The Use of Culturagrams to Assess and Empower Culturally Diverse Families

The culturagram was developed in response to the cultural diversity of families and the need for ethnic-sensitive practice. This family-assessment tool assesses (1) reasons for immigration; (2) length of time in community; (3) legal status; (4) age at time of immigration; (5) language spoken at home and in the community; (6) health beliefs; (7) celebrated holidays and special events; (8) impact of crisis events; (9) values regarding family, education, and work; and (10) contact with cultural institutions. With the culturagram, social workers are able to assess the impact of culture on the family, individualize ethnically similar families, become more empathic with regard to cultural differences, and empower culturally diverse clients and their families.