Defining Cultural Competence
What is Culturally Responsive Care?
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Cultural and linguistic competence is a set of congruent behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, organization, or among professionals that enable effective work in cross-cultural situations. "Culture" refers to integrated patterns of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, actions, customs, beliefs, and institutions of racial, ethnic, social, or religious groups. "Competence" implies having the capacity to function effectively as an individual or an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, practices, and needs presented by patients and their communities. (Cross, 1989) Cultural competence in health care combines the tenets of patient/family-centered care with an understanding of the social and cultural influences that affect the quality of medical services and treatment. With the ever-increasing diversity of the population of the United States and strong evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care, it is critically important that health care professionals are prepared to address issues of culture in an effective manner. This requires an understanding of the manner in which people of diverse cultures and belief systems perceive health and illness and respond to various symptoms, diseases, and treatments. |
Learning to evaluate our own level of cultural competency |
| Cultural competence begins with an honest desire not to allow biases to keep us from treating every individual with respect. It requires an honest assessment of our positive and negative assumptions about others. This is not easy — no one wants to admit that they suffer from cultural ignorance, or in the worst case, harbor negative stereotypes and prejudices. (Cross, 1996) |
1 Cross, T L et al. Towards a Culturally Competent System of Care: A Monograph on Effective Services for Minority Children, National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University, 1989.
2 Cross et. al. 1989 and Lavizzo-Mourney and Mackenzie 1996 as cited in Cultural Competence: A Journey, Bureau of Primary Health Care. Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.)