Culture in Medicine: An Argument Against Competence

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Hester
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Clinical Context ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Increased Sensitivity

For the last few decades cultural competence has been celebrated as the curricular response to a variety of political and social challenges in healthcare. These challenges include the persistence of race- and ethnicity-based health disparities, breakdowns in communication between the patient and provider, and issues of cultural difference around delivery and acceptance of healthcare. Commonly defined as ‘a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations’, cultural competence is meant to engender increased sensitivity, humility and awareness with regard to cultural diversity in the clinical context.

scholarly journals Cultural diversity in unequal societies sustained through cross-cultural competence and identity valuation

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Bunce
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Group Identity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
Majority Culture ◽  
Common Strategy

AbstractIn much contemporary political discourse, valued cultural characteristics are threatened by interaction with culturally distinct others, such as immigrants or a hegemonic majority. Such interaction often fosters cross-cultural competence (CCC), the ability to interact successfully across cultural boundaries. However, most theories of cultural dynamics ignore CCC, making cultural diversity incompatible with mutually beneficial inter-group interaction, and contributing to fears of cultural loss. Here, interview-based field methods at an Amazonian ethnic boundary demonstrate the prevalence of CCC. These data motivate a new theoretical mathematical model, incorporating competing developmental paths to CCC and group identity valuation, that illuminates how a common strategy of disempowered minorities can counter-intuitively sustain cultural diversity within a single generation: Given strong group identity, minorities in a structurally unequal, integrative society can maintain their distinctive cultural norms by learning those of the majority. Furthermore, rather than a rejection of, or threat to, majority culture, the valuation of a distinctive minority identity can characterize CCC individuals committed to extensive, mutually beneficial engagement with the majority as members of an integrative, multi-cultural society.

scholarly journals Cultural Diversity in Unequal Societies Sustained Through Cross-Cultural Competence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A Bunce
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Group Identity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Ethnic Boundary ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
Common Strategy

In much contemporary political discourse, valued cultural characteristics are threatened by interaction with culturally-distinct others, such as immigrants or a hegemonic majority. Such interaction often fosters cross-cultural competence (CCC), the ability to interact successfully across cultural boundaries. However most theories of cultural dynamics ignore CCC, making cultural diversity incompatible with mutually-beneficial inter-group interaction, and contributing to fears of cultural loss. Here, simple field methods at an Amazonian ethnic boundary demonstrate the prevalence of CCC. These data motivate new theory, incorporating competing developmental paths to CCC and group identity valuation, that illuminates how a common strategy of disempowered minorities can counter-intuitively sustain cultural diversity: Given strong group identity, minorities in a structurally-unequal, integrative society can maintain their distinctive cultural norms by learning those of the majority.

scholarly journals Spaces of cross-cultural encounter

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Emma McNeill
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Encounters ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Cultural Encounter ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cultural Interactions

<p>The landscape of cultural relations in Aotearoa is complex and entangled. While academics and policy makers imagine Aotearoa as a multicultural society, there is a lack of understanding of how cultural diversity is lived every day in Aotearoa.  There is an emerging literature on the geographies of encounter. This encourages us to address the historical predicament of how we are to live together in increasingly super diverse communities by considering the existing everyday negotiations of difference. This thesis contributes to that literature by undertaking a case study of Newtown, Wellington, in order to: 1) understand where Newtown residents and employees experience cross-cultural social interactions; and 2) what type of places help encourage positive cross-cultural interactions. Through this I explore how cross-cultural encounters and exchanges might be encouraged.  Q-methodology was used to investigate locations of cross-cultural social interactions, I conducted and analysed 23 Q-sorts with Newtown, Wellington residents and local employees. I argue that places of cross-cultural encounter take many forms. The identification of these places is closely linked to participants’ characteristics, such as socioeconomic position, and age. The participants in this study represent diverse Newtown. They have diverse socialising practices and identify a wide range of positive places for cross-cultural interactions. In conjunction with this people understand and experience encounters with cultural diversity differently. I argue that an encounter across cultural difference is not limited to an explicit interaction but can also be through the sharing of space and engagement in similar activities. I also argue for the importance of space in cross-cultural encounters; certain spatial and material qualities of spaces appear to animate cross-cultural social interaction.  This research argues that: engagement in cross-cultural interactions is often mediated by other identifiers, that everyday multiculturalism is demographically complex, and that the materiality and spatially of spaces is effectual in animating these interactions.</p>

Social Determinants of Health: Cultural Competence Is Not Enough

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy L. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Immersion ◽  
Quality Health Care ◽  
Immersion Programs ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
High Quality Health Care

In our nation of rapidly growing diversity and increasing cross-cultural interactions, cultural competence has been recognized as critical for reducing health disparities and improving access to high-quality health care. However, more than a decade of experience in establishing, developing, and implementing cultural immersion programs for nursing students in the United States and in developing countries has convinced this scholar that although cultural competence is of critical importance, many other factors need to be examined and kept in mind as we continue to take on the monumental challenge of eliminating health disparities. This article presents the background and context of current efforts to eliminate health disparities and points out some other key considerations that will be vital in achieving the desired outcome.

scholarly journals Spaces of cross-cultural encounter

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Emma McNeill
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Encounters ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Cultural Encounter ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cultural Interactions

<p>The landscape of cultural relations in Aotearoa is complex and entangled. While academics and policy makers imagine Aotearoa as a multicultural society, there is a lack of understanding of how cultural diversity is lived every day in Aotearoa.  There is an emerging literature on the geographies of encounter. This encourages us to address the historical predicament of how we are to live together in increasingly super diverse communities by considering the existing everyday negotiations of difference. This thesis contributes to that literature by undertaking a case study of Newtown, Wellington, in order to: 1) understand where Newtown residents and employees experience cross-cultural social interactions; and 2) what type of places help encourage positive cross-cultural interactions. Through this I explore how cross-cultural encounters and exchanges might be encouraged.  Q-methodology was used to investigate locations of cross-cultural social interactions, I conducted and analysed 23 Q-sorts with Newtown, Wellington residents and local employees. I argue that places of cross-cultural encounter take many forms. The identification of these places is closely linked to participants’ characteristics, such as socioeconomic position, and age. The participants in this study represent diverse Newtown. They have diverse socialising practices and identify a wide range of positive places for cross-cultural interactions. In conjunction with this people understand and experience encounters with cultural diversity differently. I argue that an encounter across cultural difference is not limited to an explicit interaction but can also be through the sharing of space and engagement in similar activities. I also argue for the importance of space in cross-cultural encounters; certain spatial and material qualities of spaces appear to animate cross-cultural social interaction.  This research argues that: engagement in cross-cultural interactions is often mediated by other identifiers, that everyday multiculturalism is demographically complex, and that the materiality and spatially of spaces is effectual in animating these interactions.</p>

Development and initial validation of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Thornson ◽  
Barbara A. Fritzsche ◽  
Huy Le ◽  
Karol G. Ross ◽  
Daniel P. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Initial Validation ◽  
The Cross
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