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Cultural Competency
A competency based on the premise of respect for individuals and cultural differences, and an implementation of a trust-promoting method of inquiry.
(Durham, M., 2002.)
I Don’t Know
• I don’t know as much about anybody as that person knows about him or herself
• I never will• I don’t know as much about a group of
people different from my own as that group knows
• I never will• I have to believe people when they tell
me about themselves
A Collaboration That Worked
•African Americans Reach and Teach Health Ministry (AARTH)
•Mars Hill Graduate School Library (MHGS)
•RML that encourages collaborations between libraries and community-based organizations
AARTH Ministry A faith-based nonprofit established to
help build the capacity of faith houses and institutions that serve people of African descent through:
• Health education and training• Compassionate service• Access to health resources• Self-advocacy for better health care
systems
Mars Hill Graduate School Library
• Evangelical graduate school that combines faith and health, specializing in counseling and ministry
• 90% of students and 100% faculty are Caucasian
• School hopes to increase its diversity and have greater connection to the Seattle community
• Librarian trying to encourage breadth of thought in graduate students
AARTH Ministry – MHGS Library Collaboration
• Received two NN/LM awards – the first faith-based outreach awards
• AARTH was the primary agency, NOT the library
• Goal: to increase the capacity of African American faith communities to share and provide health information
What Do I Do?
• Ask lots of questions about what information is needed
• Look for culturally relevant health information on the web on topics of interest (AIDS, diabetes, etc.)
• Made up web pages for health topics• Continue to maintain AARTH web site• Help write grant applications
What Do I Do?
• Teach classes with health ministry representatives from churches
• Find answers to specific reference questions
• Sold tickets at a Zimbabwean concert• Attended African American Legislative
Day in the Washington State Capitol
What Did I Do?
• Prayed during the African American Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS
• Serve on the AARTH Board as secretary
• Do NOT provide direct service to communities
Challenges for Librarian
• I don’t know much about African Americans• There’s a history of Black-White relations • Trust took a long time to build• I wasn’t in control; I was follower, not
leader• My institution was supportive of me, but
uninvolved• I’m not good at picking up verbal and
unspoken clues
Opportunities for Librarian
• Work with groups I never imagined I’d be able to
• Have the opportunity to ask questions—to learn
• Was more widely welcome since the CBOs goals were up front
• Library’s work was spread by others• My institution gained experience and
connections
Shared Concerns and Beliefs
• Concern over health disparities• Belief that information leads to better
choices and can improve health • Concern over the lack of culturally
appropriate health information• Belief that faith communities have a
responsibility for health• Concern that faith communities don’t yet
have enough capacity to provide and share health information
• Belief that prayer isn’t enough; action is necessary
Personal ConnectionI and Thou
• Ask questions—ask for advice• Find something you can offer that will be
personally useful to the other person• Explain what you want; be transparent in
your motives• Discover shared concerns, beliefs, values• Enter the world of the other person• Share experiences• Allow time for trust to develop
Reviewing the Literature
Cultural competency literature
comes mainly from the fields of healthcare, social work, psychology and education, not librarianship.
(Press, N. & Diggs-Hobson, M., 2005)
Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
• Denial• Defense• Minimization• Acceptance• Adaptation• Integration
(Trader-Leigh, K., 2002)
Denial
•An individual’s own culture is experienced as the only real culture
•Other cultures are avoided •There is no interest in cultural
difference
U.S. Population 1990-2000
• 58% increase - Latino/Hispanic• 50% increase - Asian American/Pacific
Islanders• 16% increase – African Americans• 15.5% increase – American
Indian/Alaska Native• 7.3% increase – CaucasianPeople of color now over 30% of
population
Defense
•An individual’s own culture is the only good one
•World is viewed as “us” and “them”—we are superior
•Critical of other cultures•Defensive, even threatened,
by cultural differences
“Then it’s good that we’re in the old U.S. of A.”
--quote from a Caucasian strategic planning consultant
Minimization
•An individual’s own cultural world is universal
•Deep cultural differences are obscured, trivialized or romanticized
“I don’t think race is all that important. I simply see each person as an individual, not as a member of a racial group.”
