Anna R. McPhatter
The study and description of culture is massive. Most pertinent to
this discussion is Green’s (1982: 6-7) description of culture as "those
elements of a people’s history, tradition, values, and social
organization that become implicitly or explicitly meaningful to the
participants…in cross-cultural encounters." Culture, then, connotes
worldview, behavioral styles and inclinations, and thinking patterns
that present and can be anticipated in interpersonal interactions across
social boundaries. It is precisely the different ways in which culture
becomes manifest that are pivotal in this discussion. It is one’s
culture that distinguishes and brings meaning to social events,
necessitating knowledge of readily observable distinctions as well as
less discernible nuances between and among groups.
As used in this
context, competence refers to an ability or a capacity equal to the
requirement, that is, responding effectively to the purpose or goal.
Further, Green (1995: 52) asserts that the competent practitioner is
able to conduct her or his "professional work in a way that is congruent
with the behavior and expectations that members of a distinctive culture
recognizes as appropriate among themselves." Dana et al.(1992: 221)
likewise describe cultural competence as "an ability to provide services
that are perceived as legitimate for problems experienced by culturally
diverse persons." Cultural competence denotes the ability to transform
knowledge and cultural awareness into health and/ or psychosocial
interventions that support and sustain healthy client-system functioning
within the appropriate cultural context. This definition compels one to
ask, "What purpose is served by providing services in any other
context?" Unfortunately, much of what occurs in child welfare practice
falls far short of meeting the foregoing criteria.
One of the most crucial skills for a culturally competent practitioner is
the ability to engage a culturally different client’s reality in an
accepting, genuine, nonoffensive manner. Practitioners who give equal value
to others’ worldview are more able to engage clients in ways that put them
at ease quickly and successfully. People of color are adept at reading the
slightest nuance or cue that carries even the most carefully concealed
message of disapproval, discomfort, or nonacceptance because of one’s race,
culture, or ethnicity. A description of a worker as "she’s alright" by a
client of color in reference to a cross-cultural interaction is usually a
response to an accurate reading of the worker’s skill at entering a
dissimilar cultural milieu. Acquiring such a fundamentally important skill
can only take place through consistent practice motivated by an authentic
goal to be real with others.
Prevailing practice principles are clear
about the importance of developing rapport and trust with clients. Cultural
differences, by their very existence, complicate the bridging of what often
appear as gulfs. An inferior knowledge base, coupled with a skewed view of
our multicultural reality, doom the best efforts to connect with clients in
productive work. In clinical practice, for example, it is futile to expect
people of color, given their contravening history with the Caucasian world,
to immediately trust the intentions of Caucasian workers or to honestly
disclose deeply personal and threatening information about themselves or
their families. Closing this cultural gap is the professional responsibility
of the culturally competent practitioner.
Anna R. McPhatter (1997). Cultural competence in child
welfare: What it is? How do we achieve it? What happens without it?
Child Welfare. Volume LXXVI, No 1 pp. 255-278.
References
Dana, R. H., Behn, J. D. , & Gonwa, T.
(1992) A checklist for the examination competence in social service
agencies. Research on Social Work Practice, 2 220-233.
Green, J.
W. (1982) Cultural awareness in human services. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall
Green, J. W. (1995). Cultural awareness in human
services: A multi-ethnic approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon
