Cultural Competency for Health Science Librarians

1
Cultural Competency for Health Science Librarians

• Nancy Ottman Press
• May 24, 2006

2
Cultural Competency

• A competency based on the premise of respect
  for individuals and cultural differences, and an
  implementation of a trust-promoting method of
  inquiry. (Durham, M., 2002.)

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
I Dont Know

• I dont know as much about anybody as that person
  knows about him or herself
• I never will
• I dont know as much about a group of people
  different from my own as that group knows
• I never will
• I have to believe people when they tell me about
  themselves

6
(No Transcript)
7

• Without knowing and without judging can you
  make a personal connection?

8
(No Transcript)
9
A Collaboration That Worked

• African Americans Reach and Teach Health Ministry
  (AARTH)
• Mars Hill Graduate School Library (MHGS)
• RML that encourages collaborations between
  libraries and community-based organizations

10
AARTH Ministry

• A faith-based nonprofit established to help
  build the capacity of faith houses and
  institutions that serve people of African descent
  through
•  
• Health education and training
• Compassionate service
• Access to health resources
• Self-advocacy for better health care systems

11
Mars Hill Graduate School Library

• Evangelical graduate school that combines faith
  and health, specializing in counseling and
  ministry
• 90 of students and 100 faculty are Caucasian
• School hopes to increase its diversity and have
  greater connection to the Seattle community
• Librarian trying to encourage breadth of thought
  in graduate students

12
AARTH Ministry MHGS Library Collaboration

• Received two NN/LM awards the first faith-based
  outreach awards
• AARTH was the primary agency, NOT the library
• Goal to increase the capacity of African
  American faith communities to share and provide
  health information

13
What Do I Do?

• Ask lots of questions about what information is
  needed
• Look for culturally relevant health information
  on the web on topics of interest (AIDS, diabetes,
  etc.)
• Made up web pages for health topics
• Continue to maintain AARTH web site
• Help write grant applications

14
What Do I Do?

• Teach classes with health ministry
  representatives from churches
• Find answers to specific reference questions
• Sold tickets at a Zimbabwean concert
• Attended African American Legislative Day in the
  Washington State Capitol

15
What Did I Do?

• Prayed during the African American Church Week of
  Prayer for the Healing of AIDS
• Serve on the AARTH Board as secretary
• Do NOT provide direct service to communities

16
Challenges for Librarian

• I dont know much about African Americans
• Theres a history of Black-White relations
• Trust took a long time to build
• I wasnt in control I was follower, not leader
• My institution was supportive of me, but
  uninvolved
• Im not good at picking up verbal and unspoken
  clues

17
Opportunities for Librarian

• Work with groups I never imagined Id be able to
• Have the opportunity to ask questionsto learn
• Was more widely welcome since the CBOs goals were
  up front
• Librarys work was spread by others
• My institution gained experience and connections

18
Shared Concerns and Beliefs

• Concern over health disparities
• Belief that information leads to better choices
  and can improve health
• Concern over the lack of culturally appropriate
  health information
• Belief that faith communities have a
  responsibility for health
• Concern that faith communities dont yet have
  enough capacity to provide and share health
  information
• Belief that prayer isnt enough action is
  necessary

19
Personal ConnectionI and Thou

• Ask questionsask for advice
• Find something you can offer that will be
  personally useful to the other person
• Explain what you want be transparent in your
  motives
• Discover shared concerns, beliefs, values
• Enter the world of the other person
• Share experiences
• Allow time for trust to develop

20
(No Transcript)
21
Reviewing the Literature

• Cultural competency literature comes mainly
  from the fields of healthcare, social work,
  psychology and education, not librarianship.(Pre
  ss, N. Diggs-Hobson, M., 2005)

22
Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

• Denial
• Defense
• Minimization
• Acceptance
• Adaptation
• Integration
• (Trader-Leigh, K., 2002)

23
Denial

• An individuals own culture is experienced as the
  only real culture
• Other cultures are avoided
• There is no interest in cultural difference

24
U.S. Population 1990-2000

• 58 increase - Latino/Hispanic
• 50 increase - Asian American/Pacific Islanders
• 16 increase African Americans
• 15.5 increase American Indian/Alaska Native
• 7.3 increase Caucasian
• People of color now over 30 of population

25
Defense

• An individuals own culture is the only good one
  
• World is viewed as us and themwe are
  superior
• Critical of other cultures
• Defensive, even threatened, by cultural
  differences

26

• Then its good that were in the old U.S. of
  A.
• --quote from a Caucasian strategic planning
  consultant

27
Minimization

• An individuals own cultural world is universal
• Deep cultural differences are obscured,
  trivialized or romanticized

28

• I dont think race is all that important. I
  simply see each person as an individual, not as a
  member of a racial group.
• --quote from a member of a diversity task force

29
Acceptance

• An individuals own culture is experienced as one
  of many equally complex worldviews
• Acceptance, however, does not mean agreement
• There is a curiosity about and a respect for
  differences

