To begin comparing any two or more things, we have to begin with defining the components to be compared. As you can imagine, there was no shortage of definitions in terms of cultural competence and cultural humility. To the right you can see how the use of AI (ChatGPT) was able to pull out one set of definitions.
The other two sources that I pulled from to help me define cultural competence and humility are the NASW Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence (2015) and an article from Penn State University titled, What is Cultural Competence and How to Develop It? (2023). Before I get to involved with this blog, I want to share that I was slightly surprised that the NASW had their own published standards specifically on the topic of cultural competence. I won’t complain because it did make my blog easier to write.
I will begin with the article from Penn State since it focuses more specifically on competence. The article actually cites five separate definitions of culture that have been established between the years of 1951 and 2010. The definition that I see as being the most encompassing was written by Schein in 2010, who “described a culture as shared beliefs, values, and assumptions of a group of people who learn from one another and teach to others that their behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives are the correct way to think, act, and feel” (PSU, 2023). This definition, to me, possesses the one necessary component that the others did not; a sense of one’s culture being the “correct way to think, act, and feel”. From that definition, we now move to how Penn State defines cultural competence.
Again, Penn State provided multiple definitions of cultural competence, the most well rounded definition being quoted by Williams in 2001 who “defined cultural competence as the ability of individuals and systems to work or respond effectively across cultures in a way that acknowledges and respects the culture of the person or organization being served” (PSU, 2023). The definition is still lacking substance though, it is missing the “how” this is done. The article goes on to quote another person, Deardorff (2006), who states that competence is “the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one’s intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (PSU, 2023). A definition quite similar to that which ChatGPT provided.
To the left you will see a few ways in which Penn State identifies how one can improve their competence in regards to another’s culture. Penn State continues on to provide four attributes that they see as important areas of self development in cultural competence:
- Self-knowledge and awareness about one’s own culture.
- Awareness of one’s own cultural worldview.
- Experience and knowledge of different cultural practices.
- Attitude toward cultural differences.
Now to shift focus to the 60 page NASW publication on cultural competence. The NASW actually discusses the organizations own evolution in regards to cultural competence from the years of 2001 to 2015 (2015 being the publication in review for this blog). The NASW identifies “the concept of culture as being inclusive beyond race and ethnicity; inclusive of, but not limited to, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and religious identity or spirituality” (NASW, 2015). They go on to identify that the “revised standards retain the concept of “competence” as an indicator of attitudes, knowledge, and skills that enable effective cross-cultural practice. [And] [a]s with any competency, there is the expectation of continual growth and learning. The revised standards introduce concepts of “cultural humility,” as a guiding stance vis-a-vis cultural differences” (2015).
What I really appreciate about the NASW publication is that they go beyond what skills and knowledge are required for cultural competency and they provide an undeniable reason why this skill is so critically important: “[t]he United States is constantly undergoing major demographic changes. The demographic shift is projected to continue with increased diversity in our population – American born and immigrants and refugees. In 1980, 80% of the population was white; in 2014, the proportion had decreased to 63%, and is projected through 2050 to continue this decline to 44%” (2015). I wonder if this is why certain white politicians are in such a scramble to change national birth rates and immigration trajectory?
My original objective was to compare cultural competence and cultural humility, and then discuss the shift from competence to humility, but that does not do justice to the evolution of the topic. In my mind, the shift is less of a moving focus from competence to humility than it is a shift in our understanding of what it means to be competent regarding cultures. Competence is not simply the rated success of your actions, it also is the motive behind your actions, and it is your own comprehension, and willingness to want to understand those outside of your personal worldview. To be culturally competent, you have to have cultural humility. Humility is taking the scary step to even consider that maaayyyybbbeee, the majority culture is not doing everything in the best way possible for all those involved. To be competent in something requires constant evaluation of that in which makes you currently competent. Because being competent today does not equate to being competent tomorrow. As the NASW points out, the many cultures in the United States are going to continue to change and we have to find a way to allow these cultures to be aqueous while still celebrating the individuality of each culture.
The video below, though long, was introduced to me through a DEIA training webinar that I recently attended. The dyad scenario is of a care provider doing an introductory meeting with a parent. In this scenario you can observe the provider taking the time to not only avoid biases and assumptions about her as a person and her culture, but he is also allowing the parent to have autonomy in what they determine to be important to share about themselves.
The below document is the printed version of the testing page of Harvards Implicit Association Test (IAT). The link to enter the assessment is in blue text towards the bottom of the document. I encourage you to explore all the cultural assessments that are available through their website, as they can help you understand areas of bias that you may not even know exists.
Resources:
NASW, 2015. Standards and Indicators for Cultrual Competence in Social Work Practice. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=PonPTDEBrn4%3D&portalid=0
Penn State University, 2023. What is Cultural Competence and How to Develop It. https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-cultural-competence-and-how-to-develop-it
Neveah Reese
“Because being competent today does not equate to being competent tomorrow.” I love this line from your blog. It’s almost like to be culturally competent, we must recognize that competence is not a finish line. In many ways, cultural competence and humility go hand in hand. To be competent, we must continue to learn each day and keep an unbiased open mind. To be open minded, we must be practicing humility and humbleness. It’s okay to not know and to learn from each individuals’ personal experiences to define THEIR INDIVIDUAL culture. The world and its views are constantly shifting in each demographic, so to be competent you must commit to the lifelong learning of our own cultures, and those of others we serve.
