Cultural Competency - what the hell is it and how can I get me some of THAT?

Patricia St. Onge describes cultural competency as "dynamic; the lens changes as people's experiences expand." (p. 425). How can citizens of the world and members of a community or organization find a way to incorporate culture competency in their practice and lives?

First it is important to understand the meaning of culture, "the behaviors, norms, attitudes, and assumptions that inform a group of people who are joined by common values, myths, beliefs, and worldviews (pg 428)."  We know that from our own personal experience that the environment around us, our daily interaction with others, and the shared knowledge from our surroundings help define who we are and how we live our lives and make decisions.

To be on your way on the long journey of cultural competency, take a look at the following steps...

Step one: Recognize your culture, observe the space around you and accept that this is the space you live in, but it is not a true experience for anyone else but yourself. 

You have a stand point - and so does everyone else. Feminist standpoint theory, used by many a famous feminist theorists (Like Patricia Hill Collins, swoooooon!) states that this theory is better for analyzing intersecting topics and discourses because it includes the voices of the marginalized and oppressed (Collins, 1990). Standpoint theory states that people's knowledge has the ability to shape people's opinions in daily life. 

A stand point, according to theorists is:

• a place from which individuals view the world.
• how people socially construct their world view
• a way of thinking or mental position from which things are viewed
• a way in which we judge the world and others 
• the way individuals choose to judge and view other people experiences and compare them to their own. (Collins, 1990)

Now that you know that the view of the world is subjective and that your experience cannot speak for everyone else, stop and take a minute to recognize your advantageous position. In this world we fight for our resources and we have winners and losers. Looking at history, particularly here in the United States, we need to acknowledge the conquest and destruction of thousands and thousands of indigenous peoples' lives, the implementation of generations of slavery, and the misogyny that held women down for so long and considered them and people of color to be property (St. Onge, p 425).

Do you acknowledge this? Do you agree that this existed and that racism, oppression, misogyny and class warfare exist today? 

Step two: Check yo' privilege at the door!

This kind of systemic inequality exists and without acknowledging it we cannot accept our own privilege. Structural or institutional oppression is the continued pattern of inequality that is now fully embedded in the systems, structures, and institutions that influence all of our lives. 

The color of your skin, your name, your heritage, your gender identity, your sexual orientation, your ablebodiedness or disability, your mental health,  your socioeconomic status, and your financial situation all play a role in privilege. This does not mean you are to blame for systemic oppression. You did not choose the color of your skin, your parents named you, you cannot choose if you were born male or female, you cannot choose your sexual orientation, you cannot choose your mental health or brain chemistry or if you develop a disability, and you cannot choose the family you were born into. BUT...you can choose to acknowledge that these factors do impact you and your position in this world. 

I am a white, middle class, cis gendered woman that has loved both men and women. I am privileged in my ablebodiedness, I struggle with my depression, but my SES and financial privilege allow me to seek out the care I need. My privilege allows me access to resources that others cannot obtain. In order to make change, we must check our privilege at the door by acknowledging that we have it.


Step Three: Think about power and who has it

Power comes in many different forms, but in my opinion the most important power is exactly what Lisa VeneKlasen describes in her book "A New Weave of Power, People and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation".

 power from within 

"Power from within has to do with a person's sense of self-worth and self-knowledge; it includes an ability to recognize individual differences while respecting others. Power within the capacity to imagine and have hope; it affirms the common human search for dignity and fulfillment."

To me, recognizing your own power and ability to promote change is a step toward becoming culturally competent because you develop self awareness and the ability to appreciate others for their strengths and what they bring to the world. Recognizing your own power, allows you the insight to recognize power dynamics elsewhere. Whether it is positional power, or expert power, obstructive, or structuralized power - all of them are ever present (St. Onge, p 429). 

The ability to look beyond ourselves allows us to see the dynamics and think of how to change them because we can now understand the negative impact that discrimination, oppression, and institutional racism and sexism all have on marginalized communities and ourselves.  

Step four: Include everyone in the conversation

Be inclusive and talk about the issues that are affecting the world around you. Problems of the world won't be solved only by those that hold the privilege and power, they are only part of the puzzle. In order to create real change and further people's understanding of power and culture competency various stake holders need to come together to form solutions. 

Ask the tough questions and be prepared for the answers. 

What kinds of political, social, and economic forces do marginalized communities encounter?

What impact does inequality play on dispersion of resources?

How does oppression affect children and youth?

Are people receiving equal pay for equal work? 

What are the challenges that women of color face?

"Analysis of power and privilege is key to intergroup dialogue" and can contribute to community change.

If you follow these 4 steps, you will be well on your way to the life long journey of developing cultural competency. Cultural competency is not a final destination, it is the process and the awareness of the journey as you learn more of others and begin to accept differences. No one is ever fully culturally competent, we are all human and all have our individual standpoints (back to step 1). However, remember that just because it is a process that is always changing and always a learning experience does not mean it is not worth the effort to engage in the process or not important to engage yourself and others. Doing so will help you become a more aware citizen of the world that can advocate for change.

References

Collins, P.H. (1990). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge,Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment.

St. Onge, P. (2013). Cultural competency: Organizations and diverse populations. In Weil, M., Reisch, M., & Ohmer, M. L. (Eds.). (2013). The handbook of community practice (2nd ed., pp. 425-444). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

VeneKlasen, L., (with Miller, V.). (2007). A new weaver of power, people, and politics: The action guide for advocacy and citizen participation. Warwickshire, UK: Practical Action.

Op-Ed: Starving for Change

Every day, nearly 50 million Americans wake up not knowing where their next meal is going to come from. Food insecurity is one of the most significant challenges of our time because of the enormous long term effects that diet and nutrition have on our health that  strain our healthcare system. As this problem seems to continue to increase every year, imagine my surprise when in Februrary of 2014, President Barack Obama signed  legislation that will cut $8.7 billion in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits (SNAP  benefits) over the next 10 years, causing 850,000 households to lose an average of $90 per month. The effect was immediate and impoverished families and individuals saw a drastic cut in benefits. 

For the last several years, Maine has applied for a federal waiver that allows some able-bodied adults to receive food stamps without fulfilling work requirements.  According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, able-bodied recipients are defined as adults ages 18 to 49 who have no dependents, are not pregnant and are not disabled. Last month, Governor Paul LePage announced that Maine will no longer seek this federal waiver and that any citizens in Maine that seek to receive benefits will need to meet a work requirement outlined in federal law, which means they need to either work at least 20 hours a week or volunteer for a community agency.  

Not only do I believe these actions to be irresponsible in attempting to solve a short term problem  of budget deficits, but more importantly I believe they also contribute to the negative perception of those receiving federal assistance of any kind.  Studies have shown that although Americans believe there are multiple causes of poverty, the popular opinion is that those living in poverty or needing assistance from the government are poor on their own volition. That's right, folks! The majority of Americans think people got out of bed one morning and said, "Hey, I think I'm going to be poor this morning." Individualistic causes such as laziness, low intelligence, drug and alcohol abuse, and poor work ethic are seen as the leading causes of poverty. Lack of job opportunities, systemic inequalities, low wages, and crippling student loan debt are not seen as reasonable causes of food insecurity or poverty. 

Obama contributes to this negative perception by cutting benefits, as if 50 million Americans do not need our help combating food insecurity. LePage also creates even larger stigma against the poor by refusing to apply for a federal waiver in Maine that implies that 12,000 Mainers don't deserve our help because they’re simply not working hard enough.  It's important to acknowledge that those 12,000 Maine citizens only account for 4.4 percent of all food stamp dollars that come to Maine. Will cutting them off the food stamp rolls really push Maine forward?  

Washington County residents are leading the food insecure in Maine at 17.6 percent; Aroostook, Piscataquis and Somerset are tied for second place, at 16.7 percent. Even in York County, vacation land for The Bushes, on the Southern Maine coast, 13.5 percent of residents don’t know when they’ll get their next good meal. After 12,000 people are cut, where will they go for assistance in these counties when the unemployment rates in some rural areas are still high? Rural areas of Maine have recovered only 63 percent of jobs lost during the recession, compared to 106 percent nationally. If there are no jobs to apply for or the only jobs available are those that offer low wages we cannot expect people to make ends meet and support themselves to put healthy food on their tables.  

Food pantries have been already seen the increasing number of individuals they serve every year, despite the decreasing unemployment rate and signs of an improving economy. People will turn to food pantries and food banks and other charitable organizations, who are already pushed to their maximum limit and sometime send people away due to lack of supplies.  These organizations will begin to feel more of a burden as 12,000 Mainers lose their benefits entirely.  

What alarms me the most is that this seems to be business as usual in the state of Maine and in this country that seems to prove time and time again that we say we care about helping those in need and fighting the war on poverty, but we seem to fall short. Actions speak louder than words and right now the silence is deafening.  

 References

Tagler, M. J., & Cozzarelli, C. (2013). Feelings Toward the Poor and Beliefs About the Causes of Poverty: The Role of Affective-Cognitive Consistency in Help-Giving. The Journal of psychology, 147(6), 517-539 

Map the Meal Gap | Food Insecurity in your County. http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=mapthegap. Retrieved October 11, 2014. 

Resnikoff, N. (2014, February 7). President Obama signs $8.7 billion food stamp cut into law. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-signs-food-stamp-cut 

Russell, E. (2014, July 23). LePage: Maine will no longer waive food stamp work requirements. The Portland Press Herald. Retrieved October 10, 2014, from http://www.pressherald.com/2014/07/23/lepage-proposes-work-requirement-for-food-stamps/