Book excerpt: Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling and Human Services addresses the fundamental social and cultural foundations upon which counselors and other helpers develop the knowledge and skill to work effectively with diverse populations. A basic premise of this new text is that such foundational knowledge includes learning about self-concept development within a cultural and sociological context and about the impact that both individual differences and collectivistic philosophies have on cultural and personal identity. It distinctively features a social psychology perspective of diversity, complemented by an understanding of self-concept theory and its interaction with other models of identity development. Highlights of the First Edition: Maintains a balanced perspective on the impact of individualistic and collectivistic philosophies on a person's development. Utilizes a thorough treatment of social status variables that influence self-concept development, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation identity, family, aging, spirituality, physical ability and disability, and social class. Provides concrete examples through exercises and narratives to help students understand the impact of specific social and cultural influences on personal development (Chapters 5-9). Contains "Counseling Inferences" sections at the end of every chapter to help summarize chapter content in the context of what it means for practicing counselors and human service providers. Provides information on and access to numerous Web sites that contain social and cultural topics (Appendix A).