--quote from a member of a diversity task force
Acceptance
•An individual’s own culture is experienced as one of many equally complex worldviews
•Acceptance, however, does not mean agreement
•There is a curiosity about and a respect for differences
“I don’t remember seeing discrimination against Koreans in Seattle, but Abbie told me that she has experienced discrimination. I guess I haven’t been aware. I find it so interesting to talk with Abbie about it.”
• --Quote from a library staff member
Adaptation• Experiencing another culture
results in perceptions and behavior appropriate to that culture
• Worldview expands to include other worldviews
• Possible to look at the world through the eyes of others
• Adapts behavior to communicate more effectively
• I look to my church for health information• It’s important for my whole body to be
buried so I can’t donate organs, even after death
• When the pastor is praying, I voice the agreement I feel
• No reporters came to our press conference on health disparities; they just want flashy stories like Black-on-Black violence
• I feel that recent African immigrants to the U.S. look down on me.
• If I participate in a clinical trial, how can I be sure I won’t be treated as a guinea pig?
Integration
•Able to move in and out of different cultural worldviews
•Adapts easily to situations that demand intercultural competence
Librarians are Ready
• We already accept our patron’s needs as important
• We already know how to question to find out more about what someone else needs
• We know we don’t know everything • We have curiosity• We aren’t as threatening as other
professions
The Culturally Competent Librarian
Attitude
A. Is becoming culturally aware and sensitive to his or her own heritage, along with the cultural heritage of others.
B. Can conduct self-assessment and is aware of how his or her own values, biases, attitudes, and beliefs may affect different or minority patrons.
C. Is comfortable with differences that exist between the librarian and patrons.
The Culturally Competent Librarian
D. The culturally competent librarian values:
Individual identity: what makes individual unique.Group identity: reference base that may incorporate family, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, etc.Universal identity: common aspects that all share as human beings.
The Culturally Competent Librarian
II. Knowledge
A. Seeks to possess specific knowledge and information about the particular group with which he or she is working.
B. Seeks to understand the sociopolitical system with respect to its treatment of minorities.
The Culturally Competent Librarian
C. Has knowledge and understanding of characteristics of information-seeking and information use.
D. Is aware of institutional barriers that prevent minorities from gaining information.
The Culturally Competent Librarian
III. Skills
A. Generates, sends, and receives a wide variety of verbal and non-verbal responses.
B. Develops and implements institutional strategies in partnership with communities, including: setting goals, assessing need, developing a diverse work force, and evaluating services.
C. Can incorporate his or her values and knowledge in policy making, practice, administration, and service delivery.
The Culturally Competent Librarian
D. Is able to play partner roles:consultant- serving as resource personoutreach- moving out of libraries and into patrons’ communitiesombudsman- accompanying partners and patrons through bureaucratic mazes and proceduresfacilitator of indigenous support systems- structuring activities to supplement, not supplant, existing information-seeking systems.
Practically Speaking…
1. Distinguish between behaviors that are crazy/wrong/rude and those that result from oppression and survival.
2. Don’t personalize suspicions of your motives.
3. Monitor your own reactions and question your own beliefs.
Practically Speaking…
4. Your credentials might not be enough to. Your trustworthiness may be tested. Factors like authenticity, sincerity and openness might be more important than credentials.
5. You might not be the best person to serve the patron. Consider options.
(Sue, D.W. & Sue, D., 2002)
Nancy Ottman [email protected]
Cultural Competency Continuum Model
• Cultural Destructiveness• Cultural Incapacity• Cultural Blindness• Cultural Pre-Competence• Basic Cultural Competence• Advanced Cultural Competence
(Taylor, C. ,1994)
Advanced Cultural Competence
• Seek knowledge• Develop skills to interact in diverse
environments (real engagement)• Actively educate less-informed
individuals about cultural differences• Act as change agents• Are comfortable interacting in
multicultural settings• Champion diversity
Cultural Destructiveness
•View culture as a problem •Believe people should be more like the “mainstream.”
Cultural Incapacity
• Lack cultural awareness and skills• Believe in racial superiority of
dominant group, paternalistic to others
• Brought up in a homogenous society and therefore behave in ways that don’t recognize systematic inequities
• Have never questioned inequities
Cultural Blindness
•Believe culture makes no difference
•See others in terms of their own culture
•Claim that all people are alike
Cultural Pre-Competence
•Recognize that there are cultural differences
•Start to educate themselves and others about those differences
•Realize shortcomings in interactions within diverse environments