Ian Miller
Yes, it definitely is, like you said, a commitment “to the lifelong learning of our own cultures, and those [cultures] of others we serve”. One of the prompts provided for the blog stated that “Cultural competency implies an end point”, and I feel that is incorrect, depending on how you perceive what is competent. We are labeled competent drivers once we earn our license to drive, but I would argue that even though we meet the minimum standards to drive does not mean that we do not have a lot more to learn about driving throughout our lives. Competency, even defined within NASW and other sources, needs to be maintained.
I think the desire to be cultural competent in a country that, one; has such a growing diverse population with pockets of very unique cultures throughout it, and two; has a serious cultural identity issue of its own that is splitting the nations cohesion with both sides fighting for values that they view as what our country stands for, is not easy to motivate within ones self. Add to it that there is no freaking competency endpoint to work towards and it is no surprise that people dig their feet into a culturally specific spot that they have found comfort in and defend that instead of laboring through understanding, accepting, and appreciating the differences.
Michelle Dunham
“I wonder if this is why certain white politicians are in such a scramble to change national birth rates and immigration trajectory?”
I have to posit the question:
In 1980, mixed marriages were still considered taboo. Today? Mixed marriages are almost as common as same color marriages. It is easy to see how the mentality has changed towards this old taboo. I have to ask. In 2050, or even beyond, won’t we all no longer be only “white?” …jusaskin’
Ian Miller
I am not smart enough to say when bi-racial will be the overwhelming norm, but I do see that being our distant future. Perhaps more along the lines of the year 2500. But I have a difficult time believing that relationship racial bias could be phased out anytime soon. If our species doesn’t eradicate itself first, I would expect humans to evolve racially into something very hybrid with the occasional anomaly of a person looking solely of one historical race.
Michelle Dunham
Agreed. And I am reminded of one more thing I continue to hear (in essence) the younger generation (20-35) speak about with regards to all of the older mindsets, (65-100+), is, “As soon as that older generation is gone, we will have the power to finally move forward without having to fight a mindset that has no more room for Truth.”
Thoughts?
Oh? and I am 56 years old… right in the middle. An excellent vantage point.
Ian Miller
Hi Michelle. Yes, each generation thinks their fight will become so much easier once they are old enough to be in charge. The issue about that is, there will always be that younger generation that has a say in how the fight goes once a generation is in charge. If we look at politics today, the majority of people in charge are 50 and older. That means that 20 or 30 year old generations have a while to wait until they are in charge without elder influence. There really is no respect to either end of the age pool from the other. The young see the old as authoritative and out of touch, and the older gens see the young as irresponsible and entitled. The generational divide will never go away, instead, we have to find a way to view the importance of each side’s point of view and work towards our common interests. The younger generations, like every young generation, has to understand that there is a lot to learn from all the generations that came before, and that the lives the boomers and older gens have lived through were full of their own meaningful political and national ideological fights. The older generations, like every older generation, need to learn how to mentor and lead instead of demanding their way, and they need to learn to appreciate the innovation and intelligence that the young have to offer.
I am 44, so I too am right in the space of being hated by both sides, it is a great place to be in. I am reminded of a quote that has not left my mind since the day I heard it, my brother said it to me and someone told it to him, I googled it and can’t find it’s origin (but I didn’t look very hard). The quote goes something like; “a person who is almost out the door should not order dinner for everyone at the table” (Button, J., circa 2018). I like the quote because the more you play with the wording in your head, the more it resonates with truth, and it even has a level of unspoken respect within it. It is important for each older generation to understand that the world today is not, and will never again be, the world they grew up in, and regardless of what they think or feel, the younger gens needs to, can, and will make their own choices in what they think is best for them. It is equally important for the young generations to appreciate that all those who came before them (probably) did the best they could with what they had, and even if they can’t stay for the whole meal, a simple thank you for their efforts goes a long way.
Mel Maendel
Hi, I really liked how you put in multiple definitions of cultural competence from multiple sources along with reviewing them. I also liked how you started out wanting to compare the two (cultural competence VS cultural humility) but ended up taking a different route in your blog due to wanting to give them the highlight they deserve. I really liked your layout and all of the information that was given in this blog as it was helpful. Also, the different definitions from different sources gave me a look into how many different intuitions can look at a topic in different ways.
Ian Miller
Thanks Mel. It is always frustrating when you start out writing something with intentions of going in one direction and then bam… course changes. With the chaotic way I process information, it can get very messy in my thought processes lol
Elizabeth Jackson
Your blog reminds me of one particular experience that stands out vividly in my mind. During my internship at a community center, I had the privilege of working closely with a family from a culture vastly different from my own. Initially, I approached the situation with a sense of confidence in my ability to communicate effectively and respectfully across cultures, as I grew up in a very culturally diverse community. However, as I engaged more in their culture, I quickly realized how much I still had to learn.
The dyad scenario video and the Harvard Implicit Association Test, serve as powerful reminders of the importance of continuous learning and self-awareness in our journey towards cultural competence and humility. Great blog. Keep up the good work.