Overview
Differentiate between the concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility (p. 140-144). Identify the relative merits and potential harms of emphasizing each concept, respectively, in social work practice. Share your opinion about which concept is most helpful when it comes to emphatic social work practice. Answer the question: If someone from a cultural background other than your own were your social worker, which perspective would you prefer they take? Why?
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Empowerment Practice
Many authors assert that social work practice with oppressed populations should have client empowerment as a goal. When clients are empowered, they have control (power) over their environment, which makes it possible for them to improve their lives (Everett, Homestead, & Drisko, 2007). The goal of empowerment is to increase the abilities of individuals, families, and communities to get what they need; influence how others think, act, or believe; and influence how resources are distributed (Gutiérrez et al., 1995).
EP 2b
The strengths perspective is critical to cultural competency. The rich and varied backgrounds and identities of clients make it necessary to explore the social networks and cultural practices in which people find meaning. A social worker who is unfamiliar with such practices should ask the client to identify all the resources in his or her personal environment. These resources may involve the immediate family, extended family, friends, community, religion, work, or other social networks. The resources, which reflect the unique culture of the individual, can be tapped to improve the level of the client’s functioning.
141 page Understanding Cultural Differences
EP 8
In addition to awareness of self, cultural competence requires awareness and understanding of those who are different from us. As our society becomes more diverse, practitioners are working with an increasing number of people whose values and perspectives are different from those of the mainstream health, mental health, and social service systems. Learning about the reality of clients’ lives can help bridge the gap between differences. This requires the use of empathy when engaging with clients. Empathy is a key ingredient in cultural competence. Clear communication is also needed for effective practice and can be difficult across cultural differences. The more we learn about others, the more likely we are to be able to communicate clearly.
Part of culturally competent practice is to understand that values vary among individuals and that variations may be influenced by a person’s identity or membership group experience. A number of general values should be considered when working with diverse populations. A culturally proficient social worker examines the way people view time, accomplishments, relationships, and human behavior, and considers how a person’s cultural background may influence those values (see Box 5.4). For example, a person who perceives that a focus on the present is valuable may perceive that people who expend energy planning and saving for the future are failing to enjoy life. Conversely, if a person’s view of time is that future planning is important, she or he may regard one who focuses on today as being lazy or unable to delay gratification.
Box 5.4. More about … Core Values for Working with Diverse Populations
How is time perceived? There are three common responses: past, present, and future. Some people believe that the past is most important because people learn from history, whereas others believe the present moment is everything and you should not worry about tomorrow. Others plan for the future by sacrificing today for a better tomorrow.
What measures human activity? The three value-orientation responses are being, being and becoming, and doing. Being means it is enough to just be; being and becoming emphasizes that our purpose is to develop our inner selves. Doing means to be active; by working hard one’s efforts will be rewarded.
143 page
Stages of Cultural Understanding
A model developed by the Child and Adolescent Service System Program Technical Assistance Center views cultural competency as a continuum consisting of six stages (Cross, Bazron, Dennis, & Isaacs, 1989, cited in Lecca et al., 1998). On this scale, the lowest level is cultural destructiveness, and the highest is cultural proficiency. The six stages are as follows:
Cultural destructiveness: The worker holds attitudes, policies, and practices that destroy cultures.
Cultural incapacity: The worker believes in the superiority of dominant groups, does not support nondominant groups, and engages in discriminatory behaviors.
Cultural blindness: The worker believes that there are no differences between people, that they are all the same; this tends to reflect a belief that the dominant culture is universal. A nonableist term for this concept is cultural evasiveness.
Cultural precompetence: The worker begins to respect other cultures and demonstrates this respect through one or two actions, followed by a sense that he or she has done enough.
Cultural competence: The worker accepts and respects differences, continuously expands cultural knowledge and resources, and actively pursues engagement with nondominant clients and coworkers.
Cultural proficiency: The worker esteems other cultures, engages in research and outreach to build cultural knowledge and specializes in culturally competent practice (see Box 5.5).
Box 5.5. What Do You Think?
Review Box 5.1 and consider which stage of cultural understanding describes the vice principal. How could you help her become more culturally competent and move toward cultural proficiency?
It should be noted that becoming culturally competent and developing cultural understanding does not happen quickly or easily. Becoming a culturally competent social worker and citizen is an ongoing process that can take a lifetime and requires continual effort, learning, and self-examination.
EP 3b
Chapter 4 discussed ways that prejudice, discrimination, and oppression contribute to social injustice. These three forms of injustice are used to marginalize people who are not part of the dominant culture. Supporting diversity decreases prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. The lowest levels on the scale—cultural destructiveness and cultural incapacity—are ways that people and institutions perpetuate discrimination against and oppression of people based on their cultural identities. At the other end of the continuum, cultural competence and cultural proficiency embrace and nurture the differences between groups. By achieving cultural proficiency, a social worker helps create a socially just society. This effort is part of the social work mandate. Thus, culturally competent social work practice not only follows the principles of the profession but also contributes to the eradication of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression.