North American Cultures: Treatment and Prevention, authored Child Abuse and Culture: Working with Diverse Families, and has written numerous journal articles and book chapters on cultural issues in child maltreatment and violence against women, cross-cultural research, and ethics. She has worked as a family, individual, and group psychotherapist, and has conducted research in Santiago, Chile, and with Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and European Americans in the United States. In 2007 Dr. Fontes was awarded a Fulbright Foundation Fellowship, which she completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she is a popular conference speaker and workshop facilitator.

Table of Contents

1. A Guide to Interviewing across Cultures2. Preparing for the Interview3. Biases and Boundary Issues4. Setting the Right Tone: Building Rapport and Conveying Respect5. Beyond Words: Nonverbal Communication in Interviews6. Language Competence: Building Bridges with People Who Have a Different Native Language7. The Interpreted Interview8. Understanding and Addressing Reluctance to Divulge Information9. Interviewing Culturally Diverse Children and Adolescents10. Interview Reports and Documents11. Authority and Trust Issues for Specific Professions12. Common Dilemmas and Misunderstandings in Cross-Cultural InterviewsAfterword: Your Self as a Resource

Review

"This extremely helpful and instructive book has amazing breadth and depth in analyzing the interview process from beginning to end. Fontes provides guidance on all aspects of preparing for, conducting, and documenting interviews, interweaving cultural issues throughout. She shows tremendous sensitivity and good sense in helping readers handle cultural differences and dilemmas. Highly readable, the book is suitable for everyone from students to practicing professionals." - "Stanley Sue, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Asian American Studies, University of California, Davis, USA "This work is an essential addition to the library of professionals who conduct nearly any kind of interview. Its careful strategies for respecting and negotiating so many different aspects of cross-cultural interactions are invaluable. Fontes's reputation in the field is top-notch, and with this book she provides the best, most current interviewing guide I have seen." - "Sharon W. Cooper, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, USA "Today, helping professionals must think globally; we need tools to interview and assess racially, ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse clients. Fontes's book is timely and informative. Drawing on the research and practice literature, her personal experience, and that of other professionals who provide culturally sensitive services, she offers much-needed, practical advice about how to avoid pitfalls and conduct successful interviews that span the cultural divide between professional and client." - "Kathleen Coulborn Faller, Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families; Director, Family Assessment Clinic, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, USA "Interviewing is often taken for granted in professional training programs, and as a result many of us are not exposed to ways of negotiating cultural differences which can make the difference between success and failure in this important relationship-building activity. No matter what your professional training and background, you will benefit enormously from the rich material and interesting examples in this book." - "David A. Wolfe, RBC Chair in Children's Mental Health, and Director, Centre for Prevention Science at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Canada "This book is a 'must read' for anyone training to be, or already serving, in a professional role in today's multicultural society. It is important, accessible, and filled with lively case examples. I recommend this book as required reading for graduate and undergraduate courses and for professionals who work with clients or carry out research in any mental health or human service setting." "- Sandra A. Graham-Bermann, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, USA

Review Quote

'Today, helping professionals must think globally; we need tools to interview and assess racially, ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse clients. Fontess book is timely and informative. Drawing on the research and practice literature, her personal experience, and that of other professionals who provide culturally sensitive services, she offers much-needed, practical advice about how to avoid pitfalls and conduct successful interviews that span the cultural divide between professional and client.' - Kathleen Coulborn Faller, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, USA

Details