Introduction
It could be hardly doubted that in the contemporary world, which is the subject to continuous changes related to the process of globalization the understanding of different cultural values and norms, as well as developing one’s current perspectives within the cultural continuum, is of high significance. The phenomenon of culture could be broadly defined as the complexity of learned, shared, and transmitted knowledge of values, beliefs, norms, and lifeways of a particular group that guides an individual or group in their thinking, decisions, and actions in patterned ways.
One of the most important concepts, which are related to culture as a whole, is cultural competence. This concept could be generalized as a holistic approach to a responsible and comprehensive understanding of domestic and foreign cultures. It is evident that such a method would be applicable in numerous spheres of life; however, cultural competence is largely promoted in the public health sector as one of the most efficient and promising methods of delivering care. This paper aims to elaborate on the concept of cultural competence as well as on its application to various areas of concern within the healthcare system. Another purpose of this essay is to reflect on personal growth within the cultural continuum.
Main body
First of all, it is essential to dwelling upon the notion of cultural competence to put further reasoning in the proper context. As is stated by Calzada and Suarez-Balcazar (2014), cultural competence (CC), despite being a well-recognized concept in the contemporary academic literature, does not have a universally accepted definition. Nevertheless, it is possible to compare how different authors define CC. Calzada and Suarez-Balcazar (2014) define CC as “an ongoing, contextual, dynamic, experiential and developmental process that impacts one’s ability to understand, communicate with, serve, and meet the needs of individuals who look, think, and/or behave differently from oneself” (p. 3).
This definition could be considered to be inclusive and representative since it allows grasping the essential aspects of the concept. Huey et al. (2014) propose a more diversified explanation as they categorize cultural competence by three types of models: skill-based, adaptation, and process-oriented models. However, the definition provided by Calzada and Suarez-Balcazar (2014) appears to be the most suitable in the context of this paper.
Further, it is essential to reflect on my personal development in terms of cultural competence. The cultural assessment tool is one of the most beneficial methods for evaluating one’s level of cultural competence development. I consider my current perspective on CC and the cultural continuum as a whole to be significantly improved by this course since it explored the traditions of culture, health, and healing within western healthcare. It could be noted that before this course, my knowledge of cultural competence and its particular aspects was insufficient regarding compliance with the current progress in the field of CC development. I always considered studying culture as one of the most important aspects of being a fully-functioning member of society.
Dwelling upon the results of taking the cultural assessment tool, I should state that performing self-assessment was a considerably challenging yet very thought-provoking experience. Even though the cultural assessment tool includes questions related to several areas of concern, including numerous inquiries related to organizational beliefs, this experience was beneficial for me because I was able to retrieve a sufficient amount of information about my perspectives and values.
In general, my CC skills were already strongly developed, according to the assessment tool, but I lacked a theoretical basis for understanding my cultural competencies more comprehensively. It is apparent that there is always room for improvement regarding developing one’s CC due to the continuous progress of knowledge in this area of concern; however, I consider this course to be very beneficial for my growth in the cultural continuum. In particular, the process of preparing and performing this assignment also helped me significantly. I retrieved numerous important concepts from the academic literature because I felt that I needed to improve my knowledge about the theory of cultural competence.
For example, one of the most important sources of information was the article by Calzada and Suarez-Balcazar (2014) as I acquired a more profound understanding of how the concept of cultural competence is implemented in evidence-based practice and what are the essential aspects of the cultural competence model. According to Calzada and Suarez-Balcazar (2014), the cultural competence model consists of three principal components: cognitive, behavioral, and organizational. The cognitive component refers to personal “understanding of a specific cultural group’s history, religion, historical context and beliefs” as well as a critical awareness of one’s biases (p. 2).
The behavioral component refers to the practical implementation of skills related to cultural competence to develop meaningful relationships with people from other cultures (Calzada & Suarez-Balcazar, 2014). Finally, the organizational component represents the social context of cultural competence, which refers to the activities of various organizations that aim to promote CC (Calzada & Suarez-Balcazar, 2014). Mentioned elements interact reciprocally within the CC model, creating a practical framework.
Another highly important perspective on the concept of CC is provided by Huey et al. (2014) as the authors discuss particular aspects of implementing the CC approach to evidence-based care for ethnically diverse populations. The authors investigate various issues such as differences in the effects of psychotherapy in individuals from various cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. It is also appropriate to mention that Calzada and Suarez-Balcazar (2014) contribute significantly to the development of evidence-based guidelines and suggestions for serving socially diverse families in the contemporary healthcare system.
Additionally, the article by Fish and Evans (2016) should be mentioned, in which the authors strive to promote the application of CC in caring for individuals from the LGBT community. I consider the concept of minority as one of the most important concepts that were studied in this course, and thus the suggestions about the improvement of the current level of knowledge about CC among contemporary healthcare workers is a highly important topic.
Conclusion
Finally, it is essential to comment on the most important aspects of this essay in order to develop meaningful conclusions. Accordingly, I should observe that the concept of CC means the continuous and comprehensive improvement of cultural competence skills for further practical use in various spheres of life primarily. The knowledge that I acquired during this course as well as learning from academic literature significantly facilitate my understanding of the concept of cultural competence.
Also, on the basis of this gathered knowledge, I was able to reflect on my personal growth and experiences in the cultural continuum. One of the most important conclusions, which I retrieved in the process of working on this assignment, is that an individual in contemporary society is inherently responsible for acquiring cultural competence skills in order to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds without conflicts.
References
Calzada, E., & Suarez-Balcazar, Y. (2014). Enhancing cultural competence in social service agencies: A promising approach to serving diverse children and families. OPRE Report, 31, 1-8.
Fish, J., & Evans, D. T. (2016). Promoting cultural competency in the nursing care of LGBT patients. Journal of Research in Nursing, 21(3), 159-162.
Huey, S. J., Jr., Tilley, J. L., Jones, E. O., & Smith, C. A. (2014). The contribution of cultural competence to evidence-based care for ethnically diverse populations. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 10, 305-338.