Cultural Competency

· Write 5 pages in which you, using a chosen issue, evaluate complexities among cultures and assess how differences in culture can lead to misunderstandings from a psychological point of view.

Consider how your own culture impacts your development, behaviors, attitudes, and choices, in terms of daily interactions with persons similar or different from yourself. In the workplace, cultural awareness is critical, particularly in terms of the changing demographics in our society. Most jobs involve working with people from different cultural backgrounds. These individuals can be coworkers, clients, supervisors, or subordinates. To be successful, it is important to develop the ability to work and interact with people from different cultures. In other words, you need to be culturally competent.

Context

We use the word culture to describe and explain a broad range of activities, behaviors, events, and structures. According to Fiske, et al. (1998), as cited by Bernstein, Penner, Clarke-Stewart, and Roy (2008), culture is "the accumulation of values, rules of behavior, forms of expression, religious beliefs, occupational choices, and the like for a group of people who share a common language and environment" (pp. 22–23). Ecological, social, and biological factors all impact culture.

The Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.), based on Cross, Bazron, Dennis, and Isaacs (1989), defines cultural competency as "a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations" (para. 1).

Resources

Required Resource

The following resource is required to complete the assessment.

Multimedia

Click the link provided below to view the following multimedia piece:

· Cultural Competency Resource List  |  Transcript .

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Multimedia

Click the links provided below to view the following multimedia pieces:

· What Is Diversity?  |  Transcript .

· The Impact of Diversity  |  Transcript .

· Cultural Differences . |  Transcript .

· Cultural Dimensions . |  Transcript .

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

· TED Conferences. (Producer). (2009).  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story  [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html?awesm=on.ted.com_3k&utm_campaign=ted&utm_medium=on.ted.com-ChimamandaAdichie&utm_source=blog.ted.com&utm_content=site-custom

· Centers for Disease Control National Prevention Information Network (CDC NPIN). (2014).  Cultural competence . Retrieved from http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/population/culture.asp

· Assessment Instructions

To prepare for this assessment, complete the following:

· Select one of the stories from the Cultural Competency Resources List media piece (linked in the Required Resources) as your issue.

· Select a psychological theory that relates to complexities among cultures to use as a theoretical perspective on this issue.

Write a 5–6-page assessment in which you complete the following:

· Identify and describe the issue or issues in the selected story.

· Evaluate the selected psychological theory from a cultural perspective.

· Assess, from the selected theoretical point of view, how cultural differences contributed to the misunderstandings involved in your selected issue.

· Explain how you would propose to resolve the issue from a culturally sensitive perspective. Using psychological principles from your selected theoretical perspective, describe best practices for resolving or improving the cultural dilemma.

· Describe the competencies necessary for working in a culturally diverse environment.

· Reflect upon and discuss how your attitudes associated with culture, ethnicity, and diversity may affect your future professional behaviors.

Additional Requirements

Your assessment should meet the following requirements:

· Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.

· APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA sixth edition style and formatting.

· Number of resources: Use a minimum of three (3) academic resources.

· Length: Submission includes 5 typed, double-spaced pages.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.