Cultural Competency 101 Leng Leng Chancey

Mission: Culture Connect fosters cultural fluency between immigrants and the community at large through language services, mentoring, and education. Introduction of self and Culture Connect Intro video

Programs Language Services: provides professional interpretation and translation in over 60 languages in the medical, educational, social, and legal fields. Education and Advocacy Program: provides medical interpreter trainings and cultural competency trainings. Go-Betweener® Mentoring Program: community-based mentoring program that matches immigrant and refugee youth with an adult mentor that shares the same culture and language.

Workshop Objectives Workshop participants will be able to: -Define culture -Identify six cultural dimensions -How to have effective cross-cultural communication

What is Culture and Who Has It? -The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/culture -The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, or group the unconscious sum of our learned behaviors, patterns, and attitudes - Alfred Kroeber

Language, Behaviors, Customs Dress, Food, Habitat, Music Levels of Culture Language, Behaviors, Customs Cultural Values/Dimensions, World View, Spirituality, Political Affiliation Cultural Iceberg

Cultural Cruise Control The Cultural Cruise Control Performing a series of complex actions without paying conscious attention The Cultural Cruise Control Cultural Scripts Mind lessness Cultural pattern of behavior

Cultural Dimensions Identity Are you responsible for just yourself as an individual or to a larger society? Communication Do you address the point directly or do you allow indirect actions to convey your feelings? Time Do you view time as structured and set or as a fluid and loosely defined concept? Cultural Dimensions Gender Is society oriented towards characteristics primarily attributed to masculinity or femininity? Power Distance Are inequalities among people in society okay or unacceptable? Action Is it more important to accomplish tasks or to build relationships? *Cultural Dimensions based off the research of the Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede

Cultural Dimension: Communication Tendency to “get to the point” Focuses on what is said rather than how it is said (low-context vs. high-context) Prioritizes action Focuses on “saving face” and “respect” Silence may be just as important as words May have other ways to communicate “yes” and “no” Direct Indirect

Cultural Dimension: Time Culture Connect GDPH Cultural Dimension: Time Structured Time Fluid/Unstructured Time wheel of life and realms of saṃsāra © 2011 Culture Connect, Inc.

Cultural Dimension: Power Distance Culture Connect RRISA Cultural Competency Training Cultural Dimension: Power Distance The extent to which members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally Hierarchical: society members believe inequalities amongst people are the norm Egalitarian: society members view themselves almost as equals © 2012 Culture Connect, Inc.

What is “Cultural Competency”? Culture Connect GDPH What is “Cultural Competency”? Interacting effectively with people of different cultures. Learning new ways of behaving Getting rid of “cultural cruise control” Achieving collaborative success. © 2011 Culture Connect, Inc.

Cross-Cultural Communication Considerations… It is natural for us to use outward appearance in conjunction with our knowledge and experiences to determine how to communicate with someone. It is natural to make assumptions. It is natural to see differences before similarities: differences are not inherently bad. We need to be aware of our natural tendencies so that we can stop, think, and THEN act. Cross-Cultural Communication Considerations…

Developing Cross Cultural Competence Figure out your own cultural cruise control settings. Estimate where you fall on the spectrum of the cultural dimensions. Identify/anticipate where possible misunderstandings might occur. Adjust and accommodate. Remember: Be patient, respectful, and tolerant. Be willing to learn, step out side of comfort zone and to be the leader in doing things an alternate way.

For more information: Please visit us at www. cultureconnetcinc For more information: Please visit us at www.cultureconnetcinc.org Leng.chancey@cultureconnectinc.org Or 404-292-8457 ext 109 THANK YOU