The Culturally Competent Workplace

1. The Culturally Competent Workplace Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU It’s much more complicated than we realize!

2. What is Culture? • Culture is the “story” that a group of people tells to its members, from their earliest moments, about how the world treats the particular group and how to respond. • Culture incorporates the history of the group, shapes its belief system about its role in society, and teaches the young how to behave to support the group and maintain membership, either at home ( wherever that is) or in diaspora. Culture evolves in diaspora as a way to adapt to the dominant culture of the area. • Culture shapes every element of personal belief and behavior from ideas about hygiene to appropriate ways of eating to courting, marriage, and faith. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

3. Culture is Not Exotic • Each of us is immersed in our own complex personal and social cultures. • The problem is that if you are a member of a dominant culture, you don’t see your culture. • You just think you’re normal and everybody else is not. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

4. Afrocentric Version of The Lord’s Prayer • Our being that is in Oneness, may our realization of Oneness be with us. • Thy will be done so that we no longer believe in separation. • And do not let us be aroused by false hope for false desires of pleasure or gain but protect us from things that bring suffering. • Linda J. Meyers (1985) in The Journal of Black Psychology Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

5. Anglocentric Version of The Lord’s Prayer • Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name • Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, In earth as it is in heaven…. • Forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us) • And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. • King James Bible, shortened. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

6. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

7. The Culture Iceberg External Internal Internal Gender roles Beliefs about self Concept of beauty Concept of fairness Nature of Friendship Non-verbal behavior • Language • Food • Family Arrangements • Holiday customs • Art and music • Work ethic Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

8. Agree/Disagree – Does Your Culture Fit? • When I go shopping store detectives sometimes follow me. • No matter how I pay for things, nobody mentions my skin color (or ethnic identifier, e.g. turban, sari, chador) as a possible reason that I am unreliable. • I can be sure that my children will see people like them in their school textbooks. • I am never asked to speak for all people of my race. • I can live anywhere I want to without worrying about my neighbors’ reaction to me and my family. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

9. What is Cultural Competence?:Awareness • The ability to understand that culture shapes everything about the ways we see and interpret the world. • The realization that every culture (ethnic, gender, ability status, sexual orientation, age, religious tradition and the intersection of all of these) shapes the way we interpret everything that happens in our world and gives us different perspectives on “the facts”. • The ability to understand that any action in the workplace will affect different people differently because of cultural frameworks. • We can achieve consensus about “what happened,” but there really is no such thing as an objective interpretation. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

10. Cultural Competence: Knowledge • In order to be culturally competent, you can’t just be “sensitive.” You have to know information about how members of a culture behave, what they value and often the history of how and when their group arrived in the US. • In the workplace you should know greeting customs, food observances, family roles and obligations, ideas about authority and ways to express opinions to authority. • You should also be very aware of your own preconceived ideas about groups that you might work with- did your family have prejudices about these groups? Do you? Do you have different expectations of members of a specific group than you have about members of the dominant group? Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

11. Cultural Competence: Skills • The most important skill you need is SELF-AWARENESS. • Are there aspects of any culture that you are confused by, make negative judgments about or want to ignore? • Although it is not typically appropriate in American culture to admit this, are there elements of the behavior of members of other cultures that frighten you? This might occur if what others do or think just makes you feel incompetent because you don’t understand. You don’t have to be physically afraid to be afraid. Everybody is afraid of offending others, saying the wrong thing, looking ignorant. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

12. Cultural Competence : Skills • The next level of skill you need is personal comfort with asking questions and apologizing for offending people. • What do you typically do when you are uncomfortable in an encounter with a new people who is different from you in some significant way? • Discomfort requires that you also practice the skill of reflection- ask yourself, “What’s going on with me right now?” “ What’s making me feel awkward?” “Am I afraid of making a mistake, not looking like I’m in charge?” Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

13. Cultural competence: Skills • Another skill is that of careful observation. Notice the effect of your behavior on other people. Do they look comfortable? Do they look upset when something happens. Do they seem pleased to speak with you? Do you know their typical non-verbal reactions that indicate comfort or discomfort. There are cultural differences. • The final skill is listening carefully. You should be trying to understand both the words and their meaning. You should not be getting ready to respond until you’re sure you understand. A brief summary of what the other person said is often helpful before you speak. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

14. Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU

15. Engaging Conversation • It’s not that hard • Trust is essential • Humor doesn’t hurt • Use “I” statements- I hope, I wonder, I feel. • Listen for understanding, not response- you will know what to say even if it’s “I don’t know what to say.” Jane Fried, Ph.D. Professor, CCSU