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In Uganda , he had started to drink alcohol to calm his thoughts , anxieties , and memories . Because in his new country he could not afford alcohol , it became difficult for him to manage his intrusive memories . He began to cut himself as a way of reducing his inner tension .
2.7 Cultural considerations in working with survivors after sexual violation
KEY TO KNOW
Aim . To focus on some of the cultural dimensions of working with people from different countries and traditions .
2.7.1 Culture and sexuality
As already noted , humans respond physiologically to danger and shock in much the same way everywhere , regardless of culture . Someone who has just been robbed in France , captured in war in the Congo , or injured by a tsunami in Thailand , will show similar physical reactions . However , how people express and interpret their reactions and behaviour may vary considerably in different cultural environments .
Let us take a closer look at cultural taboos , guilt and shame . What is expected of “ a man ”? How does society expect a man to behave ? What gender norms are present in the survivor ’ s and the helper ’ s cultures ? How do people respond when a survivor does not observe heterosexual norms ?
Culture enables people to create communities with others . Through culture , we transfer ideas , values and ways of living , and impart knowledge and skills , the ‘ wisdom ’ that a society needs to survive and flourish over generations . However , cultures also seek to shape the behaviour of their members ; and dominant cultural voices can be intolerant of and can seek to suppress behaviours of individuals and minorities that those individuals or minorities cherish or consider legitimate .
Guilt and shame are culturally conditioned and their expression and interpretation vary in different cultures . Cultural or religious attitudes may censure particular expressions of sexuality , sometimes making it difficult to report abuse , sometimes inflicting shame on survivors of abuse . In all contexts , nevertheless , even though many societies still blame survivors , abusers are always responsible for the abuses and acts of sexual violence they commit .
REFLECTION QUESTION
Questions to reflect on
• How can helpers reduce the guilt and shame that survivors feel by focusing on human rights ?
• How can human rights be applied to issues that have a cultural dimension ?
• Is cultural sensitivity compatible with a human rights approach ? Where might the two approaches collide ?