An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency

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Courageous Conversations

• An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency

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What is Cultural Proficiency?

• Created by Terry Cross
• A model for dealing with differences
• The values and behavior of individuals and the
  policies and practices of organizations that
  enable them to work effectively in a variety of
  cultural settings

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Dominant Culture

• Dominant Culture is one whose values, language,
  and ways of behaving are imposed on a subordinate
  culture or cultures through economic or political
  power.
• This may be achieved through legal or political
  suppression of other sets of values and patterns
  of behaviour, or by monopolizing the media of
  communication.
• (Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford Reference
  Online)

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A Definition of Culture

• The beliefs, values, customs and traditions
  shared by a people
• Cultures can be tied to race, ethnicity, social
  class, gender, geography, language, ability,
  occupation, organization, and nationality
• Most people belong to more than one cultural
  group
• Most people identify most strongly with one or
  two cultures

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What are your cultures?

• Take a few minutes to identify the cultural
  groups that shape and inform your worldview and
  daily interactions.
• What cultural groups do you belong to that may be
  perceived as a problem to others?

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The Cultural Proficiency Continuum

• Cultural Proficiency
• Cultural Competence
• Cultural Pre-Competence
• Cultural Blindness
• Cultural Incapacity
• Cultural Destruction

• Use the continuum to describe language,
  situations, or events.

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Cultural Proficiency Continuum
Upward Spiral Conversation
Incapacity
Pre-Competence
Proficiency
Destructiveness
Blindness
Competence
Downward Spiral Conversation
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Cultural Destruction

• See the difference, stomp it out the elimination
  of peoples cultures
• Holocaust during WWII in Europe
• Bureau of Indian Affair Schools in the early 20th
  century

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Cultural Incapacity

• See the difference, make it wrong belief in the
  superiority of ones culture and behavior that
  disempowers anothers culture
• Jim Crow laws in the American South during the
  20th century
• Tokenism hiring one or two individuals of
  minority groups to prove that the organization is
  open and inclusive

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Cultural Blindness

• See the difference, act like you dont acting as
  if the cultural differences that you see do not
  matter, or not recognizing that there are
  differences among and between cultures
• Assuming all Asian cultures are alike
• Teaching that Abraham Lincoln is a hero to all
  African Americans
• Belief that we are living in a post-racism world

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Cultural Pre-competence

• See the difference, respond inadequately
  awareness of the limitation of ones skills or an
  organizations practices when interacting with
  other cultural groups
• Serving soul food meal during Black History month
  to demonstrate cultural proficiency
• Dismissing as overly sensitive someone who
  complains about culturally inappropriate comments

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Cultural Competence

• See difference, understand the difference that
  difference makes
• Uses these principles to guide individual and/or
  community interactions with other cultural
  groups
• Assessing culture
• Valuing diversity
• Managing the dynamics of difference
• Adapting to diversity
• Institutionalized cultural knowledge

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Cultural Proficiency

• See the difference and respond positively and
  affirmingly
• Someone who has the capacity to teach and learn
  about differences in ways that acknowledge and
  honor all the people in the groups they represent

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Examples along the Continuum

• Think of situations you have observed,
  conversations you have heard, or experiences you
  have had in your professional experience.
• Where would you plot those examples on the
  continuum?

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Plot your Examples
Upward Spiral Conversation
Incapacity
Pre-Competence
Proficiency
Destructiveness
Blindness
Competence
Downward Spiral Conversation
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On Your Notecard

• Answer the following question
• Where would you place your library/OLA/or your
  work as a professional on the Cultural
  Proficiency Continuum, and why?

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References

• This presentation draws upon the following
  resources, in particular, the power point
  presentation, Introduction to Cultural
  Proficiency, listed below.
• "dominant culture."  A Dictionary of Sociology.
  John Scott and Gordon Marshall. Oxford University
  Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford
  University Press.  Clatsop Community College.  10
  April 2009  lthttp//www.oxfordreference.com/views/
  ENTRY.html?subviewMainentryt88.e634gt
• Lindsey, Randall B.,Kikanza Nuri Robins, and
  Raymond D. Terrell. Cultural Proficiency A
  Manual for School Leaders. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks,
  California Corwin Press, Inc., 2003.
• Robins, Kikanza Nuri . Introduction to Cultural
  Proficiency. 2008. 10 April 2009. 10 May 2006
  lthttp//www.masc.org/images/Intro_to_Cult_Prof5B1
  5D.pptgt.