- "Cultural competence, also known as intercultural competence, is a range of cognitive, affective, behavioural, and linguistic skills that lead to effective and appropriate communication with people of other cultures."
Social workers must understand and respect the diversity of patients and their families, including their beliefs, values, and customs. Cultural competence includes the ability to identify potential cultural barriers, communicate effectively, and provide culturally sensitive care.
Cultural Awareness: This refers to individuals' active recognition of their own cultural identities, worldviews, and biases.
Cultural Knowledge: This consists of learning about various cultures, including their customs, beliefs, values, and traditions.
Cultural Skill: This is the ability to effectively and appropriately communicate and interact with people from different cultures, including nonverbal communication, listening skills, and expressing empathy.
Cultural Encounters: This involves direct engagement with individuals from different cultures, where individuals learn from those experiences and adjust their behavior accordingly.
Cultural Desire: This refers to individuals' motivation and interest in learning about other cultures and working towards cultural competence.
Health Disparities: This consists of the differences in healthcare access and outcomes experienced by certain racial and ethnic groups, and how cultural competence can help address these disparities.
Linguistic Competence: This involves understanding and addressing language barriers and providing effective communication for individuals with limited English proficiency.
Acculturation: This is the process of adapting to a new culture, and understanding how it can affect the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Stereotyping and Bias: This involves challenging assumptions and preconceived ideas that individuals may have about people from different cultures.
Intersectionality: This considers the complex ways in which different dimensions of identity, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, intersect and affect people's experiences and needs.
Ethics and Cultural Competence: This involves understanding how cultural competence can impact ethical decision-making, and how to navigate difficult situations that may arise.
Cultural Humility: This approach to cultural competence involves ongoing self-reflection, openness to learning, and a willingness to shift one's perspective and behavior based on feedback from others.
Linguistic Cultural competence: The ability to effectively communicate with patients whose primary language is different from that of the healthcare provider.
Religious and Spiritual Cultural competence: Understanding the religious and spiritual beliefs of patients and their impact on healthcare decision-making.
Ethnic and Racial Cultural competence: Understanding the cultural beliefs and values of different ethnic and racial groups and their impact on healthcare decision-making.
Gender and Sexual Identity Cultural competence: Understanding the role of gender and sexual identity in healthcare decision-making, as well as being aware of the unique healthcare needs of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.
Disability Cultural competence: Understanding the experiences and needs of individuals with disabilities and advocating for accessibility and accommodation in healthcare settings.
Socioeconomic Cultural competence: Understanding the impact of poverty, income, and educational status on healthcare decision-making and access to care.
Geographical Cultural competence: Understanding the unique healthcare challenges faced by patients in different geographic regions, including rural and Indigenous communities.
Age Cultural competence: Understanding the healthcare needs and preferences of different age groups, from newborns to elderly patients.
- "Intercultural or cross-cultural education are terms used for the training to achieve cultural competence."
- "Effective intercultural communication relates to behaviors that culminate with the accomplishment of the desired goals of the interaction and all parties involved in the situation."
- "Appropriate intercultural communication includes behaviors that suit the expectations of a specific culture, the characteristics of the situation, and the level of the relationship between the parties involved in the situation."