Transcript What Is Culture?

“We talk a lot and talk pretty well about
race, but we don’t listen enough. And I’m
hoping that if we listen to each other, we
can begin to … make this society of ours
into less and less of a country of
strangers.”
-David Shipler, 1997
“Appreciation of our differences starts
with the acknowledgment of our
similarities”
-Peter Reese
What Is Culture?
What Is Culture?
The customary ways in which humans
live. For example; diet, family forms
and processes, social organizations,
and religions.
Info taken from: The Four Skills of Cultural Diversity Competence, by
Mikel Hogan-Garcia
Ethnic Group or Culture Group
The cultural heritage, or aspects of
culture, that a group shares and
attempts to hand down from one
generation to the next through
learning.
Info taken from: The Four Skills of Cultural Diversity Competence, by
Mikel Hogan-Garcia
12 Aspects of Culture or Ethnicity
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History-time period and conditions under which a group
migrated or immigrated.
Social Status Factors – education, occupation, income
Social Group Interaction Patterns: Intra-group (within
group relations) and Inter-group (between-group relations)
Value Orientation – standards by which members of a
culture judge their personal actions and those of others.
Language and Communication: Verbal and Nonverbal
Family Life Processes – gender roles, family dynamics
Healing Beliefs and Practices – attitudes and beliefs about
health.
Religion – spiritual beliefs and practices
Art and Expressive Forms – art, music, stories, dance, etc.
Diet/Foods – preferred food eaten by groups.
Recreation – activities, sports for leisure, etc.
Clothing – types, styles, and extent of body coverings.
Personal Culture – Core Identity
Includes everything an individual finds
meaningful, beliefs, values,
perceptions, assumptions, and
framework about reality.
Developed through social interaction
with family and others in your
environment.
Cultural Competence Skill Areas
Awareness and Acceptance of
Differences
Self-Awareness
Dynamics of Difference
Knowledge of Client’s Culture
Adaptation of Skills
Self-Awareness
“It is impossible to appreciate the
impact of culture on the lives of
others, particularly clients, if one is
out of touch with his or her own
cultural background.”
Self-Awareness
“Many people never acknowledge
how their day-to-day behaviors have
been shaped by cultural norms and
values and reinforced by families,
peers, and social institutions. How
one defines ‘family’, identifies
desirable life goals, views problems,
and even says hello are all influenced
by the culture in which one functions”
(Cross, 1988, p.2).
Self-Awareness
Requires self-knowledge of own
culture in order to know when cultural
limits are likely to be pushed,
foreseeing potential areas of tension,
and conflict with specific client
groups.
Why Become Culturally Competent?
Ethnocentrism
The belief that one’s own group or culture
is superior to all other groups or cultures.
The tendency of most people to use their
own way of life as a standard for judging
others; now also indicates the belief, on the
part of most individuals, that their race,
culture, society, etc., are superior to all
others
Info taken from: nku.edu website
Ethnorelativsm
These people have gone from being neutral about
difference to being positive. They not only accept
cultural differences, but are willing and able to
adjust their own behavior to conform to different
norms. They are able to empathize with people
from different cultures. In many ways, they
become what is known as bi cultural or multi
cultural, effortlessly adjusting their behavior to suit
the culture of the people they're with, "style
switching," in other words. They do not give up
their own or birth culture's values and beliefs, but
they do integrate aspects of other cultures into it.
Info taken from www.peacecorps.gov