13 - Cultural Competence Flashcards
What is the definition of culture?
The accumulated store of shared values, ideas, attitudes, beliefs, norms, understandings, symbols, material products, and practices of a group of people
Describe some aspects of below the surface culture?
Notions of beauty, ideals about how to raise children, rules of descent, logic, justice, work tempo, cleanliness, attitudes about the elderly, order of time, roles of men and women, displays of emotion, motives for work
What is xenophobia?
Fear or hatred of the other.
Anything seen as foreign or strange that is judged to be a threat
us vs. them
What is intercultural sensitivity?
It is a level of awareness of other cultures (everyone is on a spectrum)
As one’s experience with cultural differences becomes more sophisticated one’s competence with intercultural relations increases
Each stage of development represents a particular worldview and certain kinds of attitudes and behaviours
What is the intercultural sensitivity continuum?
The following stages are ranked from most to least ethnocentric
Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration
What is denial in the context of intercultural sensitivity?
The other group is not viewed as a threat to the dominant group - little overt hostility
Assumptions of the superiority of the dominant culture are largely unconscious, and unchallenged
Limited contact with people and cultures unlike ourselves
What is defense in the context of intercultural sensitivity?
Awareness of the other, but seen as a threat.
Contact is discouraged
Us vs. them
Stereotyping is common with emphasis on negative aspects of the other culture
Tendency to assert superiority of one’s own culture
What is minimization in the context of intercultural sensitivity?
Cultural differences are acknowledged but ultimately seen as irrelevant
There is an expectation of eventual assimilation into the dominant culture
What is acceptance in the context of intercultural sensitivity?
Aware of the cultural complexity of others
A shift from ethnocentrism to ethno-relativism
Cultures seen as different but equal. Differences are often viewed as interesting, positive, and enjoyable
What is adaptation in the context of intercultural sensitivity?
Consider the perspective of another culture in assessing how to respond to a particular situation
Showing both empathy and cultural humility
Begin to appreciate how others may see you through their cultural lens
What is integration in the context of intercultural sensitivity?
Bicultural/multicultural in one’s worldview
(identity not moored to any one culture)
Able to move easily and intentionally between different cultural frames of reference
Why is greater cultural awareness in health care important?
Patient populations are culturally diverse and becoming more so.
Culture can affect how a person perceives and/or experiences illness, who is consulted and how symptoms are reported
To provide quality care, must understand how the cultural backgrounds of you and your patient can affect care
There are professional and ethical reasons to be more culturally competent inorder to provide better care.
What constitutes cultural competence in health care?
To possess the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that support the acquisition and integration of the realities of different cultures into your practice, and into the profession
What cultural competencies make a practitioner more effective?
Appreciate, value, and respect differences between your background and that of your patients
Increase your understanding of how culture can affect the distribution of health disparities, communication, the assuming of specific roles, etc.
Communicate respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds. Examine and explain an issue from the patient’s perspectives
How can one become more culturally competent?
Examine your cultural background
Assess your level of cultural sensitivity
Talk with patients from diverse backgrounds in your community
Read about cultural-specific diseases and evidence-based interventions
Immerse yourself in the community
Work with patient or community groups
Hold staff meetings or seminars focussed on cultural competence topics
Seek out traditional cultural healers
Reach out to religious leaders and organizations
