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Virginia Tech

Region as a Cultural Context in Family Therapy

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Environmentally-constructed, regional culture as defined by geographic place is not generally included in family therapy research and training concerning race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other contextual factors. This grounded theory research project explores how practitioners working with families acknowledge, access, and use region as a cultural context in their service delivery, specifically in the New River Valley region of Southwest Virginia. Ecological theory, social construction theory, family systems theory, and cultural competency perspectives were used to frame the research questions, to develop the interview protocol, and to support the analysis of the properties and dimensions of the concepts and categories that emerged from the data analysis. The resulting grounded theory revealed that clinicians working with regionally distinct clients combine a client-centered approach with multiple-layers of regional knowledge and self-awareness.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Human Development
Department dc:contributor.department
Human Development
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2008

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Hudgins, Cathy Mills
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Keeling, Margaret L.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Mancini, Jay A.
  • Mann, Jeffrey A.
  • Piercy, Fred P.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-03272008-121844
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/26521

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Hudgins, Cathy Mills. Region as a Cultural Context in Family Therapy. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26521