ADDRESSING Framework – understanding the social construct of power

Identity is multi-factorial. How one sees oneself and one’s power and privilege is related to numerous cultural identities. Review the following model, ADDRESSING, which may assist you in understanding yourself and patients.

ADDRESSING: A model of cultural influences and their relationship to the social construct of power

Cultural characteristic	Power	Less power
Age	Adults	Children, adolescents, elders
Disability	Temporarily able-bodied	Persons with disabilities
Religion	Christians	Jews, Muslims, other non-Christian
Ethnicity	Euro-American	People of Color
Social Class	Owning & Middle Class (access to higher ed.)	Poor & Working Class
Sexual Orientation	Heterosexuals	Gay men, Lesbians, Bisexuals
Indigenous Background	Non-native	Native
National Origin	U.S.born	Immigrants & Refugees
Gender	Male	Female, Transgendered, Intersexed

Hays, P. A. (2001). Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice: A Framework for Clinicians and Counselors. Washington, D. C. : American Psychological Association.