Abstract
Undergraduates are becoming an increasingly more diverse group in many aspects. As the landscapes of U.S. society and higher education classrooms change, so must teaching – to incorporate a more culturally competent pedagogy. Cultural competence discourse has been found to be beneficial for teachers, students, and clients in the helping professions. However, discussing cultural competency in the classroom can be challenging to implement. Successful cultural competency discourse requires skilled teachers, invested students, and supportive institutions. The authors provide background literature around the development, benefits, and challenges associated with cultural competency discourse. Additionally, they provide their own personal experiences and offer some suggestions for best practice in encouraging and facilitating the discussion of cultural competency in the classroom.
TopDevelopment, Benefits, And Challenges Of Cultural Competency And Classroom Discourse
Given humanity’s constantly evolving society, the characteristics of the social policies and practices within that society have a duty to reflect and respect the diverse communities impacted by these very policies. These characteristics require cultural awareness and knowledge – or cultural competency – that promotes better social practices and policies (Brathwaite, 2005). Cultural competency is a valuable multidimensional and intersectional skill that can be pedagogically communicated in the classroom. Discourse around cultural competency is just as much about understanding and being sensitive to others’ cultures, as it is about self-reflection on one’s own positionality, biases, and assumptions (Sinclair, 2021). Discourse focused on cultural competency can make students feel seen and respected, additionally, students come away with an understanding of how to be better professionals themselves. However, its implementation comes with many challenges. What follows is a discussion of the literature around cultural competency development for educators and practitioners, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with engaging in cultural competency discourse in helping profession classrooms.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Cultural Competency: Being sensitive to and equipped to understand and communicate about the various forms of histories, cultures, and societies in our multi-cultural world.
Culturally Competent Pedagogy: The method of critically examining teaching including methods and types of instruction, materials, assessment, and the treatment and consideration of students.
Antisemitism: Prejudice, violence, and/or hostility leveraged against Jewish individuals, families, and social groups.
Critically Reflexive Autoethnography: Reflecting on one’s personal experiences and how one navigates the world incorporating one’s positionality, biases, privileges, and marginalizations via the connection to larger cultural and societal meanings.
DEI Frameworks: Frameworks that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion – lenses through which to view various organizations and situations with a focus on encouraging diverse backgrounds and experiences, the creation of equitable experiences, and the enthusiastic invitation of active participation of those from diverse backgrounds.
Family Science: The scientific study of structure, dynamics, processes, experiences, and societal influences of families and close interpersonal relationships – as defined by the individuals in that family/relationship.
Racial Battle Fatigue: Feelings of psychological, social, and physical stress experienced by racial/ethnically minoritized individuals in higher education and society in general.