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ABSTRACT
This article presents the Sikh life-stress model as a culture-specific intervention. The article looks at the Sikh world-view, from which it delineates the Sikh perspective on life-stress. It further outlines a framework for incorporating the Sikh life-stress model into the Western counselling context, and concludes with a case vignette to demonstrate how the life-stress model can be integrated with conventional counselling approaches.
RÉSUMÉ
Cet article présente le modèle sikh du stress de la vie en tant qu'intervention propre à cette culture. On s'y penche sur la vision du monde sikh, à partir de laquelle est délimitée la perspective sikhe sur le stress de la vie. En outre, l'article donne un aperçu d'un cadre pour incorporer le modèle sikh du stress de la vie au contexte du counselling occidental. Il conclut par une exemple montrant comment le modèle de stress de la vie peut être intégré aux approches habituelles de counselling.
The migration and settlement of the Sikhs in Vancouver has created a new milestone in their history in Canada. According to the 2001 Canadian census figures, Sikhs are now the largest non-Christian group in the greater Vancouver area (Statistics Canada, 2003). Although the population of the Sikhs in Vancouver has doubled in the last ten years, from 49,625 to 99,005, research on the Sikh diaspora is still in its infancy. For the most part, the Sikh diaspora has been studied under the umbrella of the larger East Indian, Indo-Canadian, or South Asian diaspora (e.g., Choudhry, 2001; Ghuman, 1994; Naidoo & Davis, 1988; Westwood, 1982). According to Nayar (2004), although the Sikh community shares certain common features with the broader South Asian community, it is also distinct based on its spiritual tradition, customs, cultural behavioural patterns, and stage of development upon arrival in the host country. Indeed, there is a need to acknowledge the South Asian diaspora as a mosaic of diverse religions, cultures, belief systems, and nationalities (Ibrahim, Ohnishi, & Sandhu, 1997). Moreover, by respecting the uniqueness of culture-specific belief systems, the traditional healing resources, practices, and helping styles of a particular culture can be utilized to develop culture-appropriate interventions (Arthur & Stewart, 2001; McCormick, 1996; Nwachuku & Ivey, 1991).
This need to develop culture-appropriate interventions derived from the client's world-view is...