“Where are you really from?”: Multicultural Competence

What is cultural competency?  Like many concepts, there is no one definition.  Cultural awareness is a fundamental element in cultural competence. Being aware and conscious of cultural differences and similarities is important but so is the awareness of one’s own culture and recognizing and acknowledging the impact it has on those of other cultures.  Our communities are becoming more and more diverse as people move from one place to another whether seeking education, better opportunities or because of political turmoil, violent conflict, economic hardships, or for a variety of other reasons.  Imagine the fear and stress of coming to a country where language, transportation, money, housing, healthcare, laws, social customs are all very different and being expected to assimilate almost immediately!  But cultural competency isn’t just limited to new immigrants as many ethnic groups have been living here for generations or centuries before Europeans arrived but continue to be minority cultures. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Culture is often described as the combination of a body of knowledge, a body of belief and a body of behavior. It involves a number of elements, including personal identification, language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions that are often specific to ethnic, racial, religious, geographic, or social groups.”  Typically we think of ethnic or racial groups as cultures...
Source: Dragonfly - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Health Literacy/Consumer Health Source Type: news