Sources of Cultural Conflict

Creating a "culturally Competent Practice" as Educators

"Tolerance" versus "Competence"

• Cultural competence is the capacity to work effectively with people from a variety of ethnic, cultural, political, economic and religious backgrounds.
• It is being aware and respectful of the values, beliefs, traditions, customs, and parenting styles of the families of the children in our classrooms.
• It is understanding that culture is not heterogenous. That there are often a wide range of differences within a group. 
• It is being aware of how our own culture influences how WE VIEW OTHERS

ASSUMPTIONS:

• All people have personal aspirations and goals. How these may be expressed, and how important these are varies from culture to culture

• All parents/cultures want their children to be healthy and happy

• Happiness is defined by one's proper integration into family, society and culture

• Cultural beliefs and values (WORLDVIEW) are difficult, if not impossible to change (COGNITIVE/ESSENTIAL change). One may learn how to behave and think in a new way, without changing their fundamental perspective (functional change/ACCULTURATION)

Individualism Versus Collectivism:

INDIVIDUALISM

• child is an indivudual
• Independence is valued
• praise creates positive self-esteem
• cognitive skill development is important
• oral self-expression is valued
• personal property is recognized
• individuality must be nurtured and respected
• competition and personal initiative are valued
• children deserve to be respected by adults

COLLECTIVISM

• child is part of a social group
• interdependence is valued
• criticism (creates normative behavior)
• social skill development is important
• listening to authority is valued
• sharing is mandatory (not generous)
• group identity is nurtured and respected
• cooperation is valued
• adults deserve respect from children

CULTURAL COMPETENCY involves the development of skills:

• improving your ability to control and change your own (stereotypic) beliefs and assumptions
• to think flexibly
• to seek out sources of information to educate yourself about those who are different from you
• to recognize that your own thinking is not the only way
• SELF-AWARENESS is the first step in this process
• first question is always WHY (rather than judging 'WHAT')