30

• I dont remember seeing discrimination
  against Koreans in Seattle, but Abbie told me
  that she has experienced discrimination. I guess
  I havent been aware. I find it so interesting
  to talk with Abbie about it.
• --Quote from a library staff member

31
Adaptation

• Experiencing another culture results in
  perceptions and behavior appropriate to that
  culture
• Worldview expands to include other worldviews
• Possible to look at the world through the eyes of
  others
• Adapts behavior to communicate more effectively

32

• I look to my church for health information
• Its important for my whole body to be buried so
  I cant donate organs, even after death
• When the pastor is praying, I voice the agreement
  I feel
• No reporters came to our press conference on
  health disparities they just want flashy stories
  like Black-on-Black violence
• I feel that recent African immigrants to the U.S.
  look down on me.
• If I participate in a clinical trial, how can I
  be sure I wont be treated as a guinea pig?

33
Integration

• Able to move in and out of different cultural
  worldviews
• Adapts easily to situations that demand
  intercultural competence

34
Librarians are Ready

• We already accept our patrons needs as important
• We already know how to question to find out more
  about what someone else needs
• We know we dont know everything
• We have curiosity
• We arent as threatening as other professions

35
The Culturally Competent Librarian

• Attitude
• Is becoming culturally aware and sensitive to his
  or her own heritage, along with the cultural
  heritage of others.
• Can conduct self-assessment and is aware of how
  his or her own values, biases, attitudes, and
  beliefs may affect different or minority patrons.
• Is comfortable with differences that exist
  between the librarian and patrons.

36
The Culturally Competent Librarian

• The culturally competent librarian values
• Individual identity what makes individual
  unique.
• Group identity reference base that may
  incorporate family, race, ethnicity, gender,
  religion, age, etc.
• Universal identity common aspects that all
  share as human beings.

37
The Culturally Competent Librarian

• II. Knowledge
• Seeks to possess specific knowledge and
  information about the particular group with which
  he or she is working.
• Seeks to understand the sociopolitical system
  with respect to its treatment of minorities.

38
The Culturally Competent Librarian

• Has knowledge and understanding of
  characteristics of information-seeking and
  information use.
• Is aware of institutional barriers that prevent
  minorities from gaining information.

39
The Culturally Competent Librarian

• III. Skills
• Generates, sends, and receives a wide variety of
  verbal and non-verbal responses.
• Develops and implements institutional strategies
  in partnership with communities, including
  setting goals, assessing need, developing a
  diverse work force, and evaluating services.
• Can incorporate his or her values and knowledge
  in policy making, practice, administration, and
  service delivery.

40
The Culturally Competent Librarian

• Is able to play partner roles
• consultant- serving as resource person
• outreach- moving out of libraries and into
  patrons communities
• ombudsman- accompanying partners and patrons
  through bureaucratic mazes and procedures
• facilitator of indigenous support systems-
  structuring activities to supplement, not
  supplant, existing information-seeking systems.

41
Practically Speaking

1. Distinguish between behaviors that are
   crazy/wrong/rude and those that result from
   oppression and survival.
2. Dont personalize suspicions of your motives.
3. Monitor your own reactions and question your own
   beliefs.

42
Practically Speaking

• Your credentials might not be enough to. Your
  trustworthiness may be tested. Factors like
  authenticity, sincerity and openness might be
  more important than credentials.
• You might not be the best person to serve the
  patron. Consider options.
• (Sue, D.W. Sue, D., 2002)

43
AARTH Board Members
44
(No Transcript)
45

• Nancy Ottman Press
• pressno_at_speakeasy.net

46
(No Transcript)
47
Cultural Competency Continuum Model

• Cultural Destructiveness
• Cultural Incapacity
• Cultural Blindness
• Cultural Pre-Competence
• Basic Cultural Competence
• Advanced Cultural Competence
• (Taylor, C. ,1994)

48
Advanced Cultural Competence

• Seek knowledge
• Develop skills to interact in diverse
  environments (real engagement)
• Actively educate less-informed individuals about
  cultural differences
• Act as change agents
• Are comfortable interacting in multicultural
  settings
• Champion diversity

49
Cultural Destructiveness

• View culture as a problem
• Believe people should be more like the
  mainstream.

50
Cultural Incapacity

• Lack cultural awareness and skills
• Believe in racial superiority of dominant group,
  paternalistic to others
• Brought up in a homogenous society and therefore
  behave in ways that dont recognize systematic
  inequities
• Have never questioned inequities

51
Cultural Blindness

• Believe culture makes no difference
• See others in terms of their own culture
• Claim that all people are alike

52
Cultural Pre-Competence

• Recognize that there are cultural differences
• Start to educate themselves and others about
  those differences
• Realize shortcomings in interactions within
  diverse environments

53
Basic Cultural Competence

• Accept, appreciate, and accommodate cultural
  differences
• Value diversity and accept and respect
  differences
• Understand and manage the dynamics of difference
  when cultures intersect