The Need for Cultural Competency in American Schools and Business.

Presented by Shelley Lucas 

Cultural Competency is "a set of appropriate behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that enable us to live and work effectively in cross-cultural situations now experienced in all communities across the world. Cultures are made up of many different elements such as: ethnicity, language, religion, customs, values and patterns of behavior. Within each culture a broad scope of beliefs and practices may exist mutually that can create a challenge to teaching and the learning environment of a school. Consequently, stereotyping individuals can create barriers by assuming everyone in the same cultural group has the same beliefs and reacts the same way. We must learn to let go of our own ‘cultural baggage’ in order to model cross-cultural competency for our students.

In The U.S., to often we frame conversations regarding our racial, ethnic, and gender differences in nonproductive or ineffective ways. As Educators, we must strive to meet urgent needs of the new global economy. Our schools and businesses must provide skills-based training that emphasizes the benefits each person gains in an inclusive community: higher productivity, economic stability and security, greater creativity, and competitive advantages in the workforce.

DIVERSITY BENEFITS

• Higher Productivity
• Increased Effectiveness
• Improved Decision-Making
• Economic Strength
• Support of Freedom
• Strengthened Communities and Businesses

Changing demographics mandate that American workers and students develop new core competencies:

Skills-Based Competencies:

• Competent listeners who can recite and explain opposing views.
• Effective communicators with a wide range of people from differing cultural and religious groups. Expert communicators can write and speak in a manner that can communicate a single message to diverse audiences, understanding that diverse audiences are likely to interpret the same words, statements, or phrases in many ways. Cultural understanding and awareness is key.
• Able to identify and manage his or her own personal biases and preferences in the workplace.
• Skillful negotiators.
• Effective problem solvers who are highly skilled at conflict resolution.
• Able to accurately view issues or problems through the perspective of many cultural communities.
• Able to acknowledge cultural influences and admit to cultural conflicts where appropriate.
• Able to utilize and leverage the full range of skills and knowledge of diverse populations.

Knowledge-Based Competencies:

• Possesses keen insights into a wide range cultural customs and history.
• Understands various cultural norms and values.
• Recognizes his or her personal biases as well as institutional biases that influence decision making.
• Understands how information or words are likely to be interpreted by different cultural populations.

Goals:

• Reduce costs: Cultural conflicts are resolved by individuals rather than by human resources and lawsuits.
• Increase sales in diverse markets: Culturally competent workers can provide better products and services to diverse groups or international customers.
• Improve morale and employee performances: Each person has the opportunity to fully develop his or her talents and contribute. Improves morale and productivity by implementing procedures that ensure equitable hiring, recognition, promotion, and salary treatment.
• Create safe zones and eliminate danger zones: Enhance the ability of corporations to accurately interpret and analyze facts, problems, and statistics and to eliminate blind spots. Enhance the ability of schools and educators to model cultural competence, teach cultural awareness, and deliver a diverse and confident generation that is ready and able to succeed in the 21^st century.
• Create more inclusive and empathetic workplaces, schools, college campuses and communities where differing cultures, perspectives, opinions and beliefs are embraced.
• Develop communication strategies that provide a competitive edge in global market