Issues and Challenges of Cross Cultural Counselling in Singapore

Abstract

Singapore is a multicultural society comprising mainly of people with Chinese, Malay or Indian origin. This article examines the worldviews of the Chinese and Malay Muslim Singaporean from the perspective of how values and beliefs arising from different religious and cultural background impact on perceptions about social behaviours, life goals, problem-definition and problem-solving. The implications for cross cultural counselling at three levels of competence are discussed as well as the question of relevant models for social service delivery in a multicultural context.