"Empowering Inclusion: Cultural Competence as a Tool for Collaboration and Learning"

Cultural competence, such a fancy term to refer to a tool or skill that many of us have but are probably not aware. Many authors have defined cultural competence and two amongst those that have stood out for me. This blog post explores the significance of cultural competence, demonstrating how it can serve as a powerful tool for fostering collaboration and learning while promoting inclusivity. 

Key terms: Culture, Competence and Cultural Competence  

Cultural competence is the skill to engage ethically and effectively in both personal and professional interactions within diverse intercultural settings. It involves self-reflection on one’s cultural values and worldview, as well as understanding their impact on making respectful, thoughtful, and informed decisions.[1] Furthermore, Wilson, Ward, and Fischer (2013) defined cultural competence as "the acquisition and maintenance of culture-specific skills" for very practical reasons i.e. functioning effectively within a new cultural context and interacting effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds.[2]

Edgar Schein (2010) described a culture as "shared beliefs, values, and assumptions of a group of people who learn from one another and teach to others that their behaviour’s, attitudes, and perspectives are the correct ways to think, act, and feel." Psychologists have argued that unfamiliar culture negatively affects an individual's mechanism to make sense, and this influences their behavioural responses. As a result, people lack cultural competence and therefore cannot perceive, interpret and explain the behaviour of people with different cultural background(s) effectively (Muzychenko, 2008).[3]

In this context, competence is said to be "the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one's intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes." (Deardorff, 2006, pp. 247-248).[4]

WHY DEVELOP AND PRACTICE CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Often, we unknowingly interpret situations through the lens of our cultures and this hinders inclusivity, collaboration and learning. So, it’s really this simple, developing and practicing cultural competence allows us to understand and engage with people from diverse backgrounds more effectively. It promotes inclusivity and helps us appreciate the differences between other cultures and our own.

Developing cultural competence helps us understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. It gives us the ability to compare different cultures with our own and better understand the differences. Unconsciously, we bring our own cultural frame of interpretation to any situation.[5] This here accounts for the significance of cultural competence.

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HOW WE CAN PRACTICE CULTURAL COMPETENCE  

It is far much better or appropriate to say, “how can we practice cultural competence” rather than “how can we achieve cultural competence.” So, to practice cultural competence, one must cultivate certain essential pillars acceding from the key takeaways I took from an online webinar hosted by IISR (International Institute for Strategic Research) and the latter referenced article:

1^st Pillar, Knowledge - involves understanding the cultural backgrounds, values, and communication styles of diverse groups, as well as delving into the historical and contextual factors that shape their practices and experiences.

2^nd Pillar, Awareness - refers to the ability to recognize and question one’s personal biases and cultural assumptions. It’s about developing a deeper appreciation of the varied cultural perspectives that influence behaviour and interactions.

3^rd Pillar, Skills - Developing the ability to communicate effectively and empathically with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. This includes active listening, adapting communication styles, and demonstrating cultural sensitivity (Hofstede, 2002).[6]

Therefore, if one can equip themselves with these pillars they are guaranteed to practice cultural competence effectively. Here's why it is far much better to practice rather than develop cultural competence, accroding to Borchum (2002) p.5. cultural competence is “a non-linear dynamic process that is never-ending and ever expending."[7]  

CULTURAL COMPETENCE AS A TOOL FOR COLLABORATION AND LEARNING

Once we practice, in our personal lives, this tool that we should forever practice we can say it will surely result collaboration and Learning. Look at it through this lens, imagine having someone trying by any means to understand your values, culture, backround, language to foster a relationship, a business deal, a better working environment, a lesson in class whatever the case may be. This initiative should spark a collaboration or a lesson. 

Even better, imagine educators taking the initiative to understand their learners from the lens of cultural competence to take informed decisions by employing the 3 pillars. Doing so with the aim of making them feel included, surely collaboration will be the end-result and in this environment learning should be effective.[8] Having read this article, I’m sure you have asked yourself if you have been culturally competent and the answer is most probably yes! Think about it and drop a comment of how you were once culturally competent.