What knowledge or skills might you have to develop in order to be culturally competent?
Cultural awarenessDeveloping cultural awareness is often the first step in working with young people and families. This involves learning about the cultural norms, values, beliefs and practices of the CLD communities that your agency services. Workers should find out about the: Show
Much of this information can be gained through reading relevant literature and speaking with cultural consultants or ethno-specific workers. Cultural SensitivityCultural sensitivity occurs when a practitioner develops an understanding that families within cultural groups differ considerably in the way they express their culture. They may differ in how they express cultural norms or to what extent they follow norms. Culturally sensitive practitioners rely less on norms, although still referring to them as a basis for understanding, and try to understand culture from each family's unique perspective. This level of work develops over an extended period of time through exposure to families from culturally diverse backgrounds. Cultural CompetencyA worker achieves cultural competency when they can understand how their own cultural norms impact on the way they view themselves, the families they are working with and the situation they are facing together. Culturally competent workers are less judgemental and more flexible in their response to how others interpret and respond to events. Cultural competence can be defined as: The ability to identify and challenge one's own cultural assumptions, values and beliefs. It is about developing empathy and connected knowledge, the ability to see the world through another's eyes, or at the very least, to recognise that others may view the world through different cultural lenses.2 Understanding of Adolescence and Complex NeedsIt is very important to check with the families that you are working with about their understanding of childhood development and of the health and wellbeing issues affecting their child. Some CLD families may have a very different understanding from yours of issues such as:
It is important to be open to understanding the family's perception of the problems their child is experiencing and how they believe their problems can be best addressed. For example some CLD groups do not recognise adolescence as a stage of development within a young person's life. They regard a young person as ready to take on adult responsibilities once they reach puberty. The western concept of adolescence may not be well understood and can be mystifying for some parents. It can also be a source of tension as some CLD parents expect their teenagers to take on responsibilities that other parents don't. It is important for workers to explore the parents' interpretation of the presenting problems carefully and openly and to find out how they believe their child's problems or issues of family conflict can best be addressed. Developing Culturally Competent OrganisationsThere are a number of steps that organisations can take in order to facilitate the development of cultural competence within their staff and to address the needs of CLD families in their communities including:
1 Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (2006), Cultural Competence Guidelines and Protocols, Victoria. 2 Fitzgerald (2000) cited in Stewart, S (2006), Cultural Competence in Health Care, Diversity Health Institute, Sydney. What are some ways we can develop skills in cultural competence?How do I become culturally competent?. Learn about yourself. Get started by exploring your own historical roots, beliefs and values, says Robert C. ... . Learn about different cultures. ... . Interact with diverse groups. ... . Attend diversity-focused conferences. ... . Lobby your department.. How do you develop skills and knowledge related to cultural awareness?Use these tips from the American Psychological Association to be more culturally aware:. Think beyond race and ethnicity. A person's culture is shaped by more than the color of their skin or the way that they dress. ... . Learn by asking. ... . Make local connections. ... . Pay attention to non-verbal behaviors. ... . Exchange stories.. How will you improve your knowledge of cultural competence and diversity?Self-assessment. Reflecting critically on our own biases and prejudices helps to develop the skills necessary to effectively interact and engage with individuals whose cultural background is different than our own. Realizing that everyone has biases is an important step for building cultural competence.
What are the 5 components of cultural competence?Contained within this guide is a walkthrough of the five building blocks of cultural competence: open attitude, self-awareness, awareness of others, cultural knowledge, and cultural skills.
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