Understanding Cultural Competency

Understanding Cultural Competency The term cultural competence is used to describe a set of skills, values and principles that acknowledge, respect and work towards optimal interactions between the individual and the va ...

Understanding Cultural Competency The term cultural competence is used to describe a set of skills, values and principles that acknowledge, respect and work towards optimal interactions between the individual and the various cultural and ethnic groups that an individual might come in contact with. At the heart of Cultural competency is effective communication that has as its basis a desire for mutual respect and empathy. Cultural competency is sometimes linked to the term diversity in that in encourages acknowledgement and acceptance of differences in appearance, behavior and culture as a whole. By having an in-depth understanding of how to effectively and respectfully interact with people from a wide range of cultures, the individual maximizes the chance of optimal interactions in a professional setting. This is very important for fields where an individual worker is likely to come into contact and interact with people from other cultures and backgrounds. Cultural competency is extremely important in the field of human services in particular where there is a high degree of professional contact with a wide variety of different cultures. As such, for those who plan on working in Human Services it is critical to pursue a high degree of cultural competency. The best way to go about this is to put effort into developing your cultural competency by examining cultural biases, learned prejudices, active listening, effective communication and spending time with others who are working on their own cultural competency. Spending time with others interested in cultural competency can range from attending workshops and trainings to taking classes on multiculturalism, diversity or cultural competency in a formal academic